I provide novel evidence on the role of imperfect information in shaping childhood obesity. Between 2003 and 2017, 24 states began requiring schools to perform Body Mass Index assessments on students. Using the 1991 to 2017 National and State Youth Risk Behavior Surveys and a stacked difference-in-differences identification strategy, I show that…

State-level postsecondary education governance has experienced a lull in successful reform efforts since the turn of the century. However, in 2020, the Utah System of Higher Education and Utah System of Technical Colleges were formally merged following a multi-year effort by state legislators and higher education officials. Framed by the theory of…

Argentinian philosopher Enrique Dussel (1977, 1977/1985) is a foundational figure in the tradition of liberatory education and decoloniality, having written significant contributions to educational theory. However, existing decolonial analyses of language learning pedagogy and policy have not engaged with his writings, specifically those on…

The purpose of this study was to construct a comprehensive, national profile of music teacher licensure practices. Our objectives in this research were a) to construct a descriptive, national profile of legislative policy about music teacher licensure, b) to identify licensure parameters required of music teacher candidates, and c) to identify…

Those most affected by a policy should have the greatest say in shaping it, the adage goes. Yet students--those whom education policies affect most--are far too frequently excluded from decision making. Even when students' voices are included, they are often only symbolically considered. In Washington, DC, student involvement in policymaking is…

In 2024, fewer than one in four US youth felt like they belonged to a group that expresses itself politically, and 44 percent of young nonvoters were disinterested or disliked the candidates. In a moment where many adults of all ages are dissatisfied with politics, polarization, and American governmental institutions, the state of youth civic…

While civics learning was marginalized in an era of standardized testing and fiscal constraints, more states are incentivizing students, schools, and districts to foster civics learning and engagement opportunities through civic diploma seals and school recognition programs. With an eye toward equitable implementation, these early adopters…

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…

Access to teachers of color has a significant impact on student outcomes, including increased graduation and college enrollment and lower suspension and expulsion rates. Yet New York schools struggle to recruit and retain a diverse educator workforce. More than one in five New York students--around 10 percent of Black and Latinx students, 20…

The authors completed a national study of K-12 civics and history education in 2021, and after collaborating with over 300 teachers, practitioners, scholars, and students, released "Educating for American Democracy: Excellence in Civics and History for All Learners." The EAD report analyzed the current citizenship education landscape and…

Each year, millions of students access financial aid to attend postsecondary programs by completing the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA). Completing a FAFSA determines students' eligibility for Pell grants, federal work-study, and federal loans and thus smooths more students' paths to attaining bachelor's and associate degree…

Since 2021, California has invested over $1 billion in recruiting, training, developing, and retaining an ethnoracially diverse educator workforce that reflects its student population. However, recruitment rates have not kept pace with the increasing ethnoracial diversity of the student population, nor have these efforts curbed rising teacher…

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…

A growing number of states use performance-based funding (PBF) systems to tie appropriations to student outcomes. Yet while many studies have examined the effects of PBF on enrollment and completion outcomes, no research has considered whether PBF affects post-college outcomes. This is of particular importance as more states directly incentivize…

School library media specialists often lead the charge for media and information literacy in schools, and where there is instruction, libraries are the primary hubs for it. As they craft policies and build infrastructure for media literacy instruction, state leaders should leverage librarians' expertise. It should not be solely their…