Abigail Francis

5 years post-pandemic, Massachusetts public schools have seen sustained enrollment declines. Is this a temporary disruption, or did the pandemic change how families evaluate schools?

@joshua-goodman.com, Abigail Francis, & James Wyckoff will dig into the data with Susanna Loeb.

buff.ly/dByipCW

Thanks to AV and RSF for funding this work, which started as part of my dissertation (linked below). We're so looking forward to being able to inform the use of informal diversion practices in schools!

Lots more to come 🥳
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Published in Economics of Education Review! Building on @joshua-goodman.com's post, we find public school enrollment declines are concentrated in higher-income districts, middle grades, and among White and Asian students. I hope these findings support discussions on the shifting education landscape.

📉 Why did student achievement start declining before COVID? How are school enrollment patterns shifting five years after?

Join us for our Nov 13 EdWorkingPapers webinar featuring James H. Wyckoff, @abbyfrancis.bsky.social, and @joshua-goodman.com

edworkingpapers.com/webinar-series

📢 The votes are in!

EdWorkingPapers email subscribers chose papers by James H. Wyckoff, @abbyfrancis.bsky.social, and @joshua-goodman.com to be featured in our next webinar on Nov 13.

Find out what the topic will be >> edworkingpapers.com/webinar-series

Want to hear research insights straight from the source, on the issue that matters most to you? 🗳️Sign up to cast your vote and help choose the next #EdWorkingPapers Webinar topic >> mailchi.mp/annenbergins...

BU's "The Brink" today features my work with @abbyfrancis.bsky.social on continuing public school enrollment challenges.

I worry about the political implications of this change, as well as the long-term effects on public school reputations.

www.bu.edu/articles/202...

Today's @bostonglobe.com features our recent @wheelockpolicybu.bsky.social working paper on school enrollment trends in MA and US-wide.

@abbyfrancis.bsky.social notes some of this is driven by "increased behavioral issues, especially in middle school years."

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/04/m...

Want to know how the pandemic has reshaped school enrollment patterns in Massachusetts and nationwide?

Here's Education Next's quick and accessible version of our recent working paper:

www.educationnext.org/school-enrol...

@abbyfrancis.bsky.social @educationnext.bsky.social

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Doug Harris, director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice (REACH), joins us to discuss a new website aimed at advancing evidence-based education policy and supporting more effective decision-making in schools. Then, on the Research Minute, Meredith Coffey examines new data from Massachusetts that reveal lasting post-pandemic shifts in school enrollment, particularly in the middle grades and in higher-income districts. Recommended content: “AEFP Live Handbook of Education Policy Research” —Association for Education Finance & Policy (AEFP) “School Enrollment Shifts Five Years After the Pandemic” —Abigail Francis and Joshua Goodman, EdWorkingPapers (June 2025) “Analyzing homeschooling demographics and families’ definitions of student success” —Jeff Murray, Thomas B. Fordham Institute “Fixing IES” —Chester E. Finn, Jr., Thomas B. Fordham Institute Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org. #976: A new hub for smarter education policy, with Doug Harris

My recent article with @joshua-goodman.com on Massachusetts school enrollment shifts was discussed on the Education Gadfly Show! They also highlight @aefplivehandbook.bsky.social, a resource full of rigorous work in education policy. Highly recommend the listen! fordhaminstitute.org/national/res...

Last week just-out work by @joshua-goodman.com & @abbyfrancis.bsky.social was featured on the @educationnext.bsky.social podcast. Listen for interesting convo of key insights and implications.

www.educationnext.org/the-educatio...

Full policy brief at: wheelockpolicycenter.org/high-quality...

The Education Exchange: Public School Enrollments Down 2 Percent Since 2020 Paul E. Peterson interviews Joshua Goodman, Associate Professor of Education and Economics at Boston University

Interested in recent changes in public school enrollment patterns but don't have time to read?

Here's the podcast version, via @educationnext.bsky.social:

Apple podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/26fO...

SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/education-ex...

A huge thanks to everyone at MA DESE and @wheelockpolicybu.bsky.social for their support in making this research possible!

Excited to share my joint work with @joshua-goodman.com on K-12 enrollment patterns in Massachusetts. Five years after the pandemic began, we're seeing persistent enrollment losses in public schools, especially in the middle school years-trends that mirror what's happening nationally. Check it out!

Hi @chloeneast.bsky.social , we have been working on this topic in Massachusetts and would love to connect with you!

Last week, I presented on MA K-12 public school enrollment trends at the 'Thriving in the Middle School Years' forum hosted by @buwheelock.bsky.social. Very thankful for thoughtful conversations with teachers, parents, and community members!

@joshua-goodman.com @wheelockpolicybu.bsky.social

@mingyanma.bsky.social Thank you!!

Thank you so much! Such a great event! #AEFP

Amazing @josefinasenese.bsky.social !

#AEFP2025 has been quite a success. We're really proud of and excited by the work and thoughtful engagement in policy-relevant, rigorous research on display by all of our @buwheelock.bsky.social faculty, students, WEPC alumni, staff and partners. Thanks for a wonderful few days!

Excellent work! @mingyanma.bsky.social

Evidence-Based Education Policy Research | Live Handbook Explore evidence-based education policy research at our digital hub. Access data-driven insights to improve learning outcomes and shape effective policies.

Objective, comprehensive, rigorous, timely, and useful:
A digital hub for evidence-based education policy research.

#EdResearch #EdPolicy

livehandbook.org

@buwheelock.bsky.social at AEFP is off to a great start with a special pre-conference dinner with faculty, students and alumni.

AERA and COPAFS Statement on the New Administration’s Sudden Termination of National Center for Education Statistics Contracts AERA and COPAFS Statement on the New Administration’s Sudden Termination of National Center for Education Statistics Contracts

AERA and COPAFS have issued a statement on the sudden termination of 169 contracts within IES, including those that NCES holds for the collection and reporting of education statistics. Read the full statement: www.aera.net/Newsroom/AER...

In an interview with Inside Higher Ed, SHEEO analyst Kelsey Kunkle cautions that anticipated 'volatility' in state funding could pose challenges for higher education affordability, as state support has been a critical factor in controlling tuition costs. #HigherEd

Opinion | Taxing college endowments hurts students in need Raising the levy on endowments would result in less financial aid available for students.

In a new OpEd in the Washington Post, Carleton College President Alison Byerly argues that the endiwment tax hurts students with financial need. She’s right. The schools that pay the tax also have generous aid programs. Their endowments pay for those programs. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...