National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE

Working at the intersection of education and the economy 🌍 Co-designing shared futures by transforming barriers to bridges, divides to dialogues. ✨

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

Our latest research shows that career-connected learning works best when it’s designed intentionally at the system level.

Building Pathways, a case study, shows what that looks like in practice.

It highlights how education systems are intentionally designing pathways that:
🔹 Build coherence across levels of schooling
🔹 Connect learning and credentials over time
🔹 Support student agency and informed decision-making
🔹 Reduce dead ends while keeping options open

Together, the brief and the case study offer a clearer picture of how systems can move from isolated initiatives to coherent pathways built on purpose.

🔎 Explore Building Pathways and see how the research comes to life. https://t.co/gJG2qGhvAN

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

In a new article from @AASAHQ, former student representatives Rida Karim and Luke Lippitt reflect on their experiences serving on school boards, the learning curve and challenges faced, and the supports that helped them succeed. https://t.co/FWQjkwbwPa

Their message to #EdLeaders: inviting students to the table is only the first step. Ensuring they have the preparation, support, and influence to contribute meaningfully is what creates lasting impact.

The National Student Board Member Association exists as a resource. https://t.co/ZOhPfignr9

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

It was a privilege to work with @empoweredprg on a segment exploring how education systems can better prepare students for the future.

Here is a glimpse into our every day as a think-and-do tank, bringing together research, policy, and practice to help build the education system our future demands.

Huge appreciation to the entire team for making your film debut.

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

We're always energized by the work happening in @FontanaUnified.

#EdLeaders have created space for meaningful conversations and shared learning, most recently around mutual behaviors that support effective teams.

Building stronger systems starts with leaders who are willing to lean into thoughtful dialogue and continuous improvement.

📸 Michael Bobo

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

Further reflections from Estonia 🇪🇪 …

As our team continues benchmarking how leading systems are thinking differently about assessment, accountability, and the future of learning, one theme we were particularly interested in is AI integration in schools.

In Estonia, the focus has been to roll out AI tools thoughtfully, testing what works, and continually measuring impact. Student learning remains at the center alongside a commitment to upholding the country's language, culture, and values.

There is a strong focus on evidence, trust, leadership, and partnership, and a shared belief that innovation only matters if it improves learning for students and supports teachers in meaningful ways.

Follow along for more reflections from our benchmarking work, and thank you to our team for bringing back global insights that help spark conversations here at home.

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

For educators and ed leaders, rethinking how learning connects to the world beyond school, Educurious is one to follow.

Their recent article shares what it looks like in practice and why it matters. 👇

Explore how Project Based Learning supports deeper engagement and real-world skills: https://t.co/QFpA8Z0549

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

Across NCEE’s 2026 Global High Performers, several common patterns emerge:
🌐 Teaching is treated as a respected, knowledge-rich profession
🌐 Curriculum and assessment remain stable enough to support deep learning
🌐 Student well-being and academic rigor are pursued together, not in tension
🌐 Policy decisions are aligned with long-term national goals rather than short-term cycles

These systems look different culturally and politically, but their success reflects a shared commitment to coherence, continuity, and investment in people.

🎙️ Hear more from Vicki Phillips and international leaders from Finland, Singapore, Estonia, and the U.S. 🔗 https://t.co/ikpjDXM0lW

🖥️ Explore what's possible 🔗 https://t.co/FrvgkrblOp

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

Superintendents across the nation tell us the same thing: "Our most experienced principals are retiring. Good teachers are leaving. And the leadership pipeline feels thinner every year.”

The question underneath it all: How do we build the next generation of leaders?

A few practical moves districts are making right now:
🔍 Identify leadership potential early, not just the loudest voices, but the quiet system thinkers
🧭 Make leadership development job-embedded, not something leaders do after hours
🤝 Create cohorts, so emerging leaders don’t grow in isolation

This is the gap NISL NEXT for School Leaders is designed to fill, helping districts grow leadership capacity before vacancies become emergencies.

If building your leadership bench is a priority, take a closer look at NISL NEXT → https://t.co/Sf5VUzLQFI

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

We’re honored to convene a statewide funder collaborative in Pennsylvania focused on strengthening the educator pipeline.

Through support from the William Penn Foundation, philanthropic partners across the Commonwealth are exploring sustainable solutions to teacher recruitment, retention, and educator success. https://t.co/vZNSyIo6dS

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

We’ve translated decades of global research and hands-on work with states into a set of practical, adaptable strategies for building coherent, future-ready education systems that prepare learners for long-life learning, meaningful work, and civic life.

This framing brings the NCEE Blueprint to life across four priorities:
1️⃣ Preparing young people for long-life learning
2️⃣ Cultivating high-capacity educators
3️⃣ Joining forces so learners thrive
4️⃣ Rethinking system leadership

It’s designed for use by district leaders, state partners, and cross-sector teams looking to align efforts and sustain innovation at scale.

📘 Explore the framework → https://t.co/atY3qjkVyw

💬 What feels like the right starting point where you lead?

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

Explore how San Antonio, Texas, has redesigned public high schools around industry partnerships and real workplace experiences.

Learn how Indiana has built a statewide framework that aligns diplomas, credentials, and apprenticeships into clear pathways from high school to good jobs.

And see how Korea has spent decades developing a long-life learning system that recognizes learning wherever it happens and supports continuous skill-building across a career.

Together, these examples show how systems can move beyond isolated programs to create coherent pathways that prepare all learners for life. Download the case study: https://t.co/gJG2qGhvAN

[Dirk Van Damme @VanDammeEDU]

Excellent report on a country which consistently outperforms many other nations on reading, Ireland. While others continue to decline, Ireland still improves the literacy skills of its school-age population. Policies matter!

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

Ireland quietly became one of the strongest literacy systems in the world.

Its success did not come from constant reinvention, but from sustained investment in curriculum, teacher learning, and instructional coherence, an approach that mirrors the sustained work happening in states like Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee.

Ireland also stands out for its strong cultural focus on reading, including the use of novels and rich texts to support learning across subjects.

Download the report: https://t.co/ho1V2PcFQS

#LearningToLeading #EducationPolicy #GlobalEducation #FutureReady #EducationResearch @Education_Ire @OECDEduSkills

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

Our team has been on the road, recently in Estonia, studying how one of the world’s leading education systems is thinking differently about assessment, accountability, and the future of learning.

We visited schools, talked with teachers and students, met with ministry leaders, researchers, and the Chamber of Commerce. During our time explored everything from AI in assessment to how systems support durable skills and develop student agency.

Benchmarking trips like this are about listening, learning, and bringing back ideas that can spark thoughtful conversations and action in communities here at home.

More reflections from Estonia, Hong Kong, Ireland, and Singapore coming soon.

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

No two systems are the same. That’s why NISL NEXT is strategic, responsive, and attuned to context—helping leaders tackle the problems that matter most, right where they are.

Transformation always starts locally.

We saw this in action with Mississippi superintendents, who brought candor and conviction to reimagining what leadership looks like for their state.

See how NISL NEXT adapts to your context → https://t.co/Sf5VUzLQFI

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

Lancaster’s investment in people is yielding real and lasting results with promising trends in student attendance, engagement, and achievement.

At the heart of this transformation lies a core belief: leadership is not born, it is grown.

Learn how @SDoLancaster turned a time-bound grant into a lasting system for leadership growth. https://t.co/NEOha5xL5R

[PA Needs Teachers @paneedsteachers]

PA loses ~7k teachers a year. Recruitment alone won't fix that.

Our coalition members joined @OppCulture audio to talk about what redesigning the teaching profession actually looks like.

🎧: https://t.co/6atADyQu21

#PANeedsTeachers #TeacherShortagePA @TeachPlusPA @CtrEdEcon

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

What if career-connected learning weren’t treated as a program, but as a system design choice?

Our newest brief in the Thinking Differently About… series draws on local and global examples to illuminate what intentional design can make possible. 🔗 https://t.co/gJG2qGhvAN

What would it take to move from isolated innovation to system-wide change in your context?

Identify one barrier you could help remove and start that conversation this week.

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

Decades of research show that investing in education strengthens productivity and prepares societies for the future of work.

As Chief Global Strategy & Research Officer Tracey Burns says in this conversation, “There is a hard business case behind these ideas.”

Dig deeper. Watch the full Education for Human Flourishing webinar when it works for your schedule. https://t.co/mp8uihOv9Q

[National Center on Education & the Economy - NCEE @CtrEdEcon]

Congratulations to Evren Wilder Elliott, MPA, on this well-deserved spotlight from @IndianaUniv. We're proud to have you on the NCEE team. 👏

https://t.co/8uaQMv6Eej