The Delta Issue #58 The end of the National Blue Ribbon Program is not the end of excellence. At the end of August, the U.S. Department of Education quietly ended the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, closing the book on a decades-old tradition of recognizing public and private schools across the country for [...] The post The end of the National Blue Ribbon Program is not the end of excellence. appeared first on Watershed Advisors.| Watershed Advisors
It’s not often you see red and blue states agree. But this year, nearly two-thirds of governors did, naming early learning as a top priority in their State of the State addresses. While governors are pledging to do more for early childhood, federal policy is shifting in ways that will leave their states with less.| Watershed Advisors
The Delta Issue #56 Some States Show Progress on Absenteeism — But Why? We Asked the Experts. New national data on chronic absenteeism just came out — and for the first time in a while, there’s a bit of good news. States that pledged to cut absenteeism in half are doing better than [...] The post Some States Show Progress on Absenteeism — But Why? We Asked the Experts. appeared first on Watershed Advisors.| Watershed Advisors
In last week’s Delta, we talked about the vital role the federal government plays in protecting the rights of every child — especially the most vulnerable. According to new reporting in K-12 Dive, the U.S. Department of Education is dismantling a key regulation mandating that states collect information about what’s known as “significant disproportionality.” Under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, districts are required to track and report racial, ethnic, and socioe...| Watershed Advisors
Good ideas almost never scale within the massive, fragmented American child care, education and workforce systems. Meet Watershed Advisors.| Watershed Advisors
The Delta Issue #54 Special Edition: Delta 📽️ Special Video Edition: Katrina, 20 Years Later 🎧 Listen to this edition of The Delta on Spotify. Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans on August 23, 2005. It was a devastating and defining event in Louisiana’s history, and in our lives as Louisianans. [...] The post Special Video Edition: Katrina, 20 Years Later appeared first on Watershed Advisors.| Watershed Advisors
The Delta Issue #53 50 EdTech tools in the classroom? Not for long. 2025 has been a boom year for artificial intelligence. With all the rapid investment in AI technology, you’d think 2025 would also be a boom year for edtech — but instead, Q1 was the worst quarter for venture funding since [...] The post 50 EdTech tools in the classroom? Not for long. appeared first on Watershed Advisors.| Watershed Advisors
The Delta Issue #52 Special Edition: Oklahoma’s Testing Waiver Isn’t Serious Leadership Last week, State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced that, starting in the 2025–26 school year, Oklahoma will end federally required end-of-year testing for grades 3–8 in math and ELA. Districts would instead be allowed to use “approved benchmark assessments” in place of [...] The post Special Edition: Oklahoma’s Testing Waiver Isn’t Serious Leadership appeared first on Watershed Advisors.| Watershed Advisors
This August marks one full year of The Delta. They say time flies when you’re having fun, and while “fun” might not be the first word you’d use to describe the year we’ve had, it’s been a joy to grow this community and share big ideas that can move our education system forward.| Watershed Advisors
The Delta Issue #50 A new framework for high-quality early childhood education NEW RESOURCE: Download the updated ECE Framework ➡️Hey y’all, Jessica here.Ever wonder why states as different as Colorado and Arkansas are going all in on revamping their early childhood education systems? It’s pretty simple: those early years matter a lot, and the status quo [...] The post A new framework for high-quality early childhood education appeared first on Watershed Advisors.| Watershed Advisors
As Chair of the bipartisan National Governors Association , I’ve been working over the past year alongside a team of experts across education and workforce development to dive deep into a question that is top of mind for so many of us – how can we better set our students, and our economy, up for success now and into the future?| Watershed Advisors
Having three boys between the ages of 1 and 9 means summer is a time of joyful and exhausting chaos in the Baghian household. Without the routine of the school year, my husband and I piece together full-time summer camps, playdates, and parenting between work obligations. I imagine many of you are in the same boat.| Watershed Advisors
You’ve probably heard the adage “what gets measured gets done.” When it comes to our school systems, it couldn't be more true. Good measurement systems don’t just assess student performance, they drive student outcomes.| Watershed Advisors
