This interview-based study examines how justice-oriented K-12 administrators and teachers in Iowa make sense of the recent state-level education policy, H.F. 802. Synthesizing literature on Critical Policy Analysis and epistemic justice, we introduce Critical Epistemic Policy Analysis to understand the micro-level impact of divisive education…

In 2021, New America released a report, "Harnessing Micro-Credentials for Teacher Growth: A National Review of Early Best Practices," exploring the benefits and challenges of leveraging micro-credentials for educators, including an informal scan of how states were integrating micro-credentials into educator policy. This publication…

This content analysis examined the evaluative components of elementary, high-stakes, state standardized writing sample rubrics. We explored the ten most populated states in the United States, and thus most influential states, to yield salient trends in writing evaluation for early grades. Using Spandel's analytical traits as our conceptual…

Background: Recess is an integral part of a comprehensive school physical activity program. Immediately prior to the pandemic, state legislation doubled the amount of required recess, creating an opportunity to better understand how policies and practices influence recess. Purpose: To describe changes to recess due to COVID-19 and extended recess…

Alternative pathways to licensure (APL) programs have proliferated nationally as a potential solution to the ongoing critical shortage of qualified special education professionals. Although these programs attract more diverse teacher candidates, they have been criticized for a lack of preparation and support provided to new professionals. This…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to elicit salient information from K-5 teachers regarding their perceptions of in-school play. Play is not goal-focused and can be structured or unstructured, includes high or low physical activity, or utilizes gross or fine motor skills, and children participate in play for enjoyment. Method: K-5 teachers (n…

In recent years, many states have adopted policies to ensure students are reading proficiently by third grade. This kind of policy transfer across states is not a unique phenomenon; researchers have documented analogous proliferations of similar policies both in and outside the field of education. However, there has been little attention paid to…

State laws that mandate in-grade retention for struggling readers are widespread in the U.S., covering 34% of public-school third graders in 2023-24. This study investigates the impacts of Michigan's third-grade reading law on subsequent test scores and school progress outcomes for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 third-grade cohorts. Using a regression…

State education leaders across the country are rightly prioritizing efforts to improve elementary student reading outcomes. However, too often these initiatives do not focus enough on the key component to strong implementation and long-term sustainability: effective teachers. Only when state leaders implement a literacy strategy that prioritizes…

Licensure tests should be an efficient and comprehensive way for policymakers to ensure that all teachers possess the basic knowledge and skills they need to effectively teach students to read. Yet more than half of states use a weak licensure test that fails to adequately measure elementary teachers' knowledge of scientifically-based reading…

To address a gap in the research, we conducted a policy evaluation to investigate if a recent state policy change had met its intended goals to decrease school counselor ratios and increase their time with students. Participants included 143 PK-12 public school counselors in one state in the southeastern region of the United States. Results of…

Little research has examined how K-12 fiscal accountability policies and practices intersect with district finances and student outcomes during periods of economic crises. Employing a critical policy analysis perspective that distinguishes between the concepts of fiscal accountability and fiscal austerity and differences-in-differences and event…

A national study of school counselor role and professional activities (Fan et al., 2019) was replicated using a West Virginia (WV) school counselor sample to determine if WV's unique context and state policies would reflect a difference in how counselors perceive their roles and conduct professional practices. The comparison between WV sample and…

Over the past decade, many states have embraced the "science of reading," an interdisciplinary body of research about what works and matters most in teaching students to read. In 2021, North Carolina passed the Excellent Public Schools Act to advance teachers' understanding and use of science of reading practices, and the state's…

With the 2020 March declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, normal in the teaching profession was turned upside down with state mandated school closures, changes in instructional delivery, and social isolation. As a result of this educational disruption, as well as new extreme health risks, teacher stress and concern for their well-being increased…