In these quarterly reports, we showcase the progress that EdTrust, along with our partners, is making to promote education equity and excellence for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds in various states and across the nation.
October 2026 Report
A Nation of Promise
Fulfilling the Promise of Education for All Students
More than four decades ago, A Nation at Risk warned that America’s education system was falling behind, shaping a generation of education policy. Today, public education is once again at risk — but for a fundamentally different reason. Forty years ago, the federal government sought to strengthen public education. Today, instead of responding to an education system in crisis, it is actively advancing policies that are making things worse. As advocates, parents and caregivers, partners, and researchers, we must respond with the same sense of urgency.
As 2027 approaches, we must meet this moment with both fierce advocacy and bold imagination. We must defend civil rights, public schools, honest teaching, and affordable college — and we must build systems worthy of our students’ brilliance. The choice before us is clear: we can accept becoming a nation at risk again, or we can build a nation that keeps its promise. Our students deserve nothing less.
Highlights of Our Latest Work
Reports, Briefs, Campaigns
Campaign
National Newcomer Network
Report
Building Better Futures: 5 Policy Principles for Equitable College and Career Advising and Pathways
Brief
Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)
Guide
Building the Conditions for Student Success: An Advocacy Toolkit for State Policy and Institutional Action
Brief
Accreditation Needs Reform. ED’s Forthcoming Proposed Rule Misses the Mark
Brief
New Loan Limits Threaten Graduate Education Access and Affordability
Brief
Higher Education Policymakers Are Focused on Preparing Students for AI. They Should Also Focus on Protecting Them
In the Media
EdTrust’s work was featured in numerous media outlets including Word in Black, EdWeek, NPR, AP News, CNBC, The Grio, Inside Higher Ed, and Boston Herald.
For more media coverage, see our In the News section.
On the Blog
Recent blog posts featured on our website include:
Private Student Lending Threatens a National Promise
Maryland Middle School Students Are Being Left Behind
Low Academic Standards Spare Adult Feelings at the Expense of Students’ Futures
High-Quality Early Childhood Care and Education Is Magic for Children — and the Economy
How Graduate Education Loan Limits Will Hurt Students With Disabilities
Getting To & Through College: How Emergency Aid Helped a College Student in Baltimore
Closest to the Problem, Closest to the Solution: Five Years of the Justice Fellows Policy Program
State Offices
New York
In July, we released an analysis finding that New York City’s FY27 class size funding more equitably directed resources to schools serving Black and Latino students and students from low-income backgrounds, while warning that facilities, staffing, and implementation challenges could deepen inequities. In August, we released “Scaling What Works in Multilingual Literacy,” highlighting evidence-based strategies to improve literacy outcomes for multilingual learners. We also called for an independent audit of the state’s English language arts assessments following significant score fluctuations and urged greater transparency. In September, EdTrust-New York and Educators for Excellence released “A Math State of Mind,” outlining four priorities to strengthen math instruction, expand equitable access to advanced math, and improve teacher preparation.
New YorkTennessee
This summer, Southerners for Fair School Funding brought advocates from eight Southern states to Nashville for the 2026 School Finance Institute. Over two days, advocates and national experts tackled some of the most pressing questions in education finance and developed advocacy strategies to advance equitable school funding across the region. In Tennessee, voters will elect a new governor and state legislators this November, and those leaders will make education funding and policy decisions that will shape students’ opportunities for years to come. To help Tennesseans understand what’s at stake, we hosted a webinar, “Every Student Matters, Every Vote Counts,” connecting local, state, and federal elections to the decisions that affect students in their classrooms every day.
TennesseeWest
This summer, we built a coalition of over 85 organizations to advance ACA 7, a California constitutional amendment for the 2028 ballot. If approved by voters, ACA 7 would remove public education from California’s affirmative action ban, giving education leaders greater flexibility to direct resources where students need them most while leaving college admissions policies unchanged. We also issued an Equity Alert outlining how the federal voucher tax credit program threatens public education funding and launched a campaign urging Governor Gavin Newsom to reject it. In September, hundreds of advocates gathered in San Diego for the sixth Education Equity Forum, which also marked EdTrust-West’s 25th anniversary. To commemorate the milestone, we published our 25th Anniversary Impact Booklet and a blog from executive director Christopher Nellum, Ph.D., reflecting on 25 years of promoting educational equity and the work still ahead.
WestIn the States
EdTrust-Midwest
EdTrust-Midwest celebrated a major policy victory in July as state director Brian L. Love joined Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for the signing of Michigan’s FY27 education budget. Following months of advocacy by EdTrust-Midwest and partners, the budget increased funding for public schools and adopted a new weighted funding formula that directs additional resources to students with disabilities, English learners, and students from low-income backgrounds. It also increased the Opportunity Index by $259 million — a 20% increase — bringing total funding to $1.55 billion for districts with high concentrations of poverty, while adding $12.5 million for English learners, raising total funding to more than $75 million. EdTrust-Midwest also welcomed Stacey Deering, Ph.D., as manager of partnerships and engagement.
EdTrust in Louisiana
This quarter, EdTrust in Louisiana expanded its policy influence, strengthened student engagement, and elevated its national profile. Amplify LA grew into New Orleans by welcoming a new school partner and expanding its model for authentic student voice. Partnerships with the Men’s Federation and Southern University also created new opportunities for college students to engage as advocates and leaders. The team continued to push for equitable school funding through its engagement with the state’s Minimum Foundation Program Task Force. Our state director also brought EdTrust’s equity perspective to a national webinar hosted by The Princeton Review, urging district leaders to expand access to college entrance exams and postsecondary pathways. EdTrust in Louisiana also earned national recognition for its literacy work, as Keiara Skipper was inducted into Dolly Parton’s Dolly Diamonds, whose members promote literacy and a love of reading.
EdTrust in Massachusetts
This quarter, EdTrust in Massachusetts celebrated a victory with the passage of the Right to Read Law, one of the nation’s strongest early literacy laws and the culmination of years of advocacy alongside the Mass Reads Coalition. We also advanced our #LiteracyIsLiberation campaign with the Massachusetts Education Equity Partnership (MEEP) and expanded our work by releasing a report on adolescent literacy, publishing equity-centered recommendations for new statewide graduation standards, and conducting a statewide parent poll on college and career readiness. Our report, “Beyond the Early Grades: The State of Adolescent Literacy in Massachusetts,” found that half of students in grades 6-8 and 10 aren’t meeting grade-level benchmarks on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) ELA exam, with the largest disparities affecting multilingual learners, students of color, and students with disabilities.
EdTrust in Texas
With funding from the new PREP Allotment supporting more than 8,200 paraprofessionals, teacher residents, and beginning teachers this year, we are identifying the districts and education preparation partners creating high-quality pathways into the profession. We are also leveraging the new Parent Access to Supplemental Supports (PASS) program to connect struggling readers with high-impact literacy tutoring while building the advocacy capacity of parent-led organizations statewide. As Texas prepares for the next legislative session, we are positioning student leaders to highlight higher education investments that improve affordability and boost college completion. Members of the Student Advisory Council developed policy recommendations and provided testimony to inform a new performance-based funding proposal. At the same time, we are advancing new research examining how Texas institutions are improving student success through basic needs strategies, including emergency aid, SNAP benefits, and childcare.
On the Hill
From July through September 2026, EdTrust advanced a federal advocacy agenda focused on protecting public education, preserving the U.S. Department of Education, and defending critical investments in students. Throughout the quarter, EdTrust participated in congressional events highlighting the impact of recent federal education policy changes. As the 119th Congress approaches its conclusion, EdTrust continues working with lawmakers, partners, and advocates to advance these priorities and protect educational opportunity for students nationwide.
Coalition Work
In Maryland, MAREE and its partners completed a multicounty listening tour, engaging families, students, and educators on the importance of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and how to strengthen and protect it.
In Delaware, the 2026 legislative session ended with lawmakers codifying the state’s new school funding formula. Gov. Matt Meyer committed $100 million to support implementation, following advocacy from EdTrust and Rodel, which continue working to strengthen accountability and ensure resources reach students with the greatest needs.
With EdTrust’s support, E3 is building a statewide coalition to advance equitable school funding, school discipline reform, and culturally relevant and affirming curricula in South Carolina. Meanwhile, the Kentucky Student Voice Team is developing a statewide postsecondary network to strengthen student leadership and advocacy across Kentucky.