EDLF 750: Education Policy Winter 2026

  Senate Bill 216: Higher Education Performance and Enrollment Funding If you just finished a Practical Nurse Certificate at Tooele Technical College, and you get a job, your school will receive better funding from the state of Utah. If you just finished a bachelor's degree and received a Registered Nurse qualification at Utah State University, and you get a job, your school will not necessarily receive better funding from the state of Utah. At least, that will be the situation if Senate Bill 216 passes during this legislative session. Why? S.B. 216 would change the way higher education institutions in Utah receive funding. Funding would be tied to enrollment trends and performance goals. Both of these institutions, and all others in the state of Utah, will be judged based on several factors such as; 1) “strategically important awards,” which means certificates and degrees for high-demand fields and 2) "institutional efficiency,” or how many certificates and degrees were awar...

  What do Jerry Seinfeld’s ruined suede jacket and federal Title I funding have in common? Both are "gifts" that come with conditions; so many they can actually prevent you from doing your job when the weather gets rough. In a classic episode of Seinfeld , Jerry buys a miracle suede jacket. It is expensive, high-status, and comes with a very specific set of rules: don’t wear it inside out, and for heaven's sake, don’t let it get caught in the rain. When Elaine's very intimidating father refuses to be seen with Jerry if the jacket lining is exposed, Jerry finds himself walking through a snowstorm, and his precious new jacket becomes a liability. He is so tethered to the conditions of the garment and situation that he loses the ability to react to the actual weather. In our education system, federal funding often functions like that suede jacket. While the 10th Amendment theoretically reserves the power of education to the states, the modern reality is you are als...

The Federal Government’s Evolving Role in Education Education in the United States has historically been the shared responsibility of local communities, states, and the federal government. Over the past century, the federal government’s role has steadily grown as education policy has been shaped by the evolution of civil rights, court cases, national priorities, and economic development. Education has also continued to play a large role in the development of the US citizenry, and has helped to create a shared national culture. There are pros and cons to increased federal influence in education. Here are some of the reasons why this federal presence in education matters. Social and Civil Rights -the federal government has introduced legislation to help protect student rights, including: Title I -helps serve schools with high percentages of low-income students The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act -requires accommodations and services for students with disabilities ...

Exact. Precise. Explanatory. When I think of science, these are some of the first words that come to mind. There is comfort in relying on facts produced through scientific observation and testing. That comfort can be especially powerful when those facts appear to align neatly with one’s own beliefs or assumptions. A few years ago, The New York Times published a podcast examining the public debate over what was true about COVID-19—a global pandemic that disrupted nearly every aspect of daily life. Opinions varied widely regarding the best, and sometimes the only , way to protect people from the spread of the virus. Masks, social distancing, and virtual interactions quickly became the new—and deeply unpopular—normal. Policies were developed by “experts” using the best data available at the time, but those data were inevitably filtered through human judgment, bias, and fallibility. “Follow the science” emerged as a rallying cry to justify a range of approaches to managing the pandem...

       When I was pregnant, I remember my friends telling me all about the things I should eat and the things I should not. Sushi- off the list, deli meat-off the list, raw cookie dough-off the list. Oh, the horror of putting raw eggs in my body while pregnant with my child. I had to do a double-take because who does not like cookie dough?! Also, who eats cookie dough with no eggs…gross! The internal battle was real, and yet I could not put the spoon down. Every time I made chocolate chip cookies, I had a bite or two of the raw cookie dough. Three babies later, and we are doing just fine. My compulsion to eat cookie dough may not be “following the science,” however, the question bears: Does “following the science” strip one of their common sense and agency to make decisions? Through COVID, the world ingested more opposing information than one could handle. It left many in a state of fear and paralysis, of what to do and how to live. This kind of fear fuels those who ...

Headline A 2026  Deseret News report indicates that nearly half of Utah’s K–3 students (approximately 48%–53%) are not reading at grade level, signaling significant early literacy challenges. In our current era of educational reform and constant federal, state, and local mandates, schools are on the lookout for strategies that can improve instruction and student learning—but only from sources they trust. From federal programs such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), to Utah’s Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) designations and school report cards, we see continual measuring, labeling, and sorting of schools based on reading and math achievement data. Headlines like the one above raise doubt and concern about our school system. Yet underneath the data is a more complex story—one the public, legislators, parents, and opponents of public schools may not be ready to hear. As schools...

Much of our political debates center around this question and our American public is always interested in this question, should the federal government have a role in education at all? For many people, schools feel like the heart of local control, where neighbors elect school board members, parents talking to teachers, communities defining their values. As history reminded us that when education is left entirely to states and local governments, opportunity and rights have often depended on your zip code, race, and disability status. Any honest answer has to hold both truths together. The federal government should have a role in education, but it should be carefully limited, focused on equity and civil rights rather than micromanaging classrooms. From a constitutional perspective, education is not mentioned in our U.S Constitution, which means general authority over schooling rests with the states. That is why state constitutions and statues establish school systems, define graduation re...