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SREB Resources on Key Education Issues
SREB offers a concentration of programs, expertise and data in the areas below. Contact a staff member for assistance, research or membership in these resources.
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AI in Education
Artificial intelligence is here. Educators and policymakers are wrestling with how to integrate it into the classroom and prepare people for a workforce transformed by it.
Helping states share strategies, guidance and research is one aim of the SREB Commission on AI in Education. SREB staff collect data, publish reports and facilitate the work of the commission’s subcommittees.
Career Pathways and CTE
SREB’s leadership in career and technical education spans decades and includes a K-12 school improvement process that supports CTE programs in high schools and career and technology centers, turnkey curricula like SREB’s Advanced Career courses, research, state policy recommendations and decision-making guidance.
Our career pathway reviews help districts complete Perkins V comprehensive local needs assessments and make critical decisions about adopting or improving pathways to the workforce by assessing the alignment of existing CTE programs with postsecondary credentials and labor market demand.
We also prepare new and early-career CTE teachers for classroom success and provide professional development and coaching on powerful CTE and project-based learning instructional practices.
College Affordability
Affordability is a crucial component in students’ ability to earn college degrees. SREB offers data, reports, recommendations and technical assistance to help states raise their college attainment rates and bolster their economic futures.
College and Career Readiness
By 2025, two out of every three jobs will require some education beyond high school. Yet far too many students are graduating from high school without the knowledge and skills they need to earn a credential or degree. SREB offers policymakers detailed data on policies and how states are using them to improve achievement. And we serve districts and schools with career pathways, curricula and professional learning to help educators prepare students for what comes next in their lives.
Postsecondary Student Success
Creating jobs is a top priority in Southern states, and a better-educated workforce is an important strategy. Helping states with policy and practice to improve postsecondary student success is central to SREB’s mission.
COVID-19 Response
SREB is dedicated to supporting educators and policy leaders as they work through challenges unfolding from the coronavirus pandemic. During this time of uncertainty, we are convening leaders to help them develop strategies, find solutions, and share ideas and resources.
Dual Enrollment
A head start toward college and career
Earning college credit in high school can make postsecondary credentials more affordable for families and states. Dual enrollment and other accelerated options can also help prepare high school students for the rigor of the campus environment and the success skills central to careers.
SREB publishes data and state policy on dual enrollment and brings together policymakers from many arenas to address issues such as cost, equity and funding.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Minority-Serving Institutions
The South is home to 90% of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities, which share a distinct mission but are far from monolithic. Public and private, large and small, famous or well-kept secret, they face a wide range of issues.
SREB supports HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions by helping them share resources, build capacity and reaffirm their value to students and communities.
Longitudinal Literacy
Reading is the foundation for all learning. Research shows that students who are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade are much more likely to face poor academic outcomes. SREB provides data, research and recommendations for states and schools on how to improve reading instruction in elementary school and continue building those skills in middle and high school.
Mathematics Instruction
Developing strong foundations in mathematics at early age is a key component to overall student success. By continuing to build math skills, middle and high schools can help prepare students for in-demand STEM careers that are critical to local economies. SREB offers analysis, reports and recommendations to help states improve mathematic instruction in their classrooms.
Open Educational Resources
Open educational resources are high quality teaching, learning and research materials that are freely accessible to all. Using OER in K-12 and postsecondary education creates more accessible and equitable educational opportunities. Open licensing allows educators, students and institutions to customize and share resources ─ from a single lesson plan to entire textbooks ─ without cost or copyright restrictions.
Science Education
Science education helps determine the paths students can pursue in careers and college. A solid STEM background builds resistance to changes in technology that could leave millions unemployable.
Teacher Workforce Policy
State Policies to Elevate the Profession and Address Shortages
The most important thing schools can do for students’ education is ensure they have good teachers. States need a strong teacher workforce to increase student learning and to build a stronger economy. SREB helps state leaders address teacher shortages and improve policies that affect teachers across their careers — including recruiting, supporting and retaining great teachers.
A Comprehensive Approach to Teacher Workforce Policy
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Education and the Workforce
Trends, Readiness and Preparation
A thriving workforce is at the heart of SREB’s mission to improve education and help states build robust economies. We are committed to helping state leaders find solutions to the challenge of preparing children, youth and adults for a changing workplace. SREB commissions, school improvement programs and data focus how schools and colleges can prepare students for the world of work.