Departments and Research Centers

Education Policy Initiative

The Education Policy Initiative (EPI) is a program within the Ford School that brings together nationally-recognized education policy scholars focused on the generation and dissemination of policy-relevant education research.

Showing 121 - 150 of 675 results

Publication

Critical tools in preschool program design maximize investments

Jan 13, 2022

As the Biden administration and early childhood advocates across the country push for universal preschool for all three- and four-year-olds, Christina Weiland, professor of education and public policy at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of...

Photo of young children and their teachers in a classroom. By Yan Krukov

News

Jacob and Weiland rank in annual Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings

Jan 10, 2022

Education Week has unveiled the 2022 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings, which rank the 200 university-based scholars in the United States who did the most last year to shape educational practice and policy. Brian Jacob and Christina Weiland...

Headshots of Brian Jacob and Christina Weiland

In the Media

Weiland breaks down Michigan universal pre-k

Jan 6, 2022 Metro Parent

Christina Weiland, co-director of the Education Policy Initiative and associate professor of education and public policy, sat down with Metro Parent to discuss what universal pre-k could mean for Michigan. "Universal pre-K can help take financial...

In the Media

Weed-out classes disproportionately discourage minority students - Thompson

Jan 5, 2022 Boston Herald

Studies found that "weed-out classes," or classes that are often foundational for a certain educational track and have high enrollment, often disproportionately weed out minority students, according to Marissa Thompson, a postdoctoral fellow in...

News

2021: A year of public policy

Dec 16, 2021

The Ford School of Public Policy is a top-ranked public policy school dedicated to preparing diverse leaders to take on society’s most pressing challenges and make transformational discoveries through cutting-edge research. Experts from the Ford...

Publication

IES Predoctoral Fellows Moffett and Wessiman, Weiland, and colleagues explore effects of pre-k classroom organization

Dec 16, 2021

What are the best ways to judge how instruction in pre-kindergarten classrooms is organized? Linkages between facets of classroom organization such as better organization of materials, smooth transitions, and clear routines are thought to make...

News

Vasquez, Baron, and Hyman receive support for "More School Funding, Less Crime?” project

Dec 16, 2021

“Does investing in public education reduce crime in adulthood?” That is the essential question being examined by Brittany Vasquez, Jason Baron, and Joshua Hyman, recent and current PhD affiliates of the Education Policy Initiative (EPI). Their work...

News

Early education expert Weiland on the Build Back Better bill

Dec 13, 2021

Experts at the University of Michigan are available to discuss the Build Back Better bill making its way to the Senate floor. Below is an excerpt from a Michigan News faculty Q&A. Christina Weiland is an associate professor at the School of...

State & Hill

Faculty findings, fall 2021

Dec 13, 2021

Who would pay if we stop using natural gas? New research co-authored by economist Catherine Hausman considers the equity impacts of transitioning from natural gas to other energy sources. According to the U.S. Energy Information...

Yellow gas pipes in natural gas treatment plant

State & Hill

Partnerships in focus: Learning and research collaborations that create better public policy

Dec 13, 2021

By Rebecca Cohen (MPP ‘09) Two-directional learning helps small businesses and students thrive Lily Hamburger (MBA ’16) supports economic mobility for entrepreneurs as the senior director of the pandemic-born Detroit Means Business, a...

Publication

Earned Income Tax Credit affects intergenerational marriage and childbirth decisions, says U-M study

Dec 3, 2021

Children of Earned Income Tax Credit beneficiaries delayed marriage and first births, according to a new study co-authored by a University of Michigan professor, suggesting the cost-effectiveness of the federal program. Little has been known...

News

Lawmakers seek out U-M faculty for expertise on various topics

Dec 1, 2021

Federal lawmakers continue to seek out University of Michigan faculty members to lend their expertise and knowledge to help inform federal policy. In the last year, 13 U-M faculty members and researchers testified at 14 congressional hearings...

News

Leveraging technology to improve education outcomes

Nov 29, 2021

Researchers from U-M campuses and all across the country are using education data provided by the State of Michigan to study a wide variety of topics ranging from the effects of COVID-19 on public school enrollment to the role of neighborhood...

Glasses rest on a desktop with various coding windows open on a screen behind

Publication

Supporting 'Preschool for All' in Washington state

Nov 12, 2021

Policy Brief from the University of Michigan’s Education Policy Initiative outlines a vision for high-quality universal preschool in the state of Washington High-quality preschool helps prepare children for kindergarten and promotes their...

Photo of a teacher and three young elementary school students around a classroom table

In the Media

Weiland discusses need for transitional kindergarten research

Oct 26, 2021 The Detroit News

The Education Policy Initiative (EPI) recently launched a two-year study to research the impact of transitional kindergarten (TK) on children's readiness for other grades co-led by Christina Weiland and Brian Jacob. Weiland commented about the...

In the Media

‘Build Back Better’ a game changer, says Weiland

Oct 11, 2021 The Globe Post

The Build Back Better Act includes comprehensive early childhood policy that would benefit children, families, and educators, argues Christina Weiland in an opinion in the Globe Post. “Hand-wringing about the bill’s cost obscures the fact that...

News

Musaddiq details driving factors of school enrollment drops

Oct 7, 2021

Ford School postdoctoral fellow Tareena Musaddiq explains findings from a recent Education Policy Initiative working paper about the pandemic's effects on school enrollment and its consequences in The Conversation. Musaddiq writes that the large...

A parent/guardian and two young children in masks walking outdoors (Credit: Shutterstock)

In the Media

Public school pandemic choices have long-term funding implications, says Stange

Oct 5, 2021 The Detroit News

With school districts divided over whether to mandate masks for students or have in-person classes, parents are forced to make tough decisions. Some are pulling their students from public schools, a decision that Kevin Stange, associate professor of...

In the Media

Weiland details 'game-changer' early childhood measures in reconciliation bill

Oct 4, 2021 The Detroit News

Within the Congressional reconciliation bill, Democrats are hoping to pass a child care plan that would cap costs of child care, implement a national, free pre-school program, and boost child care workers' wages. "We've documented (these...

Publication

Michelmore and Pilkauskas find EITC boosts employment, with decreasing impact as children age

Oct 4, 2021

Existing research has largely overlooked the variation in maternal employment effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) depending on the age of their children. In a new study, Katherine Michelmore and Natasha Pilkauskas, both associate...

Natasha Pilkauskas and Katherine Michelmore

In the Media

Tompkins-Stange on "breaking up the philanthropy boys club"

Sep 30, 2021 The New York Times

Although philanthropy used to happen in a room full of men, the sector is shifting. There has been an uptick in not only women involved in philanthropy, but also the sector's support of women and girls' organizations. “Philanthropy has been a...

Publication

Transitional kindergarten in Michigan: Impacts through elementary school and predictors of a lasting boost

Sep 29, 2021

Access to early education programs have been shown for decades to improve the educational prospects for children in kindergarten and beyond. A new type of early education program widespread in Michigan and California—transitional kindergarten...

News

Owen selected for NASPAA Dissertation Award

Sep 29, 2021

The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) has chosen Stephanie Owen, a 2021 PhD alum of the Ford School and assistant professor at Colby College, as the recipient of the 2021 NASPAA Dissertation Award. Her...

In the Media

Stange's research provides insights into declining school enrollment

Sep 23, 2021 Marketplace

Across the country last year, kindergarten enrollment dropped. Kevin Stange spoke to Marketplace about his latest research that provides clues in where children might have gone instead. “Something like 2% of that group [first graders] stayed home...

Publication

EPI study offers deeper dive into demand for educational choices, implications for schools during pandemic

Sep 9, 2021

As school districts consider their options in light of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, a study by the Education Policy Initiative shows they need to be flexible in offering both in-person and virtual options or risk losing more enrollees. The...

A teacher takes the temperature of a masked young student next to the class blackboard

News

Q&A with new faculty: Kathy Michelmore

Sep 1, 2021

Kathy Michelmore, who was a IES postdoctoral fellow at the Education Policy Initiative (2014-2016), returns to the Ford School and adds social and education policy expertise. She is a leading scholar and educator on the social safety net, education...

News

Ford School research center websites get a fresh new look

Aug 27, 2021

Seven of the Ford School’s dynamic research centers have launched new websites. Building on the Ford School’s own modern web design and technical capabilities, the new websites convey the energy and innovation of each center. Participating research...

Teaser image with screencaps of research center website homepages cascaded artfully across the board, each increasing in scale

News

Causal Inference program’s first PhD graduates reflect on their training

Aug 20, 2021

The Education Policy Initiative (EPI) Training Program in Causal Inference in Education Policy Research (CIEPR) graduated its first full cohort of PhDs in 2021. First funded in 2015, the focus of the program is to prepare doctoral students to...

In the Media

Weiland provides context for kindergarten enrollment numbers

Aug 20, 2021 MLive

With the delta variant on the rise, educators are worried about getting kindergartners in the classroom yet again. Christina Weiland, associate professor of education, explained why kindergarten enrollment shrunk last year, and the variant might...

News

Weiland explains hurdles for early childhood education

Aug 13, 2021

As the new school year begins, many early childhood educators are wondering what the year will look like. Christina Weiland, associate professor of education and faculty co-director of the Education Policy Initiative, explained to WXYZ the obstacles...