Thinking forward in 2021: We must safely reopen schools, but the goal cannot be a return to normal

What a year! Since early in March, the CRPE team has been operating at full steam to try to be helpful in the pandemic. In the first few months we pushed for urgent action to prepare schools to move to remote learning. I am incredibly proud of the CRPE team. We were often exhausted, but […]
How Can Learning Management Systems be Used Effectively to Improve Student Engagement?
This paper summarizes findings from a consensus panel on using data from learning management systems and software to help educators understand and improve student engagement during remote instruction.
Student Supports, Professional Development, Operations and Finance at Proyecto Vimenti
Three papers document lessons about finance and operations, professional development, and student support from the first year and a half of Proyecto Vimenti, Puerto Rico’s first public charter school.
How Is School Enrollment in Washington State Shifting during COVID-19?
This brief examines shifts in Washington State’s public school enrollment after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
U-Turn: Surge of COVID Cases Reverses Reopening Progress in America’s School Districts

Our December review of a statistically representative sample of 477 districts found 31 percent are operating in fully remote learning—a larger percentage than at any other point during the fall semester.
Putting Families at the Center: The Role of Parent Advocacy Groups during COVID-19

As school systems nationwide struggle to deliver learning in a pandemic, parent advocacy groups are stepping up to help Black and Hispanic families who have often been left out of previous education policy making discussions. This brief profiles four advocacy groups—The Oakland REACH; Parents Amplifying Voices in Education, or PAVE; Kids First Chicago; and Parent […]
One size fits no one: Meeting the varied demands and needs of students

CRPE sought examples of districts providing outlets for students to provide feedback, and students taking advocacy into their own hands.
Any school can start building the key ingredients for effective special education

For many parents of students with disabilities, last spring’s sudden interruption of schooling was a disaster. Cut off from teachers and forced to go without essential special education services, parents saw years of social and academic progress slip away. For many, this fall hasn’t been much better. Health, safety, and reopening have become all-consuming for […]
Learning pods: Providing education equity for all families

Parent advocacy groups are empowering families to reimagine public schools. But sometimes parents are simply opting out as the ultimate form of empowerment. Chemay Morales-James was working as an equity coach providing consulting services to public school districts when she decided to homeschool her own children. A former teacher and mother of two from Watertown, […]
How States Can Better Prepare Students for Life After High School
This report examines weaknesses states share in career and technical education and offers recommendations to improve career pathways for students.