🚨New research suggests positive learning impacts from special education across three states and larger gains than previous estimates.
Full brief: bit.ly/wepcsped26
Stephanie Coffey, @joshua-goodman.com, Amy Ellen Schwartz, Leanna Stiefel, Marcus Winters, Yunee H. Yoon
@buwheelock.bsky.social
We continue to produce rigorous research to improve education outcomes nationwide. Stay up to date with our latest work by joining our mailing list: bit.ly/WEPC-list
#AEFP2026 has come to a close, and we are so proud of the incredible work shared by @buwheelock.bsky.social faculty, students, and WEPC partners. Thank you to everyone who engaged with our research. We look forward to seeing you again next year!
The final day of #AEFP2026 is about to start! We still have a few presentations from WEPC and @buwheelock.bsky.social faculty, including work on school enrollment shifts after the pandemic from @abigailfrancis.bsky.social and @joshua-goodman.com. Join us for the final day!
Day 2 of #AEFP2026 is underway! See presentations from WEPC and @buwheelock.bsky.social faculty, including two WEPC moderated sessions and new research on improving and diversifying the STEM pipeline from @joshua-goodman.com and @hanyuncui.bsky.social at 10:00. We hope to see you there!
Just wrapped up “Sharing the Load or Carrying the Costs?” on higher ed finance.
Thank you to panelists @mdannenberg1.bsky.social, Jessica Taketa, Eyob Villa-Moges, @jwhitmore.bsky.social for a great discussion on affordability and policy!
Learn more: bit.ly/wepcmassreconnect
#AEFP2026
Spotlight Policy Dialogue is coming up soon at 3:15 in Vevey 1!
Sharing the Load or Carrying the Cost? Policies in Higher Ed Finance
Panelists: @mdannenberg1.bsky.social, Jessica Taketa, Eyob Villa-Moges, @jwhitmore.bsky.social
Learn more with our new brief: bit.ly/wepcmassreconnect
#AEFP2026
Day 1 of #AEFP2026 features several presentations from WEPC and @buwheelock.bsky.social faculty, including brand new research on early educator wage growth from @piacar.bsky.social. We will also be hosting a can’t miss Policy Dialogue on higher ed finance at 3:15. Join us!
In just a few days, WEPC will be at this year’s Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) Conference in Chicago! Stay tuned for info on the 15+ panels and presentations from our faculty and staff, and check out a full program below. bit.ly/WEPC-AEFP2026
#AEFP2026
@buwheelock.bsky.social
🚨New research looks at early impacts of MA’s free community college policies. Early evidence suggests expanded access & a reshaping of who shows up on campus.
Full brief ➡️ bit.ly/wepcmassreco...
@joshua-goodman.com, @doughesm.bsky.social, Morgan Fleming, Yunee H. Yoon
@buwheelock.bsky.social
Hint: Look at High-income districts and kids approaching middle school.
Recently released working paper and policy brief here: wheelockpolicycenter.org/high-quality...
@danagoldstein.bsky.social @buwheelock.bsky.social
Top story in today’s @NYT’s “Headlines” talks about declining enrollment & districts efforts to recruit families back to the public system. @joshua-goodman.com & @abbyfrancis.bsky.social’s recent work highlighting trends in MA suggest where to focus these efforts.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/05/u...
A powerful description of the move out of ESL to mainstream classrooms. Along with our state-level analyses (link below), it underscores the need for more thoughtful support of key transitions as we try to maintain strong academic trajectories for students.
wheelockpolicycenter.org/partnerships...
This was such a great conversation about the impact of federal research funding. I think a lot of folks outside of academia don't realize the value or impact of federal research dollars- and they need to, if we want that funding to continue! Please listen & share!
Have to love a conference that kicks off w/ an elementary school mariachi band. Excited to present later today at the Education Commission of the States national forum w/ @sparccenter.bsky.social & IDOE on special education workforce shortages.
Last week just-out work by @joshua-goodman.com & @abbyfrancis.bsky.social was featured on the @educationnext.bsky.social podcast. Listen for interesting convo of key insights and implications.
www.educationnext.org/the-educatio...
Full policy brief at: wheelockpolicycenter.org/high-quality...
🔥What’s the only thing hotter than this week’s weather?🔥
Our new @wheelockpolicybu.bsky.social working paper:
“School Enrollment Shifts Five Years After the Pandemic”
In it, BU Wheelock PhD @abbyfrancis.bsky.social and I ask:
Has the pandemic permanently changed families' schooling choices?
Today's @bostonglobe.com features my thoughts on the recent, rapid rise of private after school math tutoring.
TLDR: These classes have been valuable for our kids and others unchallenged by current school offerings, but also likely exacerabte inequality in math.
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/12/o...
In future work with MA DESE Pierre Lucien and Yasko Kanno will look at additional student outcomes as well as qualitatively trying to understand differences in implementation & experience. Stay tuned.
@abacherhicks.bsky.social
Importantly, ECPs operate in precisely the schools w/ high proportions of ELs, yet this is also where representation is lowest. Suggests that access doesn't necessarily equal opportunity.
Definitely questions to be addressed about design & intent of ECPs & the audience they are working to serve.
1) Current 12th grade ELs are substantially underrepresented in Massachusetts ECPs.
2) Former ELs are slightly overrepresented in Massachusetts ECPs.
3) Current ELs are especially underrepresented in ECPs at schools w/ higher shares of Hispanic/Latinx students, low-income students, and ELs.
#Earlycollege programs hold lots of promise for increasing college-going/completion rates. But access & opportunity to these innovative pathways are important to understand. We examined representation in ECPs for #EnglishLearners in MA and found...
wheelockpolicycenter.org/specialized-...
Celebration Alert! BU Wheelock ranked for the first time among the top education policy programs in the nation. This highlights the programs significant contributions to shaping policy and advancing research in education! @wheelockpolicybu.bsky.social
Read More: spr.ly/6181Fszrz
Terrific group of researchers @wheelockpolicybu.bsky.social!
Wohooo!
Marcus Winters, @joshua-goodman.com @oliviachi.bsky.social Stephanie Curenton Ariel Tichnor Wagner @natejones.bsky.social @lizbettini.bsky.social
@davidchard1.bsky.social @pennybishop.bsky.social
Our @buwheelock.bsky.social Ed Policy prog. is 1st at the college to be ranked in a specialization area by US News & World Reports. Celebrating our first appearance at #24!
Excited to see this stellar group of faculty recognized & appreciative of our past & current leadership for continued support
Excellent dive into reasons US kids' literacy/numeracy are declining.
Big culprits: decreased accountability, smartphones, Great Recession funding drops, pandemic.
No signs of help on any of these fronts + Trump/Musk have killed our ability to measure outcomes.
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/u...
