Topics

Overview

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.

Looking for information on a topic not listed here? Try your keywords in the search box at the top of this page.

Overview

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, original research, state policy recommendations and decision-making guidance.

Career pathways have the power to close critical credential attainment and skills gaps.

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.

Overview

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.

Overview

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.​

Overview

Postsecondary Student Success
College Completion

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. 

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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.

Overview

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.

Overview

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.

Overview

Literacy Instruction

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.

Overview

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.

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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.

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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.

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Teacher Workforce Policy
State Policies to Elevate the Profession and Address Shortages

The most important thing a school can do for a student’s education is ensure they have a good teacher. 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.
 

Overview

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.