FutureEd

Independent, solution-oriented think tank at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy. Follow FutureEd Director @Thomas_Toch.

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

How much can a simple change in “default” enrollment policy expand access to advanced coursework?

A new study by Daniel Alejandro Vargas Castaño, Dareem Antoine, and Trey Miller finds that shifting from opt-in to opt-out enrollment for advanced courses significantly increases participation in advanced coursework, though not evenly across student groups.

Read the research notes: https://t.co/iECKsheZkL

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

🚨 New Report 🚨

AI is reshaping America’s schools faster than most educators and policymakers were prepared for. While students are already using AI, many schools remain uncertain about how to respond.

In "Digital Trailblazers: Lessons from a School on the Frontier of Artificial Intelligence", FutureEd Policy Analyst Tara Moon examines how Washington Leadership Academy, a D.C. public charter high school, has integrated AI into teaching and learning while confronting challenges around academic integrity, creativity, privacy, and the evolving role of teachers.

The report highlights both the opportunities and challenges AI presents for schools, and warns that without stronger policy guidance and support, many students risk being left behind.

Read the report here: https://t.co/8kgFizqDCD

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

FutureEd is tracking several important webinars in education this week:

📌 The AI Agenda: Exploring the Trump Administration’s Approach to AI Literacy and Use (@NewAmericaEd) — Tuesday, 12pm

📌 The Big, Beautiful Federal Scholarship Tax Credit: Delivering on Its Promise (@AEIeducation) — Tuesday, 4:30pm

📌 Middle and High School Math: How to Get Struggling Learners on Track (@educationweek) — Thursday, 2pm

Explore these and more on FutureEd’s Events page: https://t.co/RctKJgkHvF

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

In our latest research notes, Giana Loretta summarizes a study that finds Black elementary students in Georgia consistently report worse perceptions of school climate than their peers, with these gaps more than doubling between 2017 and 2023.

The disparities persist even after accounting for school characteristics such as student-teacher ratios, average teacher experience, and disciplinary rates, suggesting deeply rooted differences in how students experience safety and belonging at school.

Read the research notes: https://t.co/Zf0ZRJaqpm

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

🎙️“Our mission is economic development, not conferring degrees. It is job training. The degree is a means to that when it makes sense to the labor market.”

In the latest episode of the @futureupodcast, @jselingo and @michaelbhorn interview @bettersworth about Texas State Technical College’s experimental funding model, which is determined entirely by student employment outcomes. Bettersworth discusses the process of getting buy-in from state policymakers, cutting degrees that do not generate returns on investment, and forecasting emerging occupations to create curricula that proactively meets labor market demands.

Listen here: https://t.co/MCf3NKHNYQ

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

In a new commentary originally published in @The74, Maureen Tracey-Mooney and Thomas Toch examine a General Services Administration proposal that would require recipients of federal funds to comply not just with civil rights law, but with the Trump administration’s interpretation of what counts as discrimination, including DEI efforts.

As a result, states and school districts could lose funding or face legal consequences for efforts to increase teacher diversity—despite research showing it improves outcomes for all students.

Read the commentary: https://t.co/0LFRPBUrZ6

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

🥗 State policymakers are advancing student nutrition and school meal policy in this year's legislative sessions.

FutureEd is tracking 170 school nutrition bills across 39 states, with proposals focused on stronger nutrition standards, expanded free meal access, and more locally sourced food.

This tracker will be continuously updated as bills move through the legislative process.

Explore the tracker here: https://t.co/L1IiDoNRJt

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

“Centrists and progressives champion policies that, if combined, would raise student achievement, fortify public education, and win votes. But joining forces would require each to compromise and embrace elements of the other’s agenda they don’t like.”

In a commentary originally published in The Washington Monthly, FutureEd director Thomas Toch examines the divide within the Democratic Party on education, and outlines a path forward to bring the two factions together.

Read the piece: https://t.co/Q7FS9DcB2u

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

Chronic absenteeism remains a persistent challenge, and state legislators are taking action across the country.📝

FutureEd’s updated 2026 tracker now includes 67 bills from 22 states and D.C. addressing student attendance, including four that have been enacted in New Jersey, Utah, Oregon, and Virginia.

Explore the tracker: https://t.co/2RfMaxGttc

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

📊 Education, by the numbers:

According to research by Sohil Malik, @MatthewAKraft, and Grace Falken, nearly 10,000 U.S. schools are located within a quarter mile of a hazardous site with acute exposure risk. Native American students are 124% more likely than white students to attend these schools.

For more education statistics, check out the Index on our homepage: https://t.co/zZ2rn0WaUO

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

"Educators build capability in students when learning connects to real world challenges, and when students learn to use the tools shaping the future with judgment and confidence. When capability is missing, students can do everything we ask—enroll, persist, earn credits—and still not be ready for what’s ahead. This gap between access and capability is one of the most urgent crises in American education today", writes @TequillaBrownie, FutureEd Senior Fellow and @TNTP Chief Executive.

Read our latest commentary on why closing this gap must be central to the next era of education reform: https://t.co/wJfrJax3M6

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

Notable leadership transitions are underway in education.

🔑@SecBBridges, former New Jersey secretary of higher education, is now a senior advisor at @WhitebdAdvisor.

🔑@KatieCarroll222, former Virginia deputy superintendent of school performance and support, is now senior director of policy and program at @PIEnetwork.

Explore The Churn, FutureEd’s tracker of the latest leadership changes in the education sector: https://t.co/eVUiMOgZoD

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

In 2023, the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision ended race-conscious college admissions. In our latest research notes, Giana Loretta highlights new evidence that the ruling reduced both the likelihood that high-achieving underrepresented minority students enroll in highly selective colleges and overall campus diversity at those institutions.

Read the research notes: https://t.co/3gFO9ayWYb

[The 74 @The74]

DiMarco: Attendance overall has improved since COVID, but statewide averages mask huge gaps between Black & Latino students and their white peers https://t.co/OAN7LQDxWd

[CALDER Center @caldercenter]

We're at a crossroads—what's next for education policy and research?

Join us at #CALDER2026 on March 2 for a roundtable discussion with Cara Jackson (OBC), Nat Malkus (AEI), Amber Northern (U.S. Department of Education), and @CEDR_US.

Register 👉 https://t.co/C8yvUDsyOw

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

Generative AI could transform K–12 tutoring by expanding access at a lower cost, but there has been little rigorous evidence on its impact.

In our latest research notes, we examine two studies finding that AI in tutoring can improve student outcomes. One model strengthens human instruction, while the other moves toward replacing it—raising questions about the tradeoffs between cost and the value of personal connections provided by human tutors.

Read the full piece: https://t.co/dfFIjzcToQ

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

Governors’ state-of-the-state addresses offer an early look at education priorities for 2026. Our tracker highlights education-related initiatives across states—from early learning and school meals to higher education, workforce development, and school choice.

We’ll continue updating the tracker as speeches are delivered.

https://t.co/GJafV6m9CD

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

What is a classroom "culture of learning", and why does it matter? A new study led by David Yeager, a FutureEd research advisor, found that a low-cost teacher training program focused on building a culture of learning boosted student achievement and reduced teacher burnout.

Read our latest research notes for more: https://t.co/JCjVj6msaR

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

@thomas_toch , director of FutureEd, joined Eric Worcester and Nathaniel Provencio on the Community Connection podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on how the modern education landscape has evolved—and what its history can teach today’s policymakers and education leaders about school choice and reform.

🎧 Listen to the conversation: https://t.co/5sx80couzv

[FutureEd @FutureEdGU]

📄 2 new research notes are now live on our website:

• 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘜𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺: A new study finds that higher local unemployment rates increase the likelihood that adolescents become teachers—and remain in the profession.

• 𝘔𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴’ 𝘛𝘰𝘱 𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴: Evidence shows that ranked-choice application systems better match students—particularly disadvantaged students—to their top-choice schools.

Read them here:
https://t.co/ksT9oiAqkV
https://t.co/EZpZHK8H1K