education policy

News

Cohodes receives funding to dig deeper into charter school impact

Oct 10, 2024

With a $27,5000 grant from MIT Blueprint Labs, two University of Michigan professors will tease out why some schools better prepare students for college than others.The project is led by Sarah Cohodes, associate professor at the Ford School of...

In the Media

With Michigan school bond proposals on the ballot, Jacob stresses funding challenges within districts

Oct 7, 2024 Bridge Michigan

Nearly 1 in 10 Michigan school districts have bond proposals on the ballot in the upcoming November elections. Raising awareness of the lack of funding for Michigan schools, the Ford School's Brian Jacob stated, "There is no state funding for school...

News

Stange receives federal grant to classify college courses at scale

Oct 4, 2024

Research on college course taking, and what students learn while attending college have historically been hampered by inconsistent course titles and numbers across multiple institutions. Education economist Kevin Stange and a research team from the...

News

Katherine Michelmore wins the 24th David N. Kershaw Award and Prize

Sep 25, 2024

Katherine Michelmore, associate professor of public policy at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy has been awarded the 2024 David N. Kershaw Award and Prize for her contributions as a leading scholar and educator on...

In the Media

Cohodes research on Massachusetts charter schools shows positive outcomes

Sep 16, 2024 Education Next

Research conducted by Sarah Cohodes on Massachusetts charter schools shows that "charter schools in urban areas, including Boston, do a great job boosting test scores, and the ones outside of those urban areas, tended to have no impact on test...

Publication

Jacob’s new research reveals lasting changes in K-12 education due to COVID-19 pandemic

Sep 5, 2024

By the fall of 2022, children across the country returned to what seemed like “normal” school: students and educators returned to classrooms and masks began to disappear. While schools seemed to be going back to what they were before the pandemic,...

Photo of Brian Jacob standing at the Annenberg Auditorium podium, delivering remarks at a public event

News

Greater than its sum: an update on the Kohn Collaborative

Aug 28, 2024

Six years ago, Harold and Carol Kohn approached the Ford School with a vision to honor their family. Their goal was to build a vibrant research community dedicated to promoting social equity and inclusion. Today, the Kohn Collaborative for Social...

News

U-M Ford School welcomes renowned scholars and former city leaders

Aug 22, 2024

The Ford School successfully grew our faculty in 2024, bringing in experts to deepen our focus on early childhood education, health and aging, better government, and criminal justice policy. Additionally, we welcomed distinguished policymakers in...

Publication

Transitional kindergarten programs expand early education access, boost academic gain

Aug 16, 2024

Children enrolled in transitional kindergarten programs in Michigan did better in math and English by the time they reached 3rd grade, with higher test scores than other kids who didn't go through the program, according to a new policy brief from...

Kindergarten teacher with students at a table

Publication

Youth Policy Lab explores the impact of family engagement with educational technology

Aug 12, 2024

Family support for young learners—both during school and outside of school hours—can be crucial for developing key academic skills like reading. Gauging family support can be difficult, though, especially when multiple languages are involved, but...

Publication

One size doesn't fit all: U-M study reveals different educational models can lead to college success

Aug 9, 2024

New research led by University of Michigan education economist Sarah Cohodes provides insights into how different K-12 educational environments shape college preparation, enrollment and graduation...

News

ASPIRE program bridges research and real-world impact

Aug 6, 2024

When Chaelee Farquarson learned about the Applied Social Policy Internship and Research Experience (ASPIRE), she applied out of curiosity. As a rising senior studying psychology at Spelman College, much of her research was theoretical.“I was drawn...

Five individuals in business attire, proudly displaying award certificates at Weill Hall.

Publication

Disparities in career, technical education access found in Washtenaw County

Jul 29, 2024

Significant inequalities in career and technical education access have been found across Washtenaw County school districts, according to a report by the Youth Policy Lab at the University of Michigan.The analysis, titled "Inequities in CTE Access in...

People operating machines in a training environment

News

Weiland named inaugural Karl and Martha Kohn Professor of Social Policy

Jul 18, 2024

Today the Regents of the University of Michigan approved Christina Weiland’s appointment as the inaugural Karl and Martha Kohn Professor of Social Policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.With a gift from Hal and Carol Kohn and the Kohn...

Publication

Higher education responds to changing labor markets

Jul 8, 2024

Do universities respond to the changing needs of industry by offering curriculums that provide students skills they need on the job? That’s the central question of a multi-year research project headed up by Kevin Stange, co-director of the...

News

Youth Policy Lab welcomes Spelman and Morehouse students to 2024 ASPIRE Summer Program

May 24, 2024

Summer 2024 brings another exceptional cohort of undergraduate students from Spelman College and Morehouse College to the University of Michigan’s Applied Social Policy Internship and Research Experience (ASPIRE). Launched in 2023, the eight-week...

2024 ASPIRE Cohort from Spelman College and Morehouse College

News

Stange and Weiland promoted to full professors

May 16, 2024

On May 16, the Regents of the University of Michigan approved promotions for Kevin Stange and Christina Weiland. Stange was promoted to professor of public policy, with tenure, and professor of education. Weiland was promoted to professor of...

Headshots of Kevin Stange and Christina Weiland

News

Ford School researchers to study Michigan’s education governance

May 1, 2024

In partnership with the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), a team of researchers from the Ford School will conduct a study into how Michigan’s education governance system can be improved for the benefit of public school students.“An effective...

News

OVPR awards 3 Ford School staff members for research, leadership

Apr 26, 2024

The Office of the Vice President for Research will recognize three of the Ford School's research center staff—Jasmina Camo-Biogradlija (Education Policy Initiative), Molly Kleinman (Science, Technology and Public Policy program), and Kyle S. Kwaiser...

Headshots of Jasmina Camo, Molly Klienman, and Kyle Kwaiser

Publication

U-M researchers partner with District of Columbia Public Schools for Pre-K curriculum implementation study

Apr 24, 2024

University of Michigan researchers from the Education Policy Initiative (EPI) at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the Marsal Family School of Education have partnered with MDRC, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), and the Urban...

State & Hill

Faculty Findings, spring 2024

Apr 24, 2024

Inclusive innovation—the idea of introducing technologies designed for and by the poor to boost economic growth in impoverished communities—often misses the real problems facing these communities and champions solutions that benefit entrepreneurs at...

Colorful illustration of many different women

State & Hill

Faculty news, spring 2024

Apr 24, 2024

Kamissa Camara chaired the Bipartisan Senior Study Group for the Sahel at the U.S. Institute of Peace. The study group’s comprehensive report critically assesses opportunities for peace, security, and economic development in the Sahel.Charlotte...

(Top row, left to right) Fullerton Rico, Hills, Holz, Jacob, and Leiser (Bottom row, left to right) Morenoff, Raimi, Shipan, Spencer, and Stevenson

State & Hill

John English: Public servants advancing the public good

Apr 24, 2024

John English on COVID funding: Especially during the CARES Act rollout, there was an urgency to distribute funding very quickly. I was part of the effort to understand the complex formula for allocation, and to collaborate with ED attorneys, budget...

John English and his family at the beach

State & Hill

Melvin Gaines: Public servants advancing the public good

Apr 24, 2024

As a teenager, I couldn’t help but notice the challenges my community faced— poverty, lower educational attainment, high crime and violence, and environmental injustices. It made me wonder: why is my community the way it is? And why is it...

Publication

NASEM committee including EPI’s Christina Weiland urges changes to preschool curricula to improve equity and support high-quality early education in the U.S.

Apr 18, 2024

A new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) lays out a new vision for high-quality preschool curricula that support equitable early education for all children. The report recommends that in the next five...

News

Javi Piñeiro (MPP/JD’24) participates in Next Milan Forum

Apr 16, 2024

I don't think if you had told me when I was a teenager growing up in a very rural small town in Puerto Rico that one day, still being young and a student, I would be in a position to go to a conference abroad and meet with people from all over the...

Javi Pinero standing with his conference badge at the NEXT Milan Forum in Italy organized by ISPI, Università Bocconi, and the OECD

News

Education research in service of others

Apr 11, 2024

2022 Gerald R. Ford Presidential Fellow and Education Policy Initiative (EPI) Research Assistant Katie Hyland (MPP ‘24) is set to graduate this spring following the completion of her Master’s in Public Policy. She takes with her two years of...

News

Transformative upgrades to Michigan's longitudinal data system

Apr 11, 2024

A new $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education will improve Michigan’s statewide longitudinal data system, the go-to source for critical education data going to researchers and other stakeholders in Michigan and nationwide. The grant...

Illustration of a bubble test sheet with bubbles filled in and lines connecting them like a circuitboard

News

DC career trip returns to advance connections between students and alumni

Feb 29, 2024

The DC career exploration trip, a Ford School tradition organized by Career Services, was held this year on February 8th and 9th in person for the first time since 2020. The experience allows graduate and undergraduate students to learn about policy...

Ford School students, alumni, and friends network in DC

Publication

Lessons learned: Urban charter schools demonstrate potential to improve student performance

Feb 22, 2024

While the merits of charter schools vs. traditional public schools are well-documented, some charter schools in urban areas can dramatically improve student achievement, especially among disadvantaged students, says a University of Michigan...