Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · 2d

Know any aspiring PhD students interested in quant studies in education? Please direct them to our programs in ed policy, econ of ed, or ed data science! I hope to welcome an energetic & ambitious student to join me in our new building 🌴☀️
Applications due November 17
ed.stanford.edu/admissions/a...

Apply for Admission | Stanford Graduate School of Education

As you prepare your application, familiarize yourself with the admission process and timeline for your desired program below. Note that the application for 2026-2027 entry is not yet available.

ed.stanford.edu

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Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · 5d

🚨Do you know a school, system, or network doing amazing work in support of student success in high school, particularly through a continuous-improvement approach?

Let's recognize them! Encourage them to apply for the Carnegie Award for Impact (cfdn.at/4o4gp58).
Applications due on November 10.

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Reposted by Thomas S. Dee

Paige Kowalski @paigekowalski.bsky.social · 18d

I have watched states delay releasing test scores for months as they work to message results and hope no one is paying attention.

Axios @axios.com · 19d

JUST IN: Bureau of Labor Statistics postpones key inflation data report

Bureau of Labor Statistics postpones key data report with no explanation

There is heightened concern about the future of key government statistics, including politicization and accuracy.

trib.al

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Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · 26d

It's gratifying to see my recent immigration-raid research actually being used.
wapo.st/42mWdTn

Teachers sue over Trump's immigration crackdown, saying students are staying home

Labor unions representing educators and school employees are suing President Donald Trump’s administration over its immigration crackdown

wapo.st

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Reposted by Thomas S. Dee

Margaret Thornton @maggiethornton.bsky.social · 27d

"Educators should also understand the limitations of research evidence. Rigorous impact evaluations...can only tell us what has worked someplace at some time—not what will work universally for educators facing specific challenges." - @tomdee.bsky.social
www.edweek.org/leadership/o...

High Quality Research Rarely Informs Classroom Practice. Why? (Opinion)

The connection between education research, policy, and practice is broken. Here’s what it would take to fix it.

www.edweek.org

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Reposted by Thomas S. Dee

Dan Willingham @dtwuva.bsky.social · 27d

Why aren't practices based on research implemented in schools? @tomdee.bsky.social has insights, and ideas for change. www.edweek.org/leadership/o...

High Quality Research Rarely Informs Classroom Practice. Why? (Opinion)

The connection between education research, policy, and practice is broken. Here’s what it would take to fix it.

www.edweek.org

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Reposted by Thomas S. Dee

Cara Jackson @carajackson.bsky.social · 29d

"...embrace opportunities for quick and meaningful wins. These are the common-sense education initiatives that share three critical features: evidentiary support, low financial costs, and scalability." - @tomdee.bsky.social www.edweek.org/leadership/o...

High Quality Research Rarely Informs Classroom Practice. Why? (Opinion)

The connection between education research, policy, and practice is broken. Here’s what it would take to fix it.

www.edweek.org

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Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · Sep 8

Just out in @edweek.org's #K12BigIdeas, I criticize the quality & connectedness of education research, policy, & practice and discuss what it would take to do better.

www.edweek.org/leadership/o...

High Quality Research Rarely Informs Classroom Practice. Why? (Opinion)

The connection between education research, policy, and practice is broken. Here’s what it would take to fix it.

www.edweek.org

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Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · Jul 11

Thanks for flagging that. There seems to be some agreement on the role of post Great Recession spending declines?

Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · Jul 11

I'm curious how people view hypotheses about these achievement declines. I incline towards (1) the failure to refine & sustain school accountability & (2) the rise of smart phones & social media. But that's conjectural without better evidence.

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Reposted by Thomas S. Dee

Eric Dearing @ericdearing.bsky.social · Jul 10

Have we given too much "credit" to the pandemic for learning losses? Almost 50% of the post-pandemic decline in achievement on 8th grade NAEP was to be expected (without the pandemic!), simply using the same rate of declining achievement that began unfolding starting in 2013!

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Reposted by Thomas S. Dee

Annenberg Institute @annenberginstitute.bsky.social · Jul 2

The @nytimes.com spotlighted a new study from #EdWorkingPapers that examines the profound impact of immigration raids on attendance in California's Central Valley.

Read the NYT article below.

Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · Jun 16

The current wave of federal immigration raids began in January with a “rogue” operation in California’s Central Valley.

My new study finds these raids increased school absences by 22%—a leading indicator of the resulting family stress & lost learning opportunities👇

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/u...

Immigration Raids Add to Absence Crisis for Schools

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Thomas S. Dee

EdSource @edsource.org · Jun 20

Immigration raids in January and February increased absences by 22% in five school districts, according to a newly released Stanford study.

‘There was a lot of fear’: Central Valley immigration raids drive up absences in schools, study finds

Immigration raids in January and February increased absences by 22% in five school districts, according to a newly released Stanford study.

edsource.org

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Reposted by Thomas S. Dee

SIEPR @siepr.bsky.social · Jun 17

🚨New research from SIEPR Senior Fellow @tomdee.bsky.social finds that student absences rose amid intensified immigration enforcement, indicating lost learning opportunities. 👇
bit.ly/3I1vGDJ

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Reposted by Thomas S. Dee

Adam Gamoran @agamoran.bsky.social · Jun 17

I appreciate the work of @wtgrantfdn.bsky.social grantee @tomdee.bsky.social showing student attendance, already in crisis after COVID, is further disrupted by immigration raids www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/u...

Immigration Raids Add to Absence Crisis for Schools

www.nytimes.com

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Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · Jun 16

The current wave of federal immigration raids began in January with a “rogue” operation in California’s Central Valley.

My new study finds these raids increased school absences by 22%—a leading indicator of the resulting family stress & lost learning opportunities👇

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/u...

Immigration Raids Add to Absence Crisis for Schools

www.nytimes.com

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Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · Jun 15

My research w/ @hhsievertsen.bsky.social indicates redshirting benefits kids lacking the self-regulation needed to thrive in more structured classrooms.

That argues for kindergarten-readiness assessments that inform targeted—not universal—responses. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

The gift of time? School starting age and mental health

Using linked Danish survey and register data, we estimate the causal effect of age at kindergarten entry on mental health. Danish children are supposed to enter kindergarten in the calendar year in w...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · Jun 15

I spoke with the NYT for this article. I'm unconvinced that the universal kindergarten redshirting of boys is a good idea...

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/14/u...

Should Boys Start Kindergarten a Year Later Than Girls?

www.nytimes.com

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Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · Jun 7

Seen on the streets of Paris today. #EdPolicy is everywhere.

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Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · May 31

This provocative, data-infused essay by James Wyckoff — edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1197 — serves as a reminder that fully understanding the declines in student achievement requires us to look well before the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Reposted by Thomas S. Dee

Dan Goldhaber @cedr.bsky.social · May 26

Wow the latest episode of the @citizenstewart.bsky.social show nails it when it comes to the evidence on merit pay. It's hard to get it right (implementation details, supports, etc.), but it can move the needle on student achievement.

But 👇
www.thebranchmedia.org/show/citizen...

Citizen Stewart Show - The Branch

www.thebranchmedia.org

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Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · May 26

It's frustrating that The Discourse often frames teacher evaluation/pay reforms as failing when a more accurate take is that they are politically & logistically difficult to implement well but effective when this is done. I try to describe this literature here:

www.the74million.org/article/40-y...

Key to Improving America’s Schools: Rethinking School Staffing & Teacher Quality

The status quo for in-service teachers — low-stakes assessments & rigid single-salary schedules — needs to change if student outcomes are to improve.

www.the74million.org

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Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · May 22

I'm surprised that that training teachers to use "three-cueing" in their early-literacy instruction is not yet on the list. Too obvious? Or still controversial? #ScienceOfReading

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Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · May 22

That's so kind of you!

I'm glad to know others share my concerns about our current state of practice and recognize that we can do better without throttling our opportunities for discovery and insight.

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Thomas S. Dee @tomdee.bsky.social · May 22

I was so pleased to cross the Bay today and speak at the Berkeley Initiative for Transparency in the Social Sciences (www.bitss.org) about the need for (and feasibility of) adopting preregistration of studies making causal claims with observational data. #OpenScience

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