This dissertation comprises three complementary studies that aim to advance the understanding and practice of Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) development in special education. In the first study, we systematically reviewed empirical research measuring IEP…

The long-term impact of prekindergarten programs is an important consideration given the trend of dedicating more resources to these programs. However, long-term impact of prekindergarten programs is not well-understood and recent studies have shown preschool effectiveness can vary across states and programs. A state run prekindergarten program in…

Formal learning environments have struggled to introduce STEM content and STEM careers to students from underrepresented populations. This problem is exacerbated when dealing with students who live in rural areas where access to quality materials and instruction is limited. The eMentorship project is an innovative approach to mentoring that…

Neuroanatomical localization (NL) is a key skill in neurology, but learners often have difficulty with it. This study aims to evaluate a concise NL tool (NLT) developed to help teach and learn NL. To evaluate the NLT, an extended-matching questions (EMQ) test to assess NL was designed and validated. The EMQ was validated with fourth-year medical…

The Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) rewards students who strive to excel in high school and continue their education in degree and certificate programs in Alaska. This report covers the high school, postsecondary, Alaska residency, and workforce outcomes of the APS program between Fall 2011-2023. [This report was prepared by Resource Data,…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the continuous improvement of the leadership program on the outcome of graduate students. The study compared the SLLA Praxis scores obtained prior to the redesign of the 31 leadership competencies of the leadership program to the data retrieved after the program design. The practices of the…

Objective: To determine the impact of a new food scholarship program on nutrient intake and dietary quality. Participants: College students (n = 49), female (78%), single (76%), average age 28 years, and white (49%). Methods: Fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat products and nonperishable foods were distributed twice a month. A one-group pretest…

The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program is a residential, quasi-military program that serves young people ages 16 to 18 who are struggling to complete their high school credential. This is the ninth report in an annual series that RAND researchers have issued. The prior annual reports cover 2015 through 2022. Each annual report documents the…

We use admissions lotteries to estimate the effects of large-scale public preschool in Boston on college-going, college preparation, standardized test scores, and behavioral outcomes. Preschool enrollment boosts college attendance, as well as SAT test-taking and high school graduation. Preschool also decreases several disciplinary measures…

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) implemented work hour restrictions for physicians in training in 2003 that were revised July 1, 2011. Current published data are insufficient to assess whether such work hour restrictions will have long-term impact on residents' education. We searched computer-generated reports…

Despite the growing popularity of free college proposals, countries with higher college subsidies tend to have higher enrollment rates but not higher graduation rates. To capture this evidence and evaluate potential free college policies, we rely on a dynamic model of college enrollment, performance, and graduation estimated using rich…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of online K-12 school leadership preparation programs. Sixty-five graduates of a K-12 school leadership preparation program from a large public university in New York State were included in this study. A survey was used to collect school leadership program graduates' scores on the New York…

Postsecondary entrance examination scores are generally low predictors of college achievement (grade point average [GPA]) for students with learning disabilities (LD). The difficulties with meeting academic requirements have raised the awareness of the needs of students with LD for support services. The present study examined the adequacy of…

Growing experimental evidence demonstrates that low-touch informational, nudge, and virtual advising interventions are ineffective at improving postsecondary educational outcomes for economically-disadvantaged students at scale. Intensive in-person college advising programs are a considerably higher-touch and more resource intensive strategy; some…

The past three decades have seen charter schools emerge as a prominent and controversial alternative to traditional public schools. This policy brief examines "Thirty Years of Charter Schools: What Does Lottery-Based Research Tell Us?" which summarizes 40 studies that have used lottery research designs to analyze how charter schools…