Education Policy Initiative

Key dates and deadlines for the November 8 election, plus how to register and vote.

The official start of the school year, welcome week and orientation activities at the Ford School give new master's students the opportunity to meet and engage with peers, faculty, and staff, and begin the process of preparing for the academic year.

The Ford School is proud to celebrate the achievements of the graduating classes of 2022!

Michigan will hold elections on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, and the Ford School strongly encourages all eligible voters to make their voices heard.

The 2020 United States presidential election will be held Tuesday, November 3, 2020. (Polling location times vary by state)

We'll be celebrating this fall! Save the date and join us for the Ford School Reunion!

The Ford School is proud to celebrate the achievements of the graduating classes of 2019!

Free and open to the public.Pizza lunch provided at 11:25am to the first 100 guests.Sponsored by: The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP)Co-sponsored by: The Education Policy Initiative (EPI) and the University of Michigan School of EducationFor more information visit www.closup.umich.edu or call 734-647-4091.  Follow on Twitter @closup

CLOSUP and EPI welcome Mayor of Detroit Mike Duggan for a Policy Talks @ the Ford School lecture.

Free and open to the public. Join the conversation: #fordschoolspellings Lecture by the Honorable Margaret Spellings, Former U.S. Secretary of Education (2005-2009) Abstract: The seminal education law known as No Child Left Behind put critical pressure on our schools to dramatically improve education in America. Through accountability, testing, and consequences for failure, a more targeted focus on our neediest students has translated into measurable success for them.

Sponsored by the Education Policy Initiative (EPI) at the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP). EPI is a program of coordinated activities designed to bring the latest academic knowledge to issues of education policy. Generous support provided by Charles H.

Abstract We examine the theoretical and practical implications of ranking teachers according to a one dimensional value-added metric when teacher effectiveness is multi-dimensional. In particular, we consider the cases in which teachers teach multiple subjects or multiple student types. We outline the assumptions under which a standard value-added estimator correctly ranks teachers according to their social value. We demonstrate that these assumptions fail to hold empirically.

Free and open to the public. Abstract In 2006, with the goal of increasing student achievement, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) Board of Education passed policies related to effective teachers and school administrators. The leadership of the District put the Board's work in action and made increasing staff effectiveness the focus of their work.

Free and open to the public. Sandwiches and soda provided. Sponsored by the Education Policy Initiative (EPI) at the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP). EPI is a program of coordinated activities designed to bring the latest academic knowledge to issues of education policy. Generous support provided by Charles H. and Susan Gessner. About the speaker Stephanie Jones is an assistant professor of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Education Policy Initiative (EPI) at the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP). EPI is a program of coordinated activities designed to bring the latest academic knowledge to issues of education policy. Generous support provided by Charles H. and Susan Gessner. Abstract School accountability systems are intended to lead schools to educate children more efficiently and raise student performance.

Free and open to the public. Abstract: The term 'undermatch' describes the problem of students failing to apply to the most selective colleges they qualify for. There is evidence that students who undermatch significantly reduce their chances of graduating. Because undermatching is substantially more prevalent among lower-income, minority, and first generation students, it raises immediate questions of fairness as well of resource waste.

Free and open to the public. Abstract: The U.S. high school graduation rate rose markedly during the first 70 years of the 20th century. This contributed to the human capital development that fueled economic growth and increases in standards of living. Since 1970, the U.S. high school graduation rate has stagnated, while those of other industrialized nations have risen. Do the patterns differ by gender, race, or ethnicity? Why should we care about these trends and patterns? Why did they occur?

Abstract Over the past two decades, many urban school districts have restructured large, traditional high schools into smaller learning communities. The idea behind this movement is that small schools provide a more personalized learning environment that allows teachers to more effectively address the multi-faceted needs of disadvantaged students. Despite mixed evidence on the efficacy of such reforms in practice, Detroit and other high-poverty districts have pressed forward with the creation of smaller high schools.

For-profit colleges are under fire. Critics point to students' low earnings and high debt loads as evidence that these schools do not provide a quality education. Defenders of the sector note that the schools serve a population of low-skilled, low-income students that traditional colleges ignore. Congress is now considering legislation that would bar from the federal aid programs any schools whose graduates' earnings fall below a minimum threshold.