Welcome to Playground Post, a bi-weekly newsletter that keeps education innovators ahead of what’s next.

Here’s what we have on deck for today…

1. Schools seek better tools to measure learning

2. Universities unite to fix childhood education data

3. Career training powers community college comeback

Schools seek better tools to measure learning

New data reveals a critical gap in education assessment: 60% of educators say state tests don't measure what students actually need to know.

A survey of 1,135 teachers, principals, and district leaders shows a growing demand for alternatives to traditional standardized testing.

"Standardized tests are one size fits all," says Texas teacher Mollie Wright, who advocates for portfolio-based assessments that let students demonstrate skills in different ways.

Some students excel at traditional tests, while others might better show their knowledge through project work.

For education innovators: this signals an opportunity to develop assessment tools that capture critical thinking and assess skills that aren’t tested by traditional standardized testing.

Universities unite to fix childhood education data

The Big Ten Early Learning Alliance is tackling a problem that costs early childhood programs millions in funding: unreliable data.

Across 14 states serving 5.8 million young children, organizations are struggling to prove program effectiveness because they don’t have the data to back it up.

Led by researchers from Ohio State and Rutgers, the alliance aims to develop data systems that accurately track program impact.

"States are increasingly taking the lead in enacting policies that affect early childhood," says Laura Justice from Ohio State.

For organizations working with young children, this initiative could provide the tools needed to demonstrate program effectiveness and ultimately inform science and policy on early childhood education.

Career training powers community college comeback

Community colleges are seeing their strongest growth in years, with vocational programs leading the charge.

New data from the National Student Clearinghouse shows a 5.9% enrollment surge in 2024, driven by a 13.6% jump in career-focused programs.

The shift toward practical skills is clear:

• Vocational programs now make up 19.5% of public two-year enrollment, up from 15.3% in 2019.

• Certificate programs have soared 28.5% above pre-pandemic levels.

This signals a growing demand for career-focused tools and training programs. The data suggests students are increasingly choosing paths that connect directly to jobs.

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