Below are some of the most recent news articles featuring Public Impact and our work. To read more, searchable by topic, visit our resource database. For more news about our Opportunity Culture initiative, visit the Opportunity Culture website.
Idaho legislators could fund full-day kindergarten. Here’s why experts say it’s important
Idaho Statesman, January 10, 2022, by Becca Savransky. Idaho legislators this year plan to push to fund optional full-day kindergarten, a proposal experts say would help improve Idaho’s reading outcomes as children enter first grade. Lawmakers said not only will funding full-day kindergarten give more kids that extra academic time,…
New study shows all-day kindergarten would help Idaho students make up for learning loss
Idaho Stateman, December 21, 2021, by Terry Ryan. The COVID-19 pandemic has depressed in historic fashion literacy results for elementary school children across the country. Performance on the iReady test administered nationally by Curriculum Associates showed, “compared to historical averages, fewer second and third graders were at grade level in…
Idaho lawmakers hoping to pass bill for all-day kindergarten in 2022, after years of attempts
KTVB7, December 17, 2021, by Tristan Lewis. Conversations surrounding free all-day kindergarten, the benefits behind it and how lawmakers want it paid for are starting up once again, as the 2022 legislative session is just weeks away. “Really, this isn’t new,” District 18 Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise, said. “This is…
Idaho’s full-day kindergarteners outpace half-day students in reading
Idaho Ed News, December 17, 2021, by Kyle Pfannenstiel. Idaho’s full-day kindergarteners are advancing their reading and writing skills faster than their peers in half-day programs, a new report shows. The research, published Thursday by North Carolina-based education firm Public Impact and Idaho charter support group Bluum, found that the state’s full-day kindergarteners started last school year behind students in half-day…
4 Ways Districts Are Giving Teachers More Flexibility in Their Jobs
Education Week, May 4, 2021, by Madeline Will. The coronavirus pandemic and resulting lockdowns have permanently shifted the way many industries think about how and where people work. But will school districts follow suit and embrace workplace flexibility? The model of one teacher standing in front of a class for…
Education Lessons from the Pandemic
The Hill, March 13, 2021, by Thomas Toch and Lynn Olson. The pandemic relief package that just cleared Congress includes no less than $126 billion for schools, and there’s talk in education circles of using a portion of the money to reduce class sizes by hiring thousands of teachers to increase social distancing in…
How Schools Should Use Funds from the American Rescue Plan to Support Students
From Chiefs for Change, March 11, 2021 Chiefs for Change is grateful to President Biden for his leadership and to Congress for approving emergency relief aid that is commensurate with the tremendous challenges America’s schools are facing amid Covid-19. As K-12 leaders prepare to receive their share of the $123 billion…
Eight Ways New Schools Innovate
Forbes, November 19, 2020, by Tom Vander Ark. The rapid global shift to hybrid and remote learning—with lots of versions and variability—provoked renewed interest in new school models. And, compared to 20 years ago, the invention opportunity is enhanced by the science of learning, broad agreement on the importance of…
Rethinking School Staffing
AEI, October 8, 2020, by Nat Malkus As schools confront massive budget shortfalls in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it is critical that they examine how they might use existing funding more efficiently. On this episode of The Report Card, Nat Malkus talks with Bryan Hassel about how districts might rethink their staffing…
Report: Pandemic could spur new school staffing approaches
Education Dive, September 28, 2020, by Kara Arundel Overnight, it seemed, some teachers’ roles changed from being leaders in their classrooms to including broader responsibilities as mentors and coaches to other teachers, curriculum designers, technology facilitators, data coaches and assessment designers. What if that were the norm, asks the AIR paper….