The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Opportunity." Contents include: (1) Students Deserve to Read Diverse Books --…

Almost all 11- to 17-year-olds with smartphones use them regularly in school, for a median 43 minutes per school day. Teachers and school leaders call this use a major distraction from learning. Many state and local authorities have responded by restricting the devices at school, and others are mulling doing so. Many have found stakeholder input…

Since 2006, Udaan--a school-based adolescent education program in Jharkhand, India--was the only at-scale state-run program in the country. To determine factors that contributed to Udaan's scale-up and longevity, this study drew information from programmatic reports and interviews with the Centre for Catalyzing Change staff. Key factors for…

This book juxtaposes superdiversity with the reality of English-centricity in the United States, set against the long-standing challenges regarding migration and language policy in the US, most recently underlined by Donald Trump's 2016 election win and subsequent aggressive and partially successful attempts to limit migration. The book explores…

Substantial evidence supports comprehensive sex education programs as effective means of promoting adolescent sexual health, but evidence on the effect of state-level sex education policy is inconclusive. Multiple states in the U.S. afford local authority in school policy, and existing literature calls for investigation of the impact of local…

School re-entry for pregnant girls and young mothers is increasingly recognized by African governments as a critical measure to improve the education of marginalized adolescents and mitigate school pushout. In Uganda, the high rate of teenage pregnancy, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, prompted the government to approve "Revised…

This study sought to determine if human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates are associated with teaching requirements for abstinence in state sex education laws and policies. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted assessing the association between abstinence education legislation and HPV vaccination rates in adolescents (aged 13-17 years).…

Numerous sport-based interventions exist which target marginalised or 'at-risk' young people with the intention of enabling some form of social change for programme participants. Very often, the objective of such interventions is the acquisition and development of qualities associated with 'good citizenship'. However, critical scholars have noted…

In 2007, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) law was passed in Minnesota mandating newborn hearing screening. Recognizing that a number of state-level agencies and statewide advocacy and direct services organizations share responsibility for serving deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children and youth, the Minnesota Commission…

High-school exit exams have fallen out of favor in recent years, after research showed that pinning graduation to passing a high-stakes test can push some students to drop out. The future can be grim without a diploma: dropouts have higher rates of unemployment, earn far less money on the job, have poorer physical and mental health, and are more…

Teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections are leading public health problems in the United States. While abstaining from sexual intercourse is the best way to avoid these conditions, abstinence only education (AOE) programs in schools have been shown ineffective in delaying sexual initiation or decreasing the teen pregnancy rate.…

A growing body of international research has highlighted the importance of students studying mathematics at an advanced level. In Ireland, the subject has been assigned a special status with the introduction of an education policy called the Bonus Points Initiative (BPI) in 2012. Students are now awarded an extra 25 points in their final State…

Discipline is vital in the success of educational processes. Guidance and Counselling (GC) have been adopted as strategy to manage student discipline the world over including Kenyan schools. Though students form the major clientele of services provided in schools, studies regarding provision of counselling and guidance in relation to management of…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree with which Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans prepared for middle school students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) conformed to best practices and included evidence-based services. Specifically, we examined the problem areas identified in the statement of…

This landscape review includes a document and policy review of policies and programs across the City of Richmond, West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), The California Endowment, and other local community organizations. Additionally, the review encompasses: (1) 15 PLUS projects from 2008-2018 for 4 clients: City of Richmond, WCCUSD,…