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Trellis' Student Financial Wellness Survey (SFWS) seeks to document the financial well-being of post-secondary students and provide institutions with a detailed profile of the financial issues their students face, some of which could potentially impact their success in college. This report details aggregated findings for the 89 colleges and universities across the country that participated in the fall 2022 implementation of the survey. [For "Student Financial Wellness Survey: Fall 2021 Semester Results. National Aggregate Report," see ED625724.]

Despite the relative increase in early care and education (ECE) investment over recent decades, access to infant and toddler care continues to be a hurdle for countless families across the nation. While access is a multifaceted issue, main contributors include a lack of available slots and the high cost of providing care to infants and toddlers. Federal programs intended to increase access to high-quality care (e.g., Child Care and Development Fund [CCDF] subsidy) have strict eligibility requirements and only reach a fraction of eligible families. As a result, families of infants and toddlers may be forced to choose from a limited array of ECE options or leave the workforce to care for their child. Simultaneously, insufficient compensation, demanding conditions, and minimal supports contribute to challenges with ECE workforce recruitment and retention. These factors suggest a need for effective policies and practices to help families find and use affordable care that meets the needs of their infants and toddlers. This document highlights various strategies that states have used to strengthen the infant and toddler workforce and system of care. While each strategy is described individually, some are combined with other strategies in practice. Strategies described in this resource address the following topic areas: (1) Supply of infant toddler care; (2) Workforce standards and professional support; and (3) Compensation.

Nutrition insecurity is especially seen among historically underserved populations, such as those with limited financial resources. Funded by the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and conducted by Cooperative Extension through land-grant institutions in all U.S. states and territories and the District of Columbia, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) uses education to support program participants' efforts toward self-sufficiency and nutritional health and wellbeing. This report reflects how EFNEP continues to make a difference in the lives of low-income families and youth, even, and especially in times of adversity. Fiscal year 2021 was especially difficult for individuals, families, and communities across the nation as they experienced personal loss, social isolation, employment uncertainty, and lack of access to food and other resources. It was also difficult for community-based programs as they experienced temporary closures and pivoted to develop and adapt social distancing protocols in a changing and challenging COVID-19 pandemic environment. Faced with such difficulties, EFNEP remained resilient and experienced continued programmatic success. New partnerships were formed, resources were adapted, and remote approaches were utilized to expand program reach. Universities gave increased attention to training paraprofessional staff (peer educators) to help them feel less isolated. EFNEP leadership across the country developed and shared program content and teaching methods that allowed them to adapt quickly to a virtual teaching environment that supported participant success. Federal partners increased communications and provided technical assistance to university leadership to recognize and support local efforts.

To best train and support school leaders in their evolving roles, they require high-quality preparation and in-service pipelines that both address the changing demands on their positions and acknowledge the cascading effects that well-prepared leaders have on both student outcomes and in school culture and retention. Including school leaders in the policymaking process will help guide state leaders on the most effective approaches for their states and needs. To that end, this Policy Brief explores school leader representation on state and local boards of education and on statewide task forces and commissions. The brief also presents an overview of the school leadership pipeline and examples of recent legislative action in 13 states that supports development along the continuum.

English learners (ELs) are a fast-growing and diverse student population in the U.S. K-12 public school system. Representing more than 400 languages spoken, EL students bring rich linguistic and cultural traditions to their communities. To better understand education finance equity for EL students in the Southeast, this analysis focuses on nine states -- Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The authors examine funding policy structures in each state and compare them against promising practices in state funding systems for EL students. Just two states in the region, Florida and South Carolina, receive the highest rating for policy structures, and they still have substantial room to improve. The authors also examine data on state and local revenues linked to EL students, EL-specific budget allocations, EL enrollment, and Title III federal funding for the four-year period from 2015-16 to 2018-19.

This study explores the common barriers and shared visions for creating access to archival collections held by libraries at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). One of few reports that document the needs of HBCU libraries as they relate to archives and special collections. It is based on a series of online focus groups that author Sharon Ferguson Freeman facilitated with HBCU library directors and deans in 2021. The study provides insight into the significance of special and archival collections for HBCU librar­ies and their communities; the management and capacity of archives and special collections; and these libraries' values, priorities, needs, and aspirations. The findings also reveal information related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HBCUs and broader topics of significance that were not anticipated when the project began.

This report, the first in the Economic Vitality and Education in the South (EVES) series, provides state-by-state information on more than 20 critical data points associated with the education-to-workforce pipeline. The report looks specifically at the 17 states in the Southern Education Foundation (SEF) region: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. It explores persistent and historic outcome gaps for Black, Hispanic, and low-income Americans and discusses how inequities in the education system and the labor force--due to these persistent gaps--are often more pronounced in the South.

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way that families and policymakers view K-12 education. Learning loss is having an outsized impact on students who were furthest from opportunity before the pandemic. And families are increasingly looking for new educational options for their children. For decades, access to educational options meant "school choice" -- now it's time to think broadly about an ecosystem of flexible "learning options." Beyond traditional options, such as school choice through open enrollment, charter schools, and private school choice, policymakers are increasingly providing families with access to more flexible learning opportunities through Education Savings Accounts and "learn anywhere" policies. This report examines some of the most important trends in the realm of option-expanding state policies, along with recommendations to ensure that all families have equitable access to these educational opportunities.

During a time of historic COVID-related federal investment in child care and early education, states are working to leverage this opportunity to provide significant relief and recovery to providers and families. This fact sheet highlights the actions that select states have implemented to make the most of this critical time and opportunity. As parents continue to struggle to find child care and child care workforce shortages reduce their options, states must act quickly to commit their remaining relief funds and get them out the door, while supporting policy changes that set the stage for future federal investments. As states work toward these goals, they should consider principles and policy priorities for equitable implementation. The recommendations include: (1) Designing accessible and inclusive grant application processes; (2) Improving data systems to increase equity and understand needs; (3) Setting grant amounts that reflect adequate compensation, benefits, and address inequities; (4) Simplifying applications and supporting the true cost of providing care; (5) Funding supply-building activities; and (6) Connecting children and providers to mental health services. The state actions included in this brief highlight some of the impactful strategies states across the country are using to provide relief and recovery for child care providers and families with young children.

School choice critics argue that choice programs drain resources from public schools and therefore harm students who remain in them. Because policymakers are tasked with balancing their states' budgets and ensuring that their public schools meet educational provisions in their states' constitutions, they are concerned with the fiscal effects of these programs. More than two dozen studies have examined educational choice programs' effects on students enrolling in nearby public schools. Researchers have conducted a handful of systematic reviews of competitive effects research and, more recently, a meta-analysis of this body of research. In each of these reviews, researchers conclude that students who remain in district schools after exposure to educational choice programs tend to experience modest educational benefits. But the question remains whether educational choice programs lead to higher costs for taxpayers or fewer resources for students who remain in public schools. This report summarizes the fiscal effects of educational choice programs across the United States from an analysis of 40 private educational choice programs in 19 states plus D.C. The programs in the analysis include three education savings accounts programs, 19 school voucher programs, and 18 tax-credit scholarship programs. The report also provides context by presenting basic facts about the size and scope of each program, in terms of participation and funding, relative to each state's public school system. It presents the facts on taxpayer funding disparities between students using the choice programs and their peers in public schools.

Traditional definitions of school readiness have focused primarily on the skills, knowledge and abilities children need for educational success. However, these definitions have evolved in recent years to encompass a multidimensional view, adding physical and mental health, social and emotional skills, executive functioning and self-regulation, and broader family and community supports. While 16 states plus the District of Columbia currently have statutory definitions of school readiness, these vary considerably in terms of comprehensiveness. This Special Report looks at the malleable and transformative components of educational and health considerations (and their intersections) as they impact school readiness. It provides examples of innovative state programs and policies, highlights new federal financial supports and closes with state-level policy takeaways.

Over the years, as states have sought to incorporate more inclusive and relevant academic standards and curriculum for K-12 students, they have interpreted ethnic studies in both broad and narrow terms. While most states use the term ethnic studies to describe their efforts to incorporate the knowledge and perspectives of traditionally excluded groups, some prefer multicultural education or diversity studies. As part of its mission to support and enhance the capacity of state, local, and regional agencies to improve education outcomes for all students, the Region 15 Comprehensive Center produced this scan to generate understanding of relevant legislative efforts across the country. To that end, it summarizes recent legislative initiatives--those between February 2019 and January 2021--that require ethnic studies to be incorporated in the K-12 standards or curricula in 19 states (i.e., California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia.

Despite the myriad of challenges that families, students, teachers and policymakers faced in 2021, the momentum to transform education did not waver. New opportunities for students unfolded in more than a dozen states through expanded private and public school choice. An additional 1.7 million students gained eligibility for private choice alone, and strong investments by states supported learning options, with an impressive total of more than $1 billion for new choice programs and funding for charter schools. States also invested deeply in closing the digital divide and building better workforce training and college acceleration programs. Florida set an example with a comprehensive education-to-workforce package that was supported by ExcelinEd's Pathways Matter policy research and resources. And states continued to strengthen early literacy through policy improvements and new funding totaling $330 million in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Tennessee and Wisconsin alone. This year's annual report touches on state accomplishments; thought leadership highlights; and the 2021 National Summit on Education. Remaining sections focus on providing families with access to the learning environment that best fits their child's needs; ensuring every student has equitable access to the digital superhighway; supporting every student in gaining in-demand skills for lifelong success; guaranteeing every child receives academic support to learn, succeed and achieve their full potential; and fiscal accountability. [For the 2020 report, see ED619617.]

All but four states in the nation now permit teachers to come into the profession through an "alternate route," compared to only a few 30 years ago. Alternate routes into the classroom have grown so acceptable that about one in five teachers now enters the profession through one of these programs, which offer some real benefits to the profession. Nearly double the percentage of teacher candidates in alternate route programs identify as Black and more than double identify as Latino as compared to traditional teacher preparation programs (15% vs. 8%, and 13% vs. 5%, respectively). Additionally, alternate route candidates often fill jobs in hard-to-staff subjects and schools. When it comes to requirements for alternate routes, states must balance between upholding standards for educators regardless of how they come into the profession with providing flexibility by differentiating the requirements they place on these programs from traditional pathways. Since alternate route candidates typically become a teacher of record immediately or shortly after they enter into a program, establishing strong entrance requirements and specifying essential supports are important levers states should exercise. This brief explores how states fare in the balancing act between appropriate oversight and flexibility.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created and will continue to create uncertainty in all facets of everyday life, exacerbating current challenges -- and generating new ones -- for every sector of the economy, including postsecondary education. As the pandemic continues, postsecondary education faces increasing pressures as concerns about health and well-being, decreasing individual and family earnings, and questions about quality come to the fore. This Policy Brief is part of a series dedicated to various facets of the transition from secondary to postsecondary education, now complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This Policy Brief draws on four principles of redesigning state financial aid to better support the Classes of 2020 and 2021 as they seek to enter college or university during the pandemic. It focuses on the populations already underserved in the nation's education system. The series -- which builds upon "A State Policymaker's Guide to Equitable Transitions in the COVID-19 Era" (ED606369) -- provides actionable steps and examples for state policymakers to consider as they address the transition from high school to college and the workforce.

The CPI Mid-Term Assessment provides insights from the first two years of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF)® Career Pathways Initiative (CPI). The authors derived insights from a comprehensive view of the experience of UNCF's Institute for Capacity Building (ICB) and the network of institutions implementing the program. To facilitate continuous improvement, this assessment shares early insights that guide how the authors address the following questions through completion of the grant: (1) How can ICB's delivery of programmatic supports be refined?; (2) How can scale promising practices be willed across the three-pronged network-based approach?; and (3) How can current efforts to support student success be amplified? UNCF, ICB, and the CPI's ultimate goal is to increase student and workforce outcomes for low-income, first generation Black students and other students of color. This mid-term assessment is an important milestone for the program. Insights from this assessment will shape how UNCF will enhance the execution of the CPI program through the remainder of the grant period. It will also identify promising practices to inform transformative change at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), predominantly Black institutions (PBIs), and other institutions of higher education. The assessment covers the first two years of program implementation or the period from January 2017-December 2019. It is organized to provide insights from three critical components: program overview, early outcomes, and institutional highlights. The assessment ends with a summary of progress to date and path forward.

This report includes the latest information about how investment in early childhood education (ECE) correlates to school success and economic development. Members of state boards of education know that quality experiences have the largest impact on student outcomes. This report outlines quality in ECE, highlighting challenges that every state faces when providing quality early learning experiences, including preparing a qualified workforce, equitable access, financing, and governance. Also included is information on engaging stakeholders about the importance of ECE and several concrete steps state board members can take to communicate with them. Finally, this report recommends policy that may be used to address the outlined challenges of improving ECE in board members' own states.

Government officials are taking swift public health actions to slow the rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of March, statewide school closures affected 55.1 million K-12 public school students across the country. While school closures affect all students, students from underserved communities feel this impact even greater. Data on digital disparities reveal that nearly 20 percent of African American children ages 3-18 and 21 percent of families earning less than $40,000 per year have no access to the internet at home. This Issue Brief reviews publicly available digital learning plans for the seventeen states covered by the Southern Education Foundation to see how schools and districts are meeting the needs of their most vulnerable students and families. They have taken different approaches for distance learning based on the needs of their student populations, grade level, and current technology or infrastructure. To help schools and districts determine what is best for their students and communities, the brief provides these equity considerations along with examples of how some districts are addressing these issues now.

This report presents key findings from "Learning in the Fast Lane: The Past, Present, and Future of Advanced Placement," by Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Andrew E. Scanlan, and published by Princeton University Press in 2019. American education has long been plagued by excellence gaps among the young people who make it into the highest levels of academic performance. Disadvantage, race, and gender matter far more than they should. Narrowing such gaps is imperative for a K-12 system that seeks both excellence and equity, and the Advanced Placement (AP) program is already making a major contribution, albeit one that could and should become even greater. Drawing on Finn's and Scanlan's important new book, this report--prepared for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation--examines AP's role in helping students from underserved populations achieve high levels of academic success. It looks closely at differences in AP participation and exam success by geography, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, as well as AP's contribution to and potential for narrowing troubling gaps. Where students live is strongly correlated with successful AP participation. Rural high school seniors, for example, are only two-thirds as likely to take an AP exam as their suburban and urban peers, and more than half of high-poverty rural schools do not even offer any AP classes. Socioeconomic status makes a big difference, too. Whereas AP once focused on top students in elite private and public high schools, in recent decades it has sought to help capable disadvantaged youngsters master college-level coursework before graduating. Although they're still underrepresented, we've seen a dramatic increase in their AP participation. Yet students from lower-income families are less successful on the end-of-year AP exams. Though nearly half of low-income graduates who take an AP exam during their time in high school receive scores of 3 or higher, nearly two-thirds of their non-low-income peers earn similar scores. As for race, AP's cohorts have become markedly more diverse as participation by black and Hispanic students has grown faster than that of white and Asian students over this period. Yet here, again, we see that students of color do not fare as well on the exams. The report lauds the gains in AP participation among poor and minority youth while urging greater attention both to further gains on that front and to strengthening their AP performance. Given AP's capacity to help students prepare for college, gain admission, and succeed upon arrival there, expanding access to it remains an important national endeavor. States, school districts, philanthropies, and education reformers should redouble their efforts to ensure that students from all backgrounds have access not only to AP coursework but also to the preparation and supports needed to succeed on the exams. To do otherwise would wall off an important path to upward mobility, sustain societal inequalities, and constrain opportunities. [For "Learning in the Fast Lane: The Past, Present, and Future of Advanced Placement," see ED599694.]

New data and analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality finds significant progress on the science of reading instruction in teacher preparation. For the first time since NCTQ began publishing program ratings in its 2013 Teacher Prep Review, the number of programs in the nation to embrace reading science has crossed the halfway mark, with 51 percent of 1,000 evaluated traditional elementary teacher preparation programs across the country now earning an A or B grade for their coverage of the key components of the science of reading--up from just 35 percent seven years ago. [A list of "Teacher Prep Review" sponsors can be found on page 2 of the PDF.]

Congress amended and extended the "Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education" ("Perkins IV") in 2018 with passage of the "Strengthening Career and Technical Education Act for the 21st Century" ("Perkins V"); the law became effective on July 1, 2019. "Perkins V" increases federal funding for career and technical education (CTE), including the amount available for states to spend on educating students who are incarcerated. To provide a framework and to support states as they develop their "Perkins V" plans, this report looks back at how states used "Perkins IV" funds to serve individuals in states institutions during three fiscal years (FYs) 2012-14. This report addresses four research questions: (1) What was the total amount of "Perkins IV" funds that each state made available in each of the three fiscal years (FYs 2012-14) for state institutions, including states correctional institutions?; (2) What percentage of their total grant allocation from "Perkins IV" did each state make available in each of the three fiscal years (FYs 2012-14) for all types of state institutions?; (3) How many incarcerated students in state correctional institutions received programs and services with the "Perkins IV" funds for state institutions?; and (4) What types of programs and services did states offer incarcerated students in their state correctional institutions with "Perkins IV" funds? The number of individuals served in state institutions could increase with the "Perkins V" 1 percent increase in funds made available to serve individuals in state institutions, such as state correctional institutions, juvenile justice facilities, and educational institutions that serve individuals with disabilities. The data and the information in the state narratives about the services and activities for incarcerated students may assist state and local decisions makers in developing correctional education programs with the amount made available under "Perkins V."

Researchers suggest that the economy of the future will consist of jobs that do not currently exist, there will likely be a shortage of individuals with necessary education and credentials to fill those jobs, and if the nation does not produce this workforce, there will likely be a $1.72 trillion loss in productivity by 2030. Considering these projections, policymakers continue to seek ways to create opportunities for individuals to access training and education that translate to jobs and careers, all while meeting the labor demands of an evolving economy. States have introduced and enacted legislation that forms connections between education and workforce development. While these connections can take place at a local or institutional level, many states have enacted policy that expands beyond local activity to make statewide workforce development and education connections. This Policy Snapshot reviews 2019 enacted legislation pertaining to postsecondary education and workforce development. It breaks legislative activity into four main categories -- (1) career pathways and skills; (2) partnerships and working groups; (3) financial incentives; and (4) workforce data -- with state examples for each.

This brief highlights examples of career pathway models funded by TAACCCT [Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training] that were designed for adult students who require accelerated timelines because they are often under pressure to enter or reenter the workforce quickly to support their families. In each of the cases chosen, the models went on to be scaled up on a state or national level, or were recognized by third parties as potential models for future replication.

The purpose of this slide deck is to shine a spotlight on education in the American South with a focus on equity and to provide an understanding of the historical, social, political, and economic context in which the education sector operates. Any movement serious about improving education and life outcomes for underserved student groups -- including low-income, minority, and rural -- must engage the South. The South is home to 56 percent of all black students in the United States. Poverty rates and free and reduced-price lunch eligibility are higher in the South than in other regions. The region is also an economic powerhouse, contributing more to the U.S. economy than any other region. Yet the economic reality for many people living in the South is stark. Poverty rates are higher and incomes are lower in the South than in other regions. Southern states rank among the bottom in measures of health and well-being. Meanwhile, with a few notable exceptions, education reform efforts in the South are spotty at best. This deck of slides provides the latest information available on the education landscape in the South. The goal is to inform; to spark deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in education in the American South and more work to address the needs of students in this diverse and complex region of our country.

This issue brief summarizes the economic conditions in rural communities since the Great Recession and highlights the educational attainment of rural men. It then describes the barriers to attending college that rural men face and these promising efforts that Hinds Community College and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) have undertaken to help men gain the knowledge and skills they need to compete in the modern workforce: (1) Both institutions use scholarships to encourage students to enroll and complete their studies. Simply getting students on campus can have a tremendous impact on their long-term success; (2) Both institutions recognize that students need guidance and assistance once enrolled, such as with mentors, apprenticeship programs, and wrap-around services to support basic needs; (3) Both institutions have crafted programs with the goal of finding students jobs in high-demand fields in their home state. Higher education benefits job seekers and improves income, job security, and knowledge transfer. It also encourages civic and community engagement that is as essential in rural areas as it is everywhere. The authors hope that this paper will serve as a foundation for further discussions and greater inquiry into the attainment disparities affecting men in the rural United States and what can be done to address this challenge. [This report was written with Allison Beer and Marcia Calloway.]

This guiding document outlines five goals and supporting objectives that help advance National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) mission through education: (1) Science-Informed Society; (2) Conservation and Stewardship; (3) Safety and Preparedness; (4) Future Workforce; (5) Organizational Excellence. In this report, NOAA introduces the reader to students whose restoration project saved their shoreline from a hurricane, a meteorology class that learned the art of high-stakes weather forecasting, and an educator from South Dakota who brought his students to a NOAA lab in Mississippi so they could see the ocean for the first time. The stories shared in this report show how today's youth are emerging as the next generation of problem-solvers. Educators and partners empower students to take action and make changes in their schools and communities, whether convincing school administrators to rethink cafeteria waste or educating their communities about climate change. Across these different projects, the reader can see how students gather data, challenge norms, and take the initiative to address environmental problems that they see around them in the places and spaces they care about.

State and school report cards provide a powerful avenue for states to reach families and the broader public as essential partners in improving student outcomes. The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and many state legislatures require states to publish an array of education data including measures at the state, district, and school levels. The report cards also go deeper, illuminating how these measures vary for students by race and ethnicity, income, language, disability, and other characteristics. State and school report cards that effectively communicate these data to the public can inform educators and families, help them ask better questions, and ultimately, drive school improvement to support all students. To answer questions about student performance, state education agencies have increased their capacity to collect, manage, analyze, and make decisions based on data over the last 15 years. While states have made substantial progress, too few families, community leaders, and other stakeholders regularly review and act on states' education data. The next frontier for state leadership is to advance beyond providing access to data to driving the use of data. Effective use of data is critical to more effectively support educators and students. When educators have comprehensive information about student performance and can consider that information for all students and based on different student populations, they can start to take critical steps towards addressing achievement gaps. This report includes several specific examples of how data can be used effectively to address equity issues: (1) Initiating conversations about equity with diverse stakeholders; (2) Publicly examining data on current performance and trends; (3) Disaggregating data in meaningful ways to identify disparities in opportunity and outcomes; and (4) Publicly sharing data on measures of students' progress after graduation and long-term success. With this resource, the authors highlight practices and questions to help state education agencies increase use of state and school report cards for decision-making and continuous school improvement. [For the companion report, "Communicating Performance: A Best Practice Resource for Developing State Report Cards," see ED595053.]

The Teacher Compensation Survey (TCS) was a research and development effort by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to explore the possibility of developing an administrative records survey that would compile compensation and demographic data on all public school teachers in the nation. A pilot survey in 2007 collected data from seven states for school year (SY) 2005-06. The number of participating states increased in subsequent years, and by 2012, data were collected from 24 states for the 2010-11 school year. TCS was discontinued after the 2010-11 collection due to budget constraints. This report summarizes the results of the data collected for the 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years. Limited resources prevented a more timely release of these data. While the data may be old, this report is being issued now because TCS afforded valuable lessons that are applicable to any similar, future collection efforts by NCES or by others seeking to gain a better understanding of issues related to teacher compensation. The purpose of this report is to describe both the potential of the collection and the practical problems encountered in the hopes that this will inform future survey efforts. In addition to any analytical value it may have, the TCS effort provides valuable lessons in collecting teacher compensation data. The analysis in section 3 looks closely at the problems encountered over three years of collecting TCS data and suggests ways these could be addressed.

Career Technical Education (CTE) teacher recruitment is a challenge that has dogged state CTE leaders for decades. According to a recent survey of State CTE Directors, 98 percent said that increasing access to industry experts is a high priority in their state. And 20.4 percent of rural districts with CTE teacher vacancies report that CTE positions were either very difficult or impossible to fill. This brief is the fourth, and final, installment in the "CTE on the Frontier" series, which examines challenges and strategies for expanding access to high-quality career pathways in rural areas. The brief explores one of the most pressing challenges rural schools and institutions face: strengthening the pipeline of qualified CTE teachers and faculty. Recruiting and retaining qualified teachers can make or break a CTE program. This brief examines some of the following approaches states are taking to support rural CTE teachers: (1) Recruiting within the community by expanding grow-your-own teacher academy pathways or reducing barriers to entry for industry professionals; (2) Innovating to compete with industry by valuing work experience in teacher and faculty salary schedules; (3) Restructuring new teacher induction programs to extend supports and mentorship opportunities throughout the first year, and providing a continuum of supports for veteran teachers; (4) Strengthening relationships with traditional teacher preparation pipelines; and (5) Adopting a diversified approach to recruiting and training new instructors, establishing multiple pathways into CTE classrooms.

The Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA) provided states with newfound flexibility on accountability measures and school improvement strategies. Many policy experts have analyzed states' ESSA plans, which explain how states use their federal funds under various provisions of the new law, as well as the approaches states take to identify and rate schools and improve their performance where needed. While strong accountability frameworks and school improvement plans are critical for school and student success, ensuring that all students have access to excellent educators is just as important. Ensuring that all students have access to well-prepared and supported teachers undergirds all other efforts to improve student outcomes. Not much has been written on how states plan to leverage Title II, Part A of ESSA to strengthen their teacher pipelines. The Center for American Progress has reviewed each state's ESSA plan, searching specifically for state-led and state-supported programs that will be funded, at least in part, through Title II, Part A of ESSA--the section of the law that designates funding specifically for recruiting, preparing, and supporting teachers. This brief highlights a few noteworthy states that have proposed promising teacher pipeline initiatives that they are either starting or continuing with support from Title II, Part A of ESSA. Consistent with the TeachStrong coalition's ESSA guidance for state actors, these states are leveraging ESSA's flexibility to support efforts around recruiting teachers of color; improving the teacher preparation experience; providing induction and mentoring to novice teachers; increasing teacher pay; and creating or encouraging career pathways, with the goal of ensuring that all students--and especially students in low-income schools--are taught by high-quality, prepared, meaningfully supported teachers. The author also notes what other initiatives and actions policymakers and advocates should watch for and consider as they work to modernize and elevate the teaching profession.