Future of Work national task force - The Council of State Governments
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Future of Work n a t i o n a l t a s k fo r c e
Table of Contents
Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02
A Note from CSG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03
Future of Work National Task Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04
Report Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 06
CSG Future of Work National Task Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08
Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09
Special Section: Education in the COVID-19 Era . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Section l: The Workforce of Tomorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Fostering Lifelong Learning Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Measuring Lifelong Career Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Section ll: Smart Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Effective and Efficient Engagement to Enhance Government Services . . . . . . . . . . 39
Investing in the Workforce of the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Streamlining Through Partnerships and Data-Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Section III: What’s Next? Embracing the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Ensuring Access to Essential Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Strengthening Financial Security for Workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Section IV: Equity and Inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Strengthening Access to Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Utilizing Regulation to Ensure Equitable Opportunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
INTRODUC TION 01
Forward
As co-chairs of The Council of State Governments’ Future of Work National
Task Force, we are pleased to release this framework. It can be seen as the
culmination of two years of intense discussion and research by leaders from
the states and territories related to state level policies and practices that
help propel technological innovation while advancing the needs of the
workforce.
CSG is uniquely poised to highlight the leadership being exemplified in the
states as it relates to the various focus areas of the Future of Work National
Task Force: Workforce of Tomorrow; Smart Government; What’s Next?
Embracing the Future; and Equity & Inclusion.
The task force members were divided into four subcommittees that also
included knowledgeable stakeholders from the private sector and/or
academia who shared their expertise. We wish to commend the members
and leadership of the National Task Force for their dedication to the work
and for all that they have accomplished. Through this endeavor, you have
identified policy options and practices to help advance the work not only in
your state, but in others across the nation.
In this work, we highlight a number of suggested strategies as well as state
examples that can guide government officials on each of the policy areas
the task force explored. It is our goal to improve the ways the public sector
serves and engages with its communities. We encourage you to read and
consider the full report as you seek bipartisan solutions in your state.
Sincerely,
SEN. CAROLYN MCGINN SEN. NANCY TODD
Kansas Colorado
02 CSG FUTUR E OF WOR K NATIONAL TASK FORCE
A Note from CSG
The Council of State Governments (CSG) created the CSG Future of Work
National Task Force in January 2019, with the purpose of bringing state
leaders from across the country together to examine state best practices
related to the workforce. The task force focused on four categories:
Workforce of Tomorrow; Smart Government; What’s Next: Embracing the
Future; and Equity and Inclusion. Back then, no one could have predicted
the sudden, dramatic impact on the workforce brought about by the
pandemic and the timeliness of this bipartisan initiative and the identified
topics.
While the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 health crisis has created
numerous unexpected new challenges, state leaders have been resilient,
innovative and have renewed their commitment to learn from one another.
As state leaders continue to work to identify and implement policies and
practices that will improve workforce outcomes across their communities,
despite the impacts being felt due to the pandemic, the work of the task
force has also continued.
The task force is made up of fifty members representing 35 states and both
the legislative and executive branches of government, as well as beneficial
partners from the private sector. Each member has brought their unique
expertise and experience in addition to the demonstrated commitment to
the work through the investment of their time. Led by Sen. Carolyn McGinn
from Kansas and Sen. Nancy Todd from Colorado, the CSG Future of Work
National Task Force met in-person, over video and via email to discuss a
variety of topics including access to essential technologies, lifelong learning
and career readiness, financial security for workers, strategies for increasing
equity, and innovative solutions for states as employers and service
providers.
In the following report, you will find a framework of recommendations
that came as result of those discussions. The framework, given much
consideration and analysis by both task force members and CSG staff,
serves as a guide for all state leaders in understanding strategies with
proven success and promising results that can be customized and to serve
communities across the nation. We also encourage continued contributions
to this document. Comments, questions, stories, recommendations and
feedback can be sent directly to futureofwork@csg.org.
The mission of CSG is to champion excellence in state government. Efforts
like those of this task force, where a diverse groups of state officials from
across the country gather to discuss and build consensus around bipartisan
solutions to the most pressing issues of our time, both make me proud to
serve our states and give me great hope for the future of our democracy and
the ability of our states to overcome current and future challenges.
As always, CSG stands ready to serve the states.
DAVID ADKINS | Executive Director/CEO
INTRODUC TION 03
Future of Work National Task Force
Future of Work National Task Force | National Co-Chairs
SEN. NANCY TODD | CO SEN. CAROLYN MCGINN | KS
Workforce of Tomorrow What’s Next? Embracing the Future
CO - CHAIR , A SSEM B LYM AN WALT ER M OSELE Y | NY CO - CHAIR, DEPUT Y COMMISSIONER AMY CARTER | GA
CO - CHAIR , SEN. LISA K EIM | M E CO - CHAIR , R EP. AN D R E W MCLE AN | M E
R EP. J OAN BALLW EG | W I SEN. J UAN BAR N E T T | MS
SEN. H E AT H ER C AR T ER | A Z SEN. M IA COS T ELLO | AK
SEN. DAV ID G I V ENS | K Y SEN. B ILL HANSELL | O R
R EP. PAT SY HA ZLE WO O D | T N A SSEM B LYM AN GO R D O N J O H NSO N | N J
R EP. RYAN M ACK ENZIE | PA R EP. CO R E Y M O CK | N D
SEN. M AR K M E SSM ER | IN R EP. TOM PH ILLIPS | K S
R EP. VAN DANA SL AT T ER | WA R EP. LEE QUAL M | SD
SEC . J O H N T ILLE Y | K Y A SSEM B LY WOM AN ELLEN SPIEG EL | N V
R EP. K I T T Y TO LL | V T
R EP. M ARG IE W ILCOX | AL
Smart Government Equity & Inclusion
CO - CHAIR , SEN. M ARC PACH ECO | M A CO - CHAIR , R EP. AN D R E T HAPED I | IL
CO - CHAIR , R EP. H O LLI SULLI VAN | IN CO - CHAIR , R EP. D E AN N VAUG H T | AR
R EP. M ARV IN AB N E Y | R I A SSEM B LYM AN M I CHAEL B EN ED E T TO | NY
SEN. S T UAR T ADA MS | U T R EP. D O N NA BULLO CK | PA
R EP. B ECK Y B E AR D | MT R EP. J EFF CUR R E Y | C T
D ELEGAT E M AR K CHAN G | M D SEN. J IM MY H I G D O N | K Y
SEN. M AT T HANSEN | N E R EP. JAV IER M AR T IN E Z | N M
C AB IN E T SECR E TARY M ARCIA HULTM AN | SD SEN. B ECK Y M A SSE Y | T N
SEN. SA M HUN T | WA M R . M IK E M OW ER | U T
R EP. S T EPH EN R OSS | N C R EP. J O H N PAT T ER SO N | O H
SEN. A MY SIN CL AIR | IA R EP. M ELISSA SARG EN T | W I
SEN. W E SLE Y B ISH O P | L A SEN. M I CHAEL VO N FL AT ER N | W Y
04 CSG FUTUR E OF WOR K NATIONAL TASK FORCE
Report Authors
VAN E SSA G R OSSL SE AN SLO N E
SIER R A HAT FIELD B R AN DY W H ISM AN
Lead Partners
Report Authors
Partners
VANESSA GROSSL
SIERR A HATFIELD
SE AN SLONE
BR ANDY WHISMAN
INTRODUC TION 05
Introduction
The Council of State Governments Future of task force — are working to anticipate what the
Work National Task Force set out in June 2019 coming years might hold for the future of the
to analyze workforce issues and determine how country’s workforce.
to grow state economies. Important topics like
As the 50 state leaders comprising the CSG
education, state governance and the delivery of
Future of Work Task Force continued to work
state services, emerging technology, the evolving
through the pandemic, the following themes
economy and equal opportunity and diversity
were established as important areas of
were outlined, and four subcommittees were
discussion:
established:
The future of work will rely on education. States
The Workforce of Tomorrow
are currently dealing with the impacts of closed
Smart Government schools and the challenges presented by moving
to online learning in the wake of rising cases of
What’s Next? Embracing the Future
COVID-19, but policy conversations will return
Equity and Inclusion to how education serves the future of work.
Each of these identified subcommittee areas had Supporting the workforce as lifelong learners
a bipartisan and diverse composition of state means reshaping education to be more of a
leaders within both the legislative and executive continuum connected to the world of work.
branches who provided both personal and The students need opportunities to be inspired
professional insights. and motivated from an early age while learning
skills important to the future workforce, such
However, when a global health crisis swept across as teamwork and problem solving. Workers will
the world in 2020, the focus and priorities of this need opportunities to reskill or enhance their
national task force were quickly realigned to skills throughout their careers with tools that
meet the needs of quickly changing landscapes translate their education experiences to those
in state education, workforce and technology. jobs of the future.
While the long-term impacts of this pandemic
and its resulting changes are still unknown, The future of work will be connected. State
state leaders — including those on this national leaders are recognizing the value of putting
06 CSG FUTUR E OF WOR K NATIONAL TASK FORCE
people first in an economy that will become
more tech-centered and internet-based. Virtual
court sessions and livestreamed government
meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic have
shown how smart governments are able to
maintain continuity and enhance government
services.
The future of work will be highly automated. It is
almost a certainty that the future workforce will
include high levels of automation, but there are
still opportunities for stakeholders to shape how
automation gets introduced to the workplace.
The future of work will be inclusive. States
currently face barriers to equal employment
opportunity, income inequalities and unmet
social needs. Whether by offering inclusivity
training or acting as model employers
themselves, state governments will be at the
forefront of creating an inclusive economy.
The members of the CSG Future of Work National
Task Force hope the following recommendations
will help to provide a road map to states as
each searches for opportunities in a future
that is currently uncertain and full of potential
difficulties, challenges, opportunities and
innovations.
INTRODUC TION 07CSG Future of Work
National Task Force
08 CSG FUTUR E OF WOR K NATIONAL TASK FORCEExecutive Summary
The Council of State Governments (CSG) Future While the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the world’s
of Work National Task Force was convened to lens toward health care and many unanticipated
analyze workforce issues and figure out how to impacts of a global health crisis, these
grow economies and succeed globally. Important subcommittees also considered many issues
topics like education, state governance and that could impact the future of the country’s
the delivery of state services, emerging workforce as it recovers from COVID-19 and looks
technology, the evolving economy and equal to the future of rebuilding and growing. In this
opportunity and diversity were outlined, and four effort, the subcommittees added an additional
subcommittees were established to take a deep focus to their deep dive into workforce issues
dive into these pivotal subjects. and analyzed the impacts on education in the
COVID-19 era.
The Workforce of Tomorrow Subcommittee
examined how states can re-evaluate the links The CSG Future of Work National Task Force and
between education and careers to meet the its four subcommittees convened for the first
demands of the future workforce. The Smart time in June 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. The
Government Subcommittee explored new task force met for a second time in December
perspectives on state governance and the 2019 at the CSG National Conference in San Juan,
delivery of state services that enhance the Puerto Rico. As a result of COVID-19 and out of
performance of state systems. The What’s an abundance of caution, the task force did not
Next? Embracing the Future Subcommittee convene in person in 2020 but held multiple
looked at how governments, the private sector, virtual conversations. The subcommittees met
communities and individuals can prepare via Zoom in June 2020 and again in October to
for a future where everyone can live, work approve a slate of 37 recommendations for states
and grow in one’s community, benefit from as they navigate recovery to their economies and
emerging technology and be successful in an workforces in the wake of COVID-19 and look to
evolving economy. The Equity and Inclusion the future of a successful and robust workforce.
Subcommittee explored how states can promote
In addition to the recommendations of the
and encourage equal opportunity and diversity
four subcommittees, this report also includes
in the new economy.
the special section on education in the era of
COVID-19, recommendations and suggested
strategies.
Special Section: Education in the
COVID-19 Era
The CSG Future of Work National Task Force recommends the following strategies to states:
• S tates may reflect and consider how ready they were to quickly ramp up online learning and
remote learning activities when schools were forced to close as a result of the coronavirus
pandemic as well as the challenges that the state faced in moving to virtual classrooms.
• S tates may consider the impact of moving away from the traditional approach to
education and toward more individualized learning, as well as granting increased
decision-making authority to local districts for tailoring curricula and parental
engagement in education as demonstrated during the pandemic.
• S tates may study how the pandemic impacted all levels of education and
employment, identify lessons learned and develop policies to strengthen
pathways to lifelong learning during economic recovery.
INTRODUC TION 09Workforce of Tomorrow Subcommittee
The subcommittee recommended that states consider:
• F ostering lifelong learning opportunities by • S upporting programs that provide
supporting non-traditional partnerships. continuing education and credentialing
to non-traditional students.
• S eeking to redefine measurements of
success for lifelong career readiness. • S eeking changes to standardized
testing programs and accountability
• S upporting efforts to reshape K-12
systems to better serve all students and
education to better serve students,
measure readiness in the context of
lifelong learning and the future of work.
environment, barriers and challenges
• S upporting the continuation and expansion overcome and growth made over time.
of internship and apprenticeship programs
• S eeking to define new benchmarks
that connect students to employers
of success for their assessment and
and valuable career experience.
accountability systems and seeking to
• E ncouraging the transition of identify and mitigate inequities and
higher education institutions to gaps that may marginalize students.
lifelong learning institutions.
Smart Government Subcommittee
The subcommittee recommended that states consider:
• P
rioritizing the transparency and accessibility • Improving cybersecurity by looking not only
of government services and activities. at the people handling sensitive information,
but also the devices storing that information.
• B
eing proactive in finding solutions
to accessibility and workforce • P
romoting cultures of digital
issues during periods of crisis. transformation to encourage the practice
of data-driven decision making.
• E nhancing their online presence to improve
accessibility to information and services. • C
reating data hubs that can share
data across multiple entities/platforms
• U
sing creative techniques to persuade
to stop the issue of data silos.
workers to choose careers in the public
information technology (IT) sector.
• M
aking essential services and connections,
such as broadband, available to all.
• I dentifying best practices from
successful smart city solutions and
expanding them into state projects.
10 CSG FUTUR E OF WOR K NATIONAL TASK FORCEWhat’s Next? Embracing the Future Subcommittee
The subcommittee recommended that states consider:
• E nsuring access to broadband in unserved • S treamlining and updating unemployment
and under-resourced areas using creative insurance application systems and processes
approaches to funding and partnerships. in order to serve residents in an expedient
manner while minimizing cybersecurity risk.
• P
rioritizing access to wireless cellular
connectivity for all residents. • E xamining unemployment insurance for gig
economy and other nontraditional workers
• E ncouraging or mandating multi-
and evaluating worker classification issues.
stakeholder approaches to examining
automation decisions, adoption • E xamining portable benefits structures and
rates and workforce impacts. the feasibility and necessity for their workers.
• S etting legislative parameters about • E ncouraging, educating and aiding
how they identify and manage their residents in the importance
privacy in order to enable innovation of saving for retirement.
while minimizing consumer risk.
• Improving the collection, measurement
• C
reating permanent or temporary and sharing of information on career data.
organizations and/or staff dedicated
to workforce policy issues and
best practices for the future.
Equity & Inclusion Subcommittee
The subcommittee recommended that states consider
• O
ffering training for employers to learn how • I dentifying ways to provide sick/family leave
to build a stronger, more inclusive workforce. to workers who are not covered.
• L eading by example by • Addressing license
becoming model employers eligibility requirements that are
for underrepresented populations. barriers to licensing and credentialing
for previously incarcerated populations.
• A
ddressing barriers to equal
employment opportunity by allocating • S upporting colleges and universities that
resources to underserved populations. serve traditionally underserved communities
through prudent appropriations.
• A
ddressing income inequalities and
unmet social needs for the workforce. • P
roviding funding opportunities
through grants and loans to
• P
artnering with private and nonprofit sector
underserved populations to
companies to train incarcerated populations
help small business owners and
for career placement upon release.
entrepreneurs grow their business.
• E valuating their purchasing regulations
to ensure that underserved populations
have equitable opportunity.
INTRODUC TION 11SPECIAL SECTION
Education in the
COVID-19 Era
12 CSG FUTUR
HE ALTHY
E OF
STATES
WOR KNATIONAL
NATIONALTASK
TASKFORCE
FORCEE ducation, whether traditional or a life-
long learning journey, has an undeniable
impact on the workforce and the future of
making authority for local districts
in tailoring curricula and the
how Americans prepare for and succeed in
impact of parental engagement
their fields. Education will drive the future of
in education as demonstrated
work, particularly in an economy where many
during the pandemic
Americans will be asked to become flexible,
resilient, self-motivated learners and innovators • S tudy how the pandemic
as a result of an increasingly dynamic and impacted all levels of education
complex world of work. While the nature of and and employment, identifying
approach to learning is always evolving, the lessons learned and developing
global novel coronavirus pandemic forced rapid policies to strengthen
change that impacted young people, parents pathways to lifelong learning
and educators and impacted the future of during economic recovery.
education.
As COVID-19 forced schools to close their doors Education systems were greatly impacted by the
and prompted online learning, hurried pivots global health pandemic and the rapid transition
into web-based classrooms prompted untested to virtual learning. Below are some of the issues
experiments with technology and staffing and facing the education system in the wake of
exposed many structural and systematic issues. COVID-19.
Many parents took on new roles as teachers in
their children’s lives, and educators and students K-12 EDUCATION
had to adapt and change as they mastered a new
way of learning. Instruction: The vast majority of educators say
schools covered fewer instructional materials
or no new instructional territory during the
initial wave of online learning in Spring 2020,
SUGGESTED STRATEGIES: according to a national survey of 788 teachers
and administrators.1
As states grapple with increased
online learning and fewer students Attendance: Nearly a quarter of New York City
of all ages in classrooms, they may students who were required to attend online
examine the following strategies to summer-school classes failed to sign on for their
assist with transition and undefined classes, which could be a bad sign for future
timelines: semesters when all public school students in
the city were expected to do at least some
• C
onsider how ready their state
schoolwork remotely.2
was to quickly ramp up online
and remote learning activities Learning Loss: A McKinsey & Company report
when schools were forced to close from June 2020 estimated that if schools do not
during the COVID-19 pandemic as return to in-person instruction until January
well as the challenges they faced. 2021, students could lose anywhere from three to
11 months of learning, depending on the quality
• C
onsider the impact of moving and availability of remote learning opportunities.
away from the traditional This loss of learning is expected to be greatest
approach to education and toward among low-income, Black and Hispanic students,
more individualized learning, the the report stated. Additionally, an increase
impact of increased decision- in predicted dropout rates is also concerning
since the pandemic has disrupted many of the
SPECIAL SEC TION : EDUC ATION IN THE COVID -19 ER A 13SPECIAL SECTION: EDUCATION IN THE COVID-19 ERA
supports that can help vulnerable kids stay in organizations on the initiative include the Bill
school. Exacerbating the situation could be and Crissy Haslam Foundation, the Boys & Girls
the social and emotional disruption caused Clubs and other youth-serving organizations in
by increasing social isolation and anxiety. This the state.6
McKinsey & Company report also suggests
Education Funding: As the pandemic continues
that with lower levels of learning and more
to decimate state revenues,7 K-12 education
dropouts, the generation of students impacted
is at risk of facing some of the largest budget
by COVID-19 could be less skilled and therefore
constraints in recent history. At mid-year, many
less productive than other generations that
states had already announced an average cut of
did not experience a similar gap in learning.3 A
15% to their overall budgets with a second round
September 2020 report from the Organisation
of deeper cuts expected in the fall. Education is
for Economic Cooperation and Development
the top expenditure in most states.8
(OECD), which cites previous research on the
economic benefits of education, found that Economic Impact: Barron’s, the Dow Jones &
students in grades 1-12 affected by school Company magazine, estimated in August 2020
closures might expect some 3% lower income that keeping schools closed in Fall 2020 could
over their lifetimes. The report indicated that cost the U.S. economy at least $700 billion in lost
those economic losses could grow if schools revenue and productivity, a result of no school
are unable to restart quickly. Lower-income cafeterias, no garbage pickups at schools and
students, who face additional challenges in other ancillary impacts.9
accessing remote learning, are likely to face ew Costs for Schools: Schools faced additional
N
disproportionate losses, the OECD researchers expenses and burdens as classes resumed in the
found. Moreover, for many countries, simply fall, whether in-person, online or both. Schools
restarting in-person education won’t be enough that opened for in-person learning had to
to eliminate gaps. Specific programs will be spend more on personal protective equipment,
needed to help children make up for lost time.4 transparent dividers and other equipment
cademic Preparedness for College: ACT, the
A to allow social distancing in the classroom
college admissions test organization, conducted and elsewhere. They also had to prepare for a
surveys with thousands of American high school possible return to online learning by investing
students in March and June 2020 concerning in items such as Wi-Fi hotspots, laptops, online
learning during the school closures resulting tools and platforms and other resources. At
from COVID-19. On a webinar hosted by The the same time, educators were being asked to
Council of State Governments in Summer 2020, provide more educational and social services
ACT’s Michelle Croft said this June survey showed and to find ways to catch students up after the
that 84% of respondents were at least somewhat extended summer break.10
concerned the closures would negatively impact Alternatives to School: Driven by remote
their academic preparedness for college.5 learning frustrations and safety concerns, groups
reventing the COVID-19 Slide: “The COVID-19
P of parents banded together to create learning
slide” refers to learning loss suffered by students pods for their kids when schools resumed in
due to remote learning. The Tennessee Tutoring Fall 2020. School officials and teacher unions
Corps was created during the pandemic to help expressed concerns that this trend could worsen
try to stave off an expected COVID-19 slide the achievement gap, threaten public school
among young people. As part of the program, funding and fail to offer guarantees for civil
qualified college students provided summer rights protections and accountability.
learning opportunities in math and reading
for Tennessee children preparing to enter
kindergarten through 6th grade. Partnering
14 CSG FUTUR E OF WOR K NATIONAL TASK FORCEParental Engagement: According to the U.S.
Census Bureau, parents of the average school-
age child spent 13 hours per week teaching their
children in Spring 2020. While some families were
able to accommodate that level of commitment,
others were not. Meanwhile, educators and
school officials had to figure out how to meet the
challenges presented by two different groups
of students — those whose parents could play
the role of at-home teachers and those whose
parents could not.11
hildren with Special Needs: Students
C
requiring additional accommodations faced a
variety of challenges as schools shut down in the
spring and classes moved online. While some
schools made an effort to continue the services
and therapies that help students with disabilities
access their education, others did little or
nothing to continue them. A survey in May
found that just one in five families of children in
special education said they were receiving all the
support services their kids were entitled to, and
four in 10 said their kids were getting no support
at all. Receiving therapy remotely presented
additional challenges, including significant
commitments of time and effort from parents.12
Some school districts in Arizona,13 Oregon14 and
Alaska15 prioritized in-person instruction for
special education students in the fall even as
many schools planned for online-only classes.
Did You Know?
According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, parents of the
average school-age child
spent 13 hours per week
teaching their children in
Spring 2020.
SPECIAL SEC TION : EDUC ATION IN THE COVID -19 ER A 15SPECIAL SECTION: EDUCATION IN THE COVID-19 ERA
Learning Outside: Faced with the challenge of lesson plans and homework assignments for
social distancing in crowded school buildings, students without access to Wi-Fi or devices and
some are pondering the particulars of teaching postage to make sure everybody had what they
class outside. The National COVID-19 Outdoor needed.18
Learning Initiative is a coalition of educators,
Hybrid Models: On a CSG webinar in July
architects, school administrators, landscape
2020, Marni Baker Stein, provost and chief
designers, curriculum experts and other
academic officer for the online university
stakeholders who are developing guidelines and
Western Governors University, expressed
resources for outdoor learning.
her concern about online/in-person hybrid
education models. WGU consulted with other
ONLINE LEARNING
higher education institutions and with a
ffectiveness of Remote Instruction: In a July
E number of large K-12 school districts during
Education Week survey of school district leaders, the pandemic. Stein said there has been a rush
principals and teachers, just 8% of educators said to get instruction up and running without an
remote instruction provided by their district or understanding of the resources needed to make
school was “very effective.” Another 46% said it hybrid models work.19
was “somewhat effective.” Twenty-six percent
Digital Divide: Distance learning, or remote
said it was “somewhat ineffective” and one fifth
learning via the internet, became the fallback
said it was “very ineffective.”16
option after schools were forced to close. But
rofessional Development of Teachers: In the
P the experience was frustrating for many. One of
same survey, educators said they had received the reasons is America’s unequal internet access.
at least some professional development in Fourteen million African Americans and 17
areas critical to making remote instruction million Hispanics don’t have access to computers
work, including posting digital materials and in their homes. Thirty-five percent of Black
organizing group learning with video conference households and 29% of Hispanic households
tools. But only 17% said they had received don’t have broadband.20 It’s estimated that 15
help with pacing lessons in a digital learning million students and 400,000 teachers lack a
environment and less than half said they had reliable home internet connection.21 Students in
received instruction on how to maintain social- California, many from low income families, need
emotional learning and connect with students more than a million computers and hot spots,
virtually.17 state officials told the Los Angeles Times.22
avings from Remote Learning: There was an
S
Urban-Rural Divide: More than 26% of rural
assumption among policymakers in some areas
residents lack access to fixed broadband,
that all-remote learning might save millions of
according to a 2017 FCC report. The number
dollars this fall. The degree to which that was the
of Americans without access to broadband
case depended on a number of factors, notably
service at the FCC’s benchmark level of at
district leadership, financial stability, readiness
least 25 megabits per second for downloads is
for remote learning and expected state budget
estimated to be 19 million, the vast majority of
cuts, Education Week reported. While some
whom live in rural areas. For urban and suburban
districts saved money by laying off bus drivers
dwellers, while broadband is available, it can be
and other personnel, many also dealt with new
unaffordable for many, with monthly fees that
costs for professional development, hiring online
can range from $50 to $100.23 According to a
learning consultants and paying overtime to
report from the Center for Reinventing Public
in-house experts on how to discipline students
Education, students in rural communities were
online, write effective lesson plans and use
far more likely to have access to fully in-person
new technology. Other costs included those for
instruction in the fall of 2020 than suburban
gadgets and software, printing and paper for
16 CSG FUTUR E OF WOR K NATIONAL TASK FORCEThe Digital Divide
Distance learning, or remote learning via the internet, became the fallback option
after schools were forced to close. But the experience was frustrating for many.
One of the reasons for this frustration was America’s unequal access to internet.
14 million
AFRICAN AMERICANS
35% OF BLACK
HOUSEHOLDS
and
29%
and
17 million OF HISPANIC
HOUSEHOLDS
HISPANICS
do not have access do not have broadband
to computers in
their homes.
15,000,000
& 400,000
STUDENTS
TEACHERS
lack a reliable home internet connection
SPECIAL SEC TION : EDUC ATION IN THE COVID -19 ER A 17SPECIAL SECTION: EDUCATION IN THE COVID-19 ERA
and urban students. Sixty-five percent of rural $115 million in federal grant and CARES
districts planned to start school fully in-person Act money on K-12 digital inclusion efforts
compared to 24% of suburban districts and 9% of focused on devices and broadband service.
urban districts. Nearly four in five urban districts • W
est Virginia announced a $6 million
planned to start fully remote.24 investment in broadband expansion,
echnology Supply Chain: Pittsburgh Public
T setting up approximately 1,000 hotspot
Schools blamed nationwide technology supply- locations in 55 counties at 688 K-12
chain shortages for a decision to postpone the schools, 255 libraries, 32 higher education
start of their school year to Sept. 8, 2020. The institutions and 31 state parks.
shortages have prevented the school district • W
yoming Gov. Mark Gordon and state
from providing laptops to all of its in-need legislators developed a broadband
students to allow them to participate in online expansion initiative that allocated $86
learning. The school board mandated in late million in CARES Act funding.28
July that students would spend at least the first
nine weeks of the school year taking classes
virtually. The district was expecting 7,000 laptops Local Initiatives: Local governments also
to arrive in early September, although some stepped in to assist students and teachers.
were not expected to be delivered until late • T he city of Chicago pledged to pay
October. District officials said school staff would up to four years of internet service
use the extra time to refine lesson plans, review at home for as many as 100,000 K-12
individualized plans for special needs students, students, using a combination of
contact families and participate in professional public and philanthropic funds.29
development.25 The Associated Press reported
that the world’s three biggest computer • T he city of Seattle created the Digital
companies, Lenovo, HP and Dell, told school Bridge pilot program to connect low-
districts they had a shortage of nearly 5 million income residents with low-cost refurbished
laptops. In some cases, the shortages were said laptops. King County approved $86.2
to be exacerbated by Trump administration million in emergency funding, which
sanctions on Chinese suppliers.26 included funding to support digital equity.
School buses in Seattle have also been
ederal Aid: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and
F repurposed as moveable Wi-Fi hotspots.
Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by
Congress in March included $30.75 billion for • C
hattanooga, Tennessee ,and surrounding
an education stabilization fund to help schools Hamilton County made a 10-year
meet their technological needs.27 commitment to offer free high-speed
internet to the 28,500 children who receive
tate Digital Divide Initiatives: State
S free or reduced-price school lunches —
governments have launched various initiatives about 60% of the county school system’s
during the COVID-19 pandemic to try to address students. A partnership among public
the digital divide: and private organizations, including the
• A
labama committed $100 million in municipally owned internet provider
CARES Act funding to purchase internet EPB, made the initiative possible.
service for low-income households • P
hiladelphia similarly partnered with
with eligible K-12 students. Comcast to connect 35,000 families to
• C
onnecticut launched a $43.5 million no-cost internet for the next two years.
investment in remote learning solutions. • S an Antonio, Texas, announced plans
• New Jersey Gov. Phillip Murphy committed to invest more than $27 million to
18 CSG FUTUR E OF WOR K NATIONAL TASK FORCEState governments have launched various initiatives during
the COVID-19 pandemic to try to address the digital divide.
New Jersey West Virginia Wyoming
Alabama Connecticut
announced a $6 Gov. Mark
launched a Gov. Phillip
committed $100 million investment
$43.5 million Murphy Gordon and
million in CARES in broadband
investment in committed state legislators
Act funding expansion, setting
remote learning $115 million in developed a
to purchase up approximately
solutions. federal grant broadband
internet service 1,000 hotspot
and CARES Act expansion initiative
for low-income locations in 55
money on K-12 that allocated $86
households with counties at 688
digital inclusion million in CARES
eligible K-12 K-12 schools, Act funding.
efforts focused
students. 255 libraries, 32
on devices and
higher education
broadband
institutions and 31
service.
state parks.
close a digital divide for its 38% of outage on the Zoom online meeting platform in
residents that lack home internet.30 August disrupted schools and businesses across
the country for hours.32 Problems with a web
Private Sector Initiatives
content filtering tool that prevented high school
• M
icrosoft and Land O’Lakes students in Texas from connecting to the internet
announced a partnership to increase on their school-provided devices prompted a
broadband access in rural areas.31 one-week delay in the start of the school year.
ther Tech Challenges: Even when computers
O Some parents in Indianapolis discovered that
and broadband were available in the home, while they had an internet connection at home,
technology sometimes got in the way of a it wasn’t strong enough to support two or three
seamless transition to remote learning. An children and the parents all working at once
during the pandemic.33
SPECIAL SEC TION : EDUC ATION IN THE COVID -19 ER A 19SPECIAL SECTION: EDUCATION IN THE COVID-19 ERA
HIGHER EDUCATION
nline or In-Person: Davidson College and The Chronicle of Higher
O
Education tracked the reopening plans of nearly 3,000 institutions for the
fall semester and found that 6% planned to be online only, 27% primarily
online, 15% a hybrid of online and in-person, 20% primarily in person, 2.5%
solely in-person, 6% planned to do something else entirely and 24% still
had not finalized their plans in late August.34 The California State University
system and the state’s community college system both announced they
would shut down campuses and go completely online for the fall. Others
like Boston University and nearby Northeastern University planned to allow
students to choose all-online or some classes in person. Stanford University
said they would allow half of its students on campus each quarter. The
Examples in University of Michigan planned to send students home and go online after
Thanksgiving.35
Action
In September 2020, Michigan Gov. Davidson College and The Chronicle of Higher Education tracked the
Gretchen Whitmer announced that 625,000 reopening plans of nearly 3,000 higher education institutions for the Fall
essential workers in the state who reported 2020 semester.
for work during the height of the pandemic
and who don’t have a degree are eligible for
2.5% solely in-person
free college under a program called Futures
for Frontliners. The program, inspired by the 6% online only
post-World War II G.I. Bill, is made possible 6% something else entirely
with $24 million in federal CARES Act funds
that went to the Governor’s Education Relief 27% 15% hybrid of online and
Fund. The program is open to not only primarily in-person
those in medical fields but also those who online
worked in manufacturing, nursing homes,
grocery stores, sanitation, delivery, retail
and other sectors. Applicants are required 24% plans
to be Michigan residents, have worked in an not finalized 20% primarily
essential industry and worked outside the by the end of in person
home for 11 of the 13 weeks between April August 2020
1 and June 30, 2020, have not previously
earned an associate or bachelor’s degree
and who are not in default on a federal
student loan.40
Business Model: The core business model of college education began to
shift as classes had to quickly move online. For most universities, online
classes are being credited and billed in the same way as face-to-face
delivery. In a March op-ed for The New York Times, college education
innovation experts Richard Arum and Mitchell L. Stevens found that quickly
moving classes to the internet prevented investment in “the pedagogical
expertise that might have rendered online learning options complementary
in practice and commensurate in quality to face-to-face instruction.”36
20 CSG FUTUR E OF WOR K NATIONAL TASK FORCEDistance Education Fees: Some students at
the University of North Texas in Denton found
their fees increasing this fall as they were asked
to pay “distance education fees” to support
the management, delivery and technology for
distance education courses. While not a new fee,
the distance education fee is being applied more
widely as the pandemic has necessitated more
students going remote, university officials said.37
College Admissions: Admissions officials
were left scrambling this year trying to figure
out what student metrics they might consider
since the pandemic left many applicants
without standardized test scores or complete
GPAs. Extracurricular activities couldn’t be
counted on to differentiate candidates either.
Some institutions allowed students to submit
Advanced Placement (AP) test scores and
writing samples to demonstrate what best
represented them in the academic space. Other
schools began to talk about how to identify
characteristics that might have value in the
academic setting, such as citizenship, social
justice and tenacity.38
The Future: An August Global Learner Survey
by the education publishing and assessment
company Pearson found that 81% of surveyed
learners in the U.S. believe that primary and
secondary education will fundamentally change
because of the pandemic. Eighty-three percent
believe that higher education will fundamentally
change, 74% said they expect more online
learning in K-12 over the next 10 years and 82%
said the same for higher education.39
SPECIAL SEC TION : EDUC ATION IN THE COVID -19 ER A 21SECTION I
The Workforce of
Tomorrow
22 CSG FUTUR
HE ALTHY
E OF
STATES
WOR KNATIONAL
NATIONALTASK
TASKFORCE
FORCEA s the millennial generation was coming
of age, many economic researchers
attempted to predict how many jobs and careers
and motivation to learn through innovative
classroom models. It extends from pre-K to
K-12, through higher education and beyond. It
members of this generation and the succeeding includes career and technical education (CTE)
generations might have over the course of their and hybrid academic/CTE models. Lifelong
lifetimes. The thinking was that rapidly changing learning considers the integration of instruction
technology, including advances in automation, and evaluation of soft skills and social-emotional
artificial intelligence and communications, in learning tools that will be in demand from
addition to factors like globalization, shifting the workforce of tomorrow. Apprenticeships,
demographics and evolving knowledge and internships and other work-study arrangements
sharing economies would mean that the workers are an essential part of the continuum as well.
of the future would likely need to upgrade their At the collegiate level, it will be necessary to
skills many times during their careers as their transition higher education institutions into
existing skills became outmoded. lifelong learning institutions in order to serve
non-traditional students who may need to
While many of those factors are still likely
return to the classroom many years after the
to influence and shape the future world of
traditional college years in order to upgrade
work, the COVID-19 global pandemic of 2020,
their skills. Community colleges have an
which has devastated the American economy,
essential role to play as well. These institutions
eliminated millions of jobs that may never return,
are positioned to serve as a vital link between
created numerous challenges for workplace life
high school, four-year colleges/universities and
and left uncertainty about the future in its wake,
the world of work. Lifelong learning continues
will also have a significant impact on the future
into the employment years with education
of the workforce.
programs offered by employers, such as tuition
Still, economic volatility and insecurity could be assistance and reimbursement, reskilling and
America’s destiny for the next decade, and those upskilling. Additionally, education programs for
predictions about job-hopping millennials could incarcerated populations may help them as they
still come true. That likely will mean that the seek to re-enter society once they have served
workforce of tomorrow will continue to need skill their time.
upgrades throughout their careers and they will
There are a variety of non-traditional
need to be prepared to become self-motivated,
partnerships that states can get involved
lifelong learners.
with in order to help foster lifelong learning
The Workforce of Tomorrow Subcommittee opportunities. Those include:
recommended that states consider undertaking
An effort to push for an interoperable learning
policy activities that can pave the way to lifelong
record, a kind of digital wallet that follows a
learning and career readiness.
lifelong learner throughout their career, keeping
track of new competencies gained along the way.
01 RECOMMENDATION: States consider
fostering lifelong learning opportunities
by supporting non-traditional partnerships.
An initiative called Credential Engine, which is
working to simplify and provide guidance on
credential-issuing entities and making sure there
is a common language to describe all those
02 RECOMMENDATION: States consider
seeking to redefine measurements of
success for lifelong career readiness.
credentials.
Another initiative called Skillful, which is trying
to create a more skills-based labor market where
Fostering lifelong learning opportunities begins experience and competencies short of a degree
at an early age with establishing that desire can translate into actual jobs.
SEC TION I : WOR K FORCE OF TOMO R ROW 23SECTION I: THE WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW
Non-traditional partnerships Digital transcripts such as those developed by the Mastery Transcript
states can get involved with Consortium, an effort to create a new kind of high school transcript that
measures the skills and abilities of students based on criteria beyond GPAs
to foster lifelong learning and test scores.
opportunities: Redefining measurements of success for lifelong career readiness speaks
to capturing a fuller picture of who we are as individuals — our aptitudes,
Interoperable learning record: skills, competencies, interests and abilities. That redefinition is needed
A kind of digital wallet that follows a because, while assessment and accountability systems and standardized
lifelong learner throughout their career, testing have given us valuable data over the years, that data has not always
keeping track of new competencies been used to shape education policy in the way some say it should be or
gained along the way. to tell us how prepared our kids actually are for the workforce of tomorrow
and a lifetime of learning.
Credential Engine:
An initiative working to simplify and
provide guidance on credential-issuing
Fostering Lifelong Learning Opportunities
entities and making sure there is a
common language to describe each
credential. 03 RECOMMENDATION: States consider supporting efforts to reshape
K-12 education to better serve students, lifelong learning and the future
of work.
Skillful: We live in an era of innovation, when technological advances are celebrated
An initiative that is trying to create a and quickly assimilated into the fabric of our society. To feed that culture of
more skills-based labor market, where innovation, many believe it’s important that schools produce self-motivated
experience and competencies short of a young innovators from an early age by offering the kinds of programs
degree can translate into actual jobs. designed to get them there. Unfortunately, some education experts say the
U.S. education system is not designed for that culture of innovation. In fact,
Mastery Transcript Consortium: many believe the current education system does precisely the opposite.
An effort to create a new kind of high
Tony Wagner, best-selling author and senior research fellow at the Learning
school transcript that measures the
Policy Institute, told the Workforce of Tomorrow Subcommittee in June 2019
skills and abilities of students based on
that there are five critical contradictions between traditional schooling and
criteria beyond GPAs and test scores.
the capacity for creative problem solving that can lead to innovation:
• W
here school celebrates individual achievement,
innovation is a team sport.
• W
hile traditional schooling is about siloing content knowledge
and developing individual content expertise, innovation
demands a multi-disciplinary or inter-disciplinary approach.
• W
hile the classroom culture at the secondary and university
levels is a culture of passivity and compliance, the innovation era
demands taking initiative and questioning received wisdom.
• W
here failure in school is punished and discouraged,
innovation is a culture of iteration through trial and error.
• W
hile traditional education relies heavily on extrinsic incentives —
carrots and sticks, rewards and punishments, good grades and bad
grades — successful innovators are more often intrinsically motivated.
Schools aren’t teaching the skills that matter most, Wagner contends,
because they aren’t what standardized tests, the results of which many
24 CSG FUTUR
HE ALTHY
E OF
STATES
WOR KNATIONAL
NATIONALTASK
TASKFORCE
FORCEschool districts are beholden to in terms of
funding and curriculum design, are designed to • C
reate programs to seed
test for. and promote education
Advocates for standardized testing counter innovation broadly.
that it is not testing itself that is hindering • S upport efforts of schools
education innovation. It is that assessment and and school districts to move
accountability have not been used properly to toward personalized learning
shape policy. Mary LeFebvre, who now serves as models that incorporate
program director for state government relations outside-the-classroom learning
at ACT, the organization perhaps best known opportunities and demonstration
for one of the tests used for college admissions of achievement in competencies
in the United States, told the subcommittee aligned to student interests.
in December 2019 that ACT has been trying to
provide a more nuanced message to state and • M
onitor the progress of holistic
local policymakers in recent years about how approaches to education
to use standardized assessment to make better transformation such as the
policy decisions. She said as policymakers have one proposed by the Maryland
sought to understand complex measures over Commission on Innovation &
the years, targets have been oversimplified Excellence in Education. They can
and reduced to a single number, a single also look to international successes
benchmark.41 in education transformation.
• C
onsider whether this year’s
forced shift away from brick
SUGGESTED STRATEGIES: and mortar schools presents an
opportunity to reconsider some
When implementing or considering of the traditional features of
these recommendations, states schools (grades, schoolrooms,
may: designated hours of instruction).
• P
rovide support for quality
early childhood education
programs, which can be
EXAMPLES IN ACTION — EARLY
instrumental in getting children
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
engaged early and establishing
a course of lifelong learning. The National Institute for Early Education
Research produces an annual survey of state
• E xamine the ways in which
preschool policies around the country. The
education funding structures,
District of Columbia led the 2019 rankings
credit allocation, enrollment
across categories like access for 3 and
requirements and standardized
4-year-olds and state spending. Other state
testing support or impede
leaders in multiple categories include New
innovation in K-12 schools.
Jersey and Vermont. States meeting all 10
• W
ork to identify and recognize quality standards benchmarks in the report
innovative schools, school include Alabama, Michigan, Mississippi
networks, pedagogies, domains and Rhode Island. Six states do not have
of learning and practices that state-funded pre-K programs (Idaho, Indiana,
show success in preparing New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah and
students for the future of work. Wyoming).42
SEC TION I : WOR K FORCE OF TOMO R ROW 25SECTION I: THE WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW
As the coronavirus pandemic shut down schools While the program has allowed New Hampshire
in March, it also prompted the cancellation or and other states46 to experiment with innovative
postponement of a season of standardized forms of assessment, education analysts are
testing, including the ACT and SAT college quick to point out that one-size-fits-all solutions
admission exams, as well as unique assessments are hard to come by and state and local priorities
in many states that drive accountability and student populations need to be taken into
programs, guide education policy and determine account in devising new assessment regimes.47
which school districts receive additional funding.
Even as states have been experimenting with
Since standardized tests are required by federal new kinds of assessment, some colleges and
law, states were required to seek federal universities have been deemphasizing two of
permission to suspend or cancel tests. On March the oldest national college admissions testing
12, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education said standbys — the SAT and ACT — as requirements
due to the extraordinary circumstance presented for application and admission. Cancellation of
by the coronavirus, they would consider targeted SAT and ACT testing dates during the pandemic
waivers from federal testing requirements. Most seemed to accelerate those moves. In March
states, the District of Columbia, the Bureau of 2020, for example, regents at the University of
Indian Education and Puerto Rico sought and California were debating whether to drop SAT
were granted initial approval of testing waivers.43 and ACT test scores as an admission requirement,
Then on March 20, the department announced after receiving conflicting analysis in a couple
a broad waiver process allowing states to bypass of research papers.48 And then the pandemic
all testing requirements for the 2019-20 academic hit. Two months later, following a unanimous
year. vote of 51-0 by the Academic Senate supporting
the continued use of ACT/SAT, the university’s
But in recent years the department has also been
board of regents voted unanimously to approve
willing to make exceptions to federal law to
university President Janet Napolitano’s plan
allow states that want to seek a different path on
to phase out use of the SAT and ACT over five
assessment and accountability in order to make
years and replace them with a new test to be
way for education and testing reforms.
developed by university faculty."49
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the state of
New Hampshire began a process of transitioning
to an education system based on more
personalized, competency-based learning SUGGESTED STRATEGIES
with student-centered learning environments
and high school credits awarded based on When implementing or considering
demonstrations of mastery rather than seat these recommendations, states
time.44 In 2014, the state was the first to be may:
granted an innovative assessment waiver from • S tudy the impact of canceled
the U.S. Department of Education and in 2018 standardized testing during
became the second state to participate in the the coronavirus pandemic on
Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority students, accountability systems
pilot program under the Every Student Succeeds and college admissions.
Act. Freed from federal testing requirements,
the state created the Performance Assessment • C
onsider the value of
for Competency Education, an innovative standardized testing to measure
assessment system that determines student student learning, identify
proficiency based on a combination of locally inequities and drive the right
administered performance tasks, common supports for students in the
performance tasks, statewide assessments and wake of the pandemic.
the SAT.45
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