Expanding on our previous work considering the impact of physical education policy on curriculum within the United States of America (U.S.), we undertake a critical reflection of the influence of policy work at the state level. Specifically, we focus on the impact of physical education policy (e.g. standards) within Ohio on curriculum, pedagogy,…

Sensemaking is a popular framework for studying the meaning-making dimensions of policy implementation, change initiatives, and practitioner action in education. While generative, it has traditionally offered less guidance on how certain organizational actors have formal and/or informal power to advance their version of events and how certain…

Although federal policies have promoted the inclusion of students with disabilities in educational opportunities, success remains elusive. Yet much has been learned about how best to include students with disabilities in assessments and accountability, graduation requirements, and educational programming. Based on this learning, we highlight red…

International and national assessments suggest that U.S. students' mathematics performance declines drastically as they progress to higher grades. Reforms to improve student math achievement and math curriculum have not yielded the hoped-for outcomes because improving math performance demands more systematic changes in how math teachers are…

This study investigates the associations between statewide affirmative action bans and the racial composition of undergraduate students at public 4-year colleges and universities in five states, that is, Arizona, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma. I use the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System data from 1999 to 2017, and…

Nearly one-third of workers in the United States lack digital skills, and more than 38% of those workers are required to use moderate or advanced computer skills on the job. This skills gap creates talent and growth issues for businesses of all sizes -- from large companies looking to grow and invest in the United States, to small and mid-size…

The method California uses to count students for funding purposes is an important decision that drives both resources and behaviors. For more than 100 years, California has funded school districts based on the average number of students who attend school each day. Although this average daily attendance (ADA) method was once used by many states,…

School finance reforms are not well defined and are likely more prevalent than the current literature has documented. Using a Bayesian changepoint estimator, we quantitatively identify the years when state education revenues abruptly increased for each state between 1960 and 2008 and then document the state-specific events that gave rise to these…

Over the last couple of years, we have seen increased concerns about the teacher workforce and intensified news reporting describing teacher shortages. In response, many states have enacted policies largely in the absence of data on the precise nature of their staffing challenges, such as lowering standards across the board for entry into…

To help ensure that assessments are properly administered, states have developed policies about who can administer or proctor assessments, and the training they must have. This report presents the findings of our analysis of states' 2021 policies on the qualifications and requirements for test administrators, proctors, and accommodations providers…

Open enrollment is an integral part of state public school choice policies. This datapoint captures state policies addressing student transportation to schools outside of their attendance zone, including the entity responsible and available financial assistance. [View the full "50-State Comparison: Open Enrollment Policies 2022" here:…

In addition to the cross-cutting need to improve adequacy and equity in education investments, this policy agenda presents the current statewide priorities of The Education Trust-West, who continues to advocate for investments, policies, and practices through research, reports, events, and legislative efforts while engaging with educators,…

Throughout the relatively short history of American social studies education, its purposes have shifted in response to social and educational changes. The contest for the American social studies curriculum has continued since its inception, influenced by various stakeholders and educational theorists. Given widespread socio-political turbulence,…

This is the first in an occasional series on the dramatic national push to revamp how reading is being taught in the earliest grades. This EdSource special report examines the state of early reading in California, the needs of special learners, teacher preparation and training and curricula and textbooks that are driving instruction. This ongoing…

This case study used qualitative research methods to examine the role faculty play in the application of a general education policy mandate in the state of Missouri. Senate bill 997 required that general education be transferable between all public colleges and universities in the state. To aid in this endeavor, a committee made of faculty…