As current trends across the country indicate widespread declining student enrollment and attendance, EdChoice is interested in conducting an evaluation of state-level school funding and enrollment policies that protect public schools against reduced funding due to declining enrollment. To support this effort, EdChoice enlisted Hanover to conduct…

Florida Senate Bill 1720 drastically changed developmental education, beginning in fall 2014. This paper considers affected faculty members' perceptions and experiences with the passage and implementation of reform, according to focus group data provided by 294 participants at 21 Florida College System institutions between 2014 and 2019. We found…

Teachers are the essential element in improving student learning in education. The State of Wisconsin requires public school teachers to participate in the Wisconsin Educator Effectiveness System. There is limited research on the links between required participation with the State of Wisconsin's Educator Effectiveness System and on the experience…

This article examines the administrative and bureaucratic barriers faced by trans and nonbinary high-school students in the School District of Philadelphia. Despite strong gender-inclusive policies like the district's Policy 252, student interviews, first-hand observation, and document analysis reveal a variety of stress points that trans and…

This phenomenological research study examined the educational experiences of educators who participated in Chapter 49 of Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code Culturally Relevant Sustaining Education professional development programming within an urban School District in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Semi-structured interviews were conducted…

Most U.S. states have laws related to supporting students with dyslexia, including dyslexia screening, intervention, and teacher training. Additionally, 40 states have published dyslexia handbooks that include information about defining dyslexia, screening, core instruction, intervention, and progress monitoring. This study utilized a qualitative…

Between the decades of 1970 through 1999, there were major shifts in higher education in New Jersey. Utilizing a grounded theory approach this dissertation created a database of legislation, hearings transcripts, and education reports. Searching this database for commonly used terminology, this dissertation was seeking a pattern in language use…

ORS 329.841 directs the Department of Education (ODE) to develop and implement a statewide education plan for African American/Black students who are in early childhood through post-secondary education programs. The Department has convened an advisory group comprised of members of the African American/Black community and other community partners…

This purpose of this Research Brief is to analyze trends and general patterns of student in-grade retention among students in grades K-8 within the Miami-Dade County Public School (M-DCPS) for the 2022-2023 school year. While in-grade retention in grades 9-12 may occur due to the lack of credit in one or more courses, students often recover these…

Polarization in the United States and controversy over the teaching of content some deem "divisive" has resulted in the enactment of restrictive legislation in many states. Such constraints contribute to a fraught environment in schools today and significantly impact the work of teaching. Utilizing frameworks of "ambitious…

In 2022, Tennessee overhauled its education funding formula to improve outcomes for the 1 million students in the state. The Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act (TISA) was designed to simplify the existing funding formula and more equitably allocate resources to schools. Bellwether's case study, "After the Policy Win: First-Year…

The impact of remote and hybrid work on American life has led to a growing interest in applying similar flexibility to education. This case study explores the concept of flex-based learning. It is a model that blends in-person and at-home instruction to provide a customizable and personalized education experience for students. Flex-based learning…

The U.S. Constitution is the most well-known governing document in the country--studied by students, endlessly interpreted and reinterpreted by judges and political pundits, and placed in the category of near-religious reverence by many Americans. In the last 50 years it has been amended exactly once, in a ratification process that took over 200…

Drawing upon Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as theoretical framework and methodological tool, the present paper critically examines the legislation that has established English as official language in 30 states. This study captures the motivation and rationale of the policies, their stated outcomes and educational implications. The analysis…

The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) seeks to improve all schools. To strategically target resources and champion equity in education, the NDE blends both federal and state supports in its classification and designation system. Nebraska statute requires the State Board of Education to create a system of accountability combining multiple…