In an era of increasing political and social divisiveness, school boards across the country face pressure to maintain effective governance amongst relentless pressure. Most school board members lack the experience to know how to effectively serve, thus, training is a necessary resource to ensure effective board governance and retain board members.…

This report describes the implementation efforts of the first grantees under the Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFEC) and how they aligned with program priorities. Begun in 2018, SFEC is one of the key U.S. Department of Education programs designed to address disparities in family engagement in schools. The program provides grants to…

This volume serves as a companion to the "Lessons from the First Statewide Family Engagement Centers: Alignment with Federal Priorities and Factors Influencing Implementation" report. The report focuses on the Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFEC) program and provides insights into its implementation and alignment with federal…

Literacy skills lay the foundation upon which every individual's education rests. When a learner receives the necessary tools to develop strong language and literacy skills, he or she becomes able to achieve personal autonomy and pursue aspirations. Ohio is committed to supporting an education system that prioritizes the language and literacy…

OSEP's Results Driven Accountability is designed to assure educators have the supports necessary to address the needs of all children, including children with disabilities. OSEP-funded Centers are encouraged to support state education systems as they take charge in making systemic changes that lead to improved outcomes for students. Data are now…

In 2007 the Colorado General Assembly established the Early Childhood Councils (HB07-1062) and charged them with "increasing and sustaining the quality, accessibility, capacity, and affordability of early childhood services for children five years of age or younger and their parents." In March 2016 Child Trends, a non-profit research and…

Increasingly, early education, regardless of setting type, is considered to be an educational intervention that sets the stage for children's long-term school success. Accordingly, policymakers are focused on how to develop and support educators who have the skills and capacity to deliver high-quality programming to children. A pressing question…

Geography at elementary and middle schools in Louisiana, USA., remains a social studies strand along with civics, economics, and history, with no state-required geography course at any level. But because schools may require more geography than the state standard, this research examines the extent to which K-12 students are exposed to geography in…

This article introduces an intergenerational strategy for organizations planning centennial celebratory events. The methods and findings from the 4-H through the Generations session conducted at the joint 4-H Leadership Conference and 4-H Leaders Forum to celebrate the Pennsylvania 4-H Centennial are reported. Youth and adult participants shared…

As policymakers in Madison redesign the state's child care subsidy program--known as Wisconsin Shares--it is important to understand the original vision for the program. This report investigates the development and implementation of Wisconsin Shares and its linkages to the state's landmark W-2 welfare reform initiative. In particular, the authors…

This report provides six mini-case studies of higher education policy reforms enacted in other states, exploring the important role that state policy leadership played in developing, promoting, and implementing these policies aimed at improving higher education outcomes, and discussing the relevance of each reform effort for California. This…

One method to develop leaders is through leadership development programs designed specifically for an intended context. The International Leadership Association (ILA) provides questions for designing programs such programs. This article reflects data collected during the process of developing a leadership program serving the broader agricultural…

Although every state in the country has recognized the importance of government transparency by enacting open government provisions, few of those statutes require training programs to encourage records custodians to comply with the law. Ten states mandate training in how to legally respond to public records requests, and some mandates are stronger…

As part of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program, 132 preprimary objectives were developed in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. Volunteer teachers assessed the attainment of these skills in their kindergarten children. A profile on each student was designed to report skill attainment to first grade teachers and parents. The…

All students, including students with disabilities, participate in state accountability systems. Many students participate in the regular assessment, with or without accommodations, but some students may require participation in an alternate assessment to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Students with more significant cognitive disabilities…