Brookings Brown Center

Why do many families miss out on free early childhood education and food assistance? It’s the "compliance costs" of a broken system. @JonValant and Lindsay Weixler show how a unified application helps families navigate these government barriers. brookings.edu/articles/helpi…

STEM teacher shortages in high-need schools limit student opportunity. A new report by @DrMikeHansen and co-authors evaluates two decades of the NSF Noyce Program to see if it’s effectively bringing qualified teachers where they’re needed most. brookings.edu/articles/the-s…

Despite his claims, the president cannot eliminate the Department of Education without Congress, but that has not stopped his sweeping reforms. Brookings scholars return a year later to assess the department’s most pressing changes and what lies ahead. brookings.edu/articles/faqs-…

Since Trump took office, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has resolved zero sexual assault cases and no racial harassment cases against Black or Latino students, writes Rachel M. Perera. brookings.edu/articles/how-t…

A college degree remains one of the clearest paths to economic security, but federal cuts are pushing it further out of reach for low-income students. @katharinemeyer explains how slashing TRIO and GEAR UP weakens higher education protections. brookings.edu/articles/a-coo…

Join us on Feb. 23 at 2:00 p.m. ET for a discussion on the state of the K-12 STEM teacher workforce and efforts to support the pipeline through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. RSVP here: brookings.edu/events/support…

The idea that kindergarten disadvantages boys doesn’t hold up to the evidence. @MeganKuhfeld analyzes data from nearly 12 million students to reveal how boys and girls actually progress in math and reading. brookings.edu/articles/how-b…

New research shows that 90% of adults support some form of cellphone bans in classrooms—and surprisingly, 80% of students agree with them. @AnnaSaavedra19 and co-authors examine teacher and student perspectives on the impact of cellphone use at school. brookings.edu/articles/surve…

Demand for subsidized child care far exceeds supply in the United States. Daphna Bassok and co-authors examine the federal freeze of child care funds in five states and draw on new survey data to show how cuts to subsidies affect families and children. brookings.edu/articles/what-…

Mamdani’s vision for free child care in NYC aims to ease financial pressure on the middle class and narrow education gaps for low-income children. However, Bruce Fuller argues doing so requires policy tradeoffs that can make or break the mayor’s plan. brookings.edu/articles/craft…

The Trump administration’s tax-credit scholarship program aims to increase education opportunities for students, but a lack of program details raises concerns over mismanagement. @JonValant offers strategies to ensure transparency and state discretion. brookings.edu/articles/comme…

The Trump administration pledged to crack down on liberal indoctrination in public schools and discrimination against those with more conservative beliefs. @DrMikeHansen and Annabelle Kim address growing fears about the current state of American education. brookings.edu/articles/the-p…

For decades, states have reformed school funding formulas to reduce inequality tied to income and property wealth. New research finds those reforms largely succeeded by income but failed to narrow—and sometimes widened—funding gaps by race and ethnicity. brookings.edu/articles/schoo…

Jan. 20, 2026, marked the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s second inauguration. Brown Center scholars assess DEI rollbacks, higher ed disruption, civil rights enforcement, and the future of federal education policy. brookings.edu/articles/brown…

Public debate increasingly portrays college as overpriced and not worth the investment. @ProfitOfEd uses earnings and tuition data to show the college payoff remains strong and costs have been largely flat. brookings.edu/articles/what-…

As college costs climb, corporate tuition benefits for low-wage workers offer a path to degrees. @FederickNgo examines how eligibility, program design, and restrictions shape outcomes. brookings.edu/articles/tacos…

Federal actions are putting protections and funding for K-12 English Learner (EL) students at risk. @DrMikeHansen and co-author examine the policy landscape, warning that data gaps and shifting federal oversight leave EL students vulnerable. brookings.edu/articles/recen…

While superintendents shape policy, set visions for learning, and direct resources, measuring their impact on student outcomes is complex. @ImRachelWhite and co-authors propose methods to capture the longer-term, indirect effects of their leadership. brookings.edu/articles/chall…

Nearly all states and about half of school districts reported special education teacher shortages in 2023-24. @Lmasonwms and co-authors argue that solutions must be tailored to each state’s and district’s specific challenges. brookings.edu/articles/state…

Too many flourishing children who are doing “fine” are left bored in school, especially in elementary grades. Kenneth Shores asks whether refraining from challenging a high-achieving child constitutes a kind of injustice. brookings.edu/articles/high-…