Early Learning Guidelines (ELGs) support early childhood educators, administrators, and professionals in developing and implementing early learning experiences to support young children's knowledge and skill development. Previous reviews of ELGs examined content addressed across states. However, no reviews have focused on science, technology, or…

As technology becomes more important in our daily lives, teaching computer science in schools is becoming a priority. In 2022, the Tennessee General Assembly passed PC 979, a law requiring all public and charter schools to teach computer science at every grade level including kindergarten classrooms (Tennessee Department of Education, 2024). While…

Emerging literature on anti-CRT, anti-DEI efforts in education suggest that these attacks represent a rearticulation of racial ideologies which seek to contain racial progress. Although crafting anti-CRT and anti-DEI policies is primarily conducted through discourse, few studies explore the specific discursive mechanisms used to justify these…

In 2009, the Lumina Foundation published "A Stronger Nation through Higher Education: How and Why Americans Must Meet a 'Big Goal' for College Attainment," which projected a staggering shortfall of college-educated adults to meet labor market demand--16 million nationally by 2025. Like many states, the Illinois P-20 Council quickly…

In 2021, Illinois became the first state in the United States to require that K-12 students learn about Asian American history. Illinois achieved this when lawmakers passed House Bill 376 (H.B. 376), colloquially known as the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act. H.B. 376 received praise for being the first legislation…

Opponents of education choice recycle the same false prophesies of doom without regard to the evidence or the size and scope of the proposals. For decades, the most common objection to education choice policies has been that they will "destroy public education." According to the critics, choice policies will induce the parents most…

Since the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004, U.S. state IDEA programs have been required to report annually on a set of performance indicators. Indicator 8 of the Part B State Performance Plan is the "percent of parents who report that schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of…

Antiblackness is a persistent feature of American society with continued implications for the experiences, outcomes, and well-being of Black communities. In the wake of widespread protests against antiblack police brutality and heightened awareness of racial injustices in 2020, federal, state, and local political actors swiftly began a concerted…

The U.S. law governing special education, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), requires that students with disabilities be provided a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). However, given the interpretive latitude within the law and the wide discrepancy in how this law is applied,…

Youth who are impacted by the justice system encounter myriad challenges as they move through and between education and juvenile justice systems. Policymakers play an important role in mitigating these challenges. Challenges include exclusionary discipline practices that increase the likelihood of involvement in the justice system, lack of…

This study examines College and Career Readiness (CCR) policy implementation through the lens of "decoupling." We investigate how high schools have jointly implemented Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Industry-Based Certifications (IBCs), and whether there is evidence of "curricular-credential decoupling" via…

In this inquiry, we examine P-12 music administrators' present and future role in the provision, regulation, funding, and improvement of music teacher professional development (PD). We asked: (1) How do P-12 music administrators' shape PD policies and practices within their school systems? and (2) What might a robust and cohesive suite of PD…

Restraint and seclusion (R/S) are practices employed by schools to address severe student behavior. Although the use of R/S has been shown to have harmful impact for students, staff, and schools, there is no federal law that addresses its use in schools. A lack of a universal approach leaves each state to determine its own legislation and policy.…

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…

As of the 2022-23 school year (SY), approximately 1.37 million pre-K through Grade 12 students in the United States -- nearly 3% of the total pre-K through Grade 12 population -- were identified as experiencing homelessness. Homelessness affects a diverse range of young people across America. Students experiencing homelessness often face far…