State and local government decisions about how school funding is raised and allocated have profound impacts on American public education, and in recent years, experts have documented large increases in one type of spending in particular: public pensions. Because most data on school district pension expenditures are at the state level, it has so…

In most states, occupational therapy practitioners are restricted from advancing to formal school leadership positions. The absence of pathways to leadership may limit the ability to fulfill AOTA's Vision 2025 and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This study investigates how limited opportunities for career advancement affect school practice…

This mixed methods research explores superintendents' beliefs about and engagement in state education policymaking processes. Through interviews with 58 superintendents and a national survey of superintendents, I find that superintendents feel their voices have value in state policymaking spaces; however, actual policy engagement is relatively…

The balance wheel hypothesis--a classic tenet of USA state-level policy analysis that suggests state funding for higher education varies in response to macroeconomic cycles--has held up to scrutiny over time. However, new social conditions within the Republican Party, namely growing hostility toward independent institutions, call for a more…

In 2016, the North Carolina legislature implemented the North Carolina Fixed Tuition Program. This policy ensures that, once enrolled, an undergraduate student's tuition rate at any of the state's four-year public colleges will not increase for eight consecutive semesters of enrollment. While touted as an effort to increase affordability by…

Research on higher education policy in the United States often seeks to understand commonalities across state contexts to understand broader concepts influencing decision-making. However, this minimises the importance of abstract and distinct factors impacting policy processes within a state. While researchers in other fields attribute these…

While the use of generative AI (genAI) in K12 schools is increasing, it is poorly understood from a policy perspective. There are significant tensions in technology integration in education between public interests for social good and pressure from educational technology companies to view schools as markets. This study examined genAI policy…

2025 promises to be a year of transition for North Carolina's children, accompanied by both significant challenges and tremendous opportunities. Local public schools will play a unique and central role as the state contends with leadership changes across all levels of government, rapid technological and economic transformation, and demographic…

Background/Context: Restorative practices have gained traction across the United States, featuring in at least 21 state education codes and numerous district policies. The existing research on its effectiveness underscores the implementation process, particularly fidelity, as a key determinant in whether restorative practices will accomplish their…

This qualitative study examines the experiences of student leaders working in partnership with teacher leaders to implement Vermont's Act 77, a state mandated personalized learning policy. Drawing on a theoretical framework that connects the zones of mediation and knowledge brokering research, this study explores the question: How do youth and…

Policymakers across the country are seeking to better understand credentials of value--the education and training programs that help workers fill in-demand and growing jobs in their states. But right now, leaders are lacking the complete set of information they need to understand P-20W (early childhood, K-12, postsecondary, and workforce) pathways…

A recent Manhattan Institute report claims that many religious pre-K providers are being totally or partially excluded from publicly funded education programs that are open to other private schools, despite recent Supreme Court decisions prohibiting such exclusions. Through keyword searches and online reviews of statutes, regulations, and…

This paper presents results from a survey of parents of school age children in Louisiana to understand their knowledge of and attitudes toward sex education. Louisiana adolescents rank amongst the highest in the nation for teen births and sexually transmitted infections. Louisiana does not require instruction in sex education at any grade level.…

Research on firearm purchaser licensing laws has found population level reductions in firearm-related mortality. Limited research has been conducted specifically examining the impact of these laws among adolescents and emerging adults. We obtained death data from the National Center for Health Statistics from 1990 to 2019. We generated state-year…

Mental health affects not only safety and well-being but also students' ability to stay in college and graduate. The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) has partnered with the Jed Foundation to create the Student Mental Health and Wellness Learning Community to develop state plans to support student mental health aligned…