������Ƶ

• We defended the U.S. Department of Education, documenting in a special resource collection the irreparable damage that would and will occur through its dismantlement.
• We explained how the policies of President ������Ƶ first 100 days fail workers during a panel event featuring labor leaders and members of Congress.
• We exposed DOGE’s inflated claims of $900 million in alleged “waste” within the U.S. Department of Education, sparking national scrutiny and notable coverage in USA Today.
• We published analyses of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act within a day of its passage, emphasizing how cuts to Medicaid endanger students with disabilities and jeopardize critical school funding.
• We disseminated an original analysis of the president’s $6.8 billion school-funding freeze, drawing dozens of citations in national news outlets across the country.
  • Track the time between our exclusive district-by-district reporting and the and restoration of withheld funds.

• We advocated for stronger federal support for community colleges and evidence-based student success strategies that build pathways to the middle class for low-income learners.
• We shaped the , accountability, and the essential role of a strong, intact U.S. Department of Education.
• We briefed lawmakers on the importance of appropriating full funding for the National Science Foundation during two bipartisan events on Capitol Hill.
• We developed recommendations for helping states take a more coherent, holistic approach to strengthening their teacher workforces that were reflected in the reintroduction of the .
• We warned that moving career and technical education (CTE) programs to the U.S. Department of Labor would jeopardize recent gains in CTE program quality—and would confuse almost everyone involved.
  • Review this letter Senate Democrats sent to Education Secretary Linda McMahon that and calls on her to “immediately reverse course.”

• We helped define a new vision for at the National Academies’ Leadership Exchange.
• We urged Illinois to expand access to early intervention services for NICU babies so families can secure the support necessary for a strong start.
  • Consider how in Illinois, passed within months of our advocacy, will connect more infants to life-changing therapies.

• We co-developed a model English learner policy for school boards, which Georgia’s largest school district is considering adopting to support their 30,000 English learners.
• We designed family engagement tools for three Pennsylvania elementary schools, including interactive maps and a new family ambassador program.
  • Discover how building each low-cost tool built trust between caregivers and educators in the Keystone State.

• We established a new cross-state Community of Practice to drive sustainable investment in college and career pathways for youth.
• We co-hosted 350 attendees at the National Youth Apprenticeship Summit, an annual conference for advocates and practitioners who connect high-school-aged youth to high-quality apprenticeship opportunities.
• We showcased current and former youth apprentices from around the country during a symposium facilitated by our PAYA Youth Council.
  • Learn how to design “The Blueprint of Youth Apprenticeships, According to Youth Apprentices.”

• We exposed the “ugly truth” about the beauty school industry, investigating predatory systems that prioritize profit over the education and the career growth of students.
• We organized a to inform reporters about the looming “default cliff” and answer questions about the current state of the student loan system.
• We testified before the , helping advance landmark legislation to make financial aid offers easier for students to understand and compare.
• We released new nationally representative data in the ninth edition of Varying Degrees, our flagship survey that analyzes public opinion on the value of education after high school.
  • Revisit our release event that featured researchers, college presidents, and the tenth U.S. Secretary of Education.

• We connected student parents with journalists reporting on the U.S. Department of Education’s plan to withhold funding for the CCAMPIS program, which funds campus-based child care.
• We developed a practice guide and state and federal policy recommendations to help colleges support child care for student parents.
• We uncovered the effects of eviction on parenting students and detailed how better public policy can address student basic needs.
  • Catch our podcast that dives deeper into these datasets.

• We brought new insights on youth apprenticeships, ed tech for young children, and college student work models to the innovative community.
• We convened 23 organizations to develop the Six-Strand Strategy for Educator Excellence, a comprehensive approach to strengthening the educator workforce and reducing teacher shortages.
• We investigated the secretive enrollment management industry, into the major firms higher education institutions use to set discriminatory tuition rates.
• We built a data tool that redraws school district boundaries to reduce racial segregation for students and significantly cut tax-base inequality for communities.
  • Watch our short walkthrough video to see what new, fairer lines would mean for your state and school community.

• We coordinated with 30 national and state organizations to respond to looming threats for multilingual learners, like the potential elimination of Title III funding.
• We hosted a forum event to celebrate 35 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act and to push for in all advocacy efforts.
• We launched the National Commission on Learning Ecosystems, a new mutli-year project that will strengthen connections across schools, libraries, museums, and youth learning environments.
• We brought together community college partners focused on capacity-building for emerging tech sectors and developing industries.
• We analyzed the current digital literacy landscape, identifying where instruction is available and analyzing how America is prepping students for the Age of AI.
  • Explore how AI can “change the game” for learners with disabilities in a special article published in ������Ƶ’s digital magazine, The Thread.

In addition to the activities of the program, many ������Ƶns on our teams have had noteworthy years themselves:

• Sarah Carr wrote an article for The Hechinger Report that that connects more NICU infants in Illinois to federally mandated services.
• Lisa Guernsey commemorated the 10th anniversary of her ambitious book project, Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens, and facilitated formal discussions with designers of the next decade of literacy innovations.
• Taylor White joined a to Switzerland to study the country’s education and apprenticeship system.
• Shalin Jyotishi was appointed to the Workers & Workforce committee of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s .
• Adam Harris authored op-eds in The Guardian and The New York Times that responded to unfolding news and unpacked historical and political context.
• Kevin Carey published expert commentary in Vox, USA Today, and The Atlantic related to President ������Ƶ many attacks on education systems.

And we celebrated our 25th year incubating ideas, policies, and solutions for the “new America!”