Validation Engine for Observational Protocols

A summer reading list exploring one of today's most important questions: how we can ensure artificial intelligence advances in ways that strengthen human flourishing, economic opportunity, and education. Rather than predicting the future, this edition highlights books, research, and newsletters that offer thoughtful frameworks for understanding AI's impact on work, learning, and society—and the human choices that will shape what comes next.

In this article, Allan Golston reflects on a visit to Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis, where he saw firsthand how institutional transformation can help more students stay on track to graduation and economic opportunity. Through stronger advising, data-informed decision-making, and a student-centered culture, Harris-Stowe has significantly improved student outcomes, offering an example of how colleges and universities can move beyond access alone to help more learners complete credentials that lead to real value in the workforce.

As the field moves toward stronger accountability and outcomes-based metrics, there is growing recognition that measuring postsecondary value is more complicated than it sounds. This newsletter explores the methodological choices, data limitations, and policy questions shaping the future of the college value conversation.