ASCD's policy newsletter, Policy Priorities, reflects the purpose of this quarterly policy publication, which is to provide background and context for critical, timely education policy issues.

Administrators, teachers, families, policymakers, journalists, and others read Policy Priorities to better inform the decisions they make and the work they do.

Policy Priorities is published four times each year. Copies are mailed to all ASCD Premium members, and all other members have online access. 

• Subscribe to the Policy Priorities newsletter.
• Purchase an individual issue.
• See the issue archives.

Current Print Issue

Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers Today

When Congress readies to reauthorize the Higher Education Act later this year, one of the key issues to address will be the act’s Title II, which helps states and schools of education improve teacher preparation efforts, particularly in high-need areas. The law also establishes requirements for states to measure and report out the quality of their teacher education programs law’s Title II teacher preparation provisions. 

Do current training programs adequately prepare newly certified teachers? Is the United States facing a teacher shortage, and if so, how can we best respond to it? Should student achievement data be used to evaluate the quality of teacher training programs? And, finally, what role should the federal government play in the quality and outcomes of such programs? 

• Read the executive summary.
• Read the full issue.
• Purchase this issue.

Sign Up for Educator Advocates

We need your help! Congress is making education policy decisions that affect you, your local schools, and your students.

Don't let Congress make decisions without the critical information you can provide. You can help them, and they will welcome your input.

Sign up to be an Educator Advocate.

Get Informed

• Check out ASCD's 2016 Legislative Agenda (PDF) with the association’s policy goals for the year.
• Explore ASCD's resources on the Every Student Succeeds Act.
• Read about ASCD's whole child policy recommendations.