A large group of advocates and lobbyists influence state-level public education policymaking in Texas. Unfortunately, this group often does not mirror the racial and ethnic makeup of Texas public school students, the decisive majority of whom are students of color. This article argues that a lack of diversity among state-level education advocates…

The disproportional representation of students from various demographic subgroups within identified gifted and talented populations has long frustrated policy makers, education advocates, researchers practitioners within the field, and those concerned with societal inequality in general. Despite the prevalence of articles in the media reporting on…

Kappan's editor talks with political scientist Sara Dahill-Brown about the new realities of educational decision making under the Every Student Succeeds Act, which follows nearly two decades of strong federal influence over K-12 policies at the state and district levels. Rather than promoting one-size-fits-all approaches to school improvement,…

Research has identified several factors that contribute to the effectiveness of professional development opportunities in schools including improvement of participants' knowledge, administrator support, incorporation of active learning activities, duration, fostering coherence, and timing. The current case study examined how these six factors…

This study explored how district leaders in three Michigan school districts reacted to a state-induced policy calling for district-implemented performance-pay for teachers in response to Race to the Top (RttT) in 2010. The study is positioned at the intersection of reform efforts and policy implementation in practice. Using a multi-site…

Despite numerous education reform efforts, disparities between more privileged students and students from marginalized and minoritized groups still persist in U.S. education. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) passed in 2015 indicates greater commitment of the federal government to advancing equity in education and gives state educational…

For many decades, most of the decision-making authority in public schools has been vested in individual principals and other administrators. However, new models of collaborative teacher leadership are beginning to emerge, thanks to four trends: 1) evidence on the positive effects of teacher leadership continues to mount, 2) districts and state…

An analysis from 2002 to 2014, aligning media reporting of the effectiveness of the fully online K-12 cyber charter school model with data on enrollment flows to cyber charter schools and expenditure and demographic indicators across all 500 residential public school districts in Pennsylvania, finds a three-part geospatial-social process. Initial…

One of the main ways that states provide opportunities to people and build a strong economy is by making education affordable to everyone. Ohio provides need-based aid to students pursuing postsecondary education through a program called the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG). This is essential to helping students from low-income backgrounds…

For more than 30 years, Medicaid has paid for eligible school health services included in student's Individualized Education Programs (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). Seventy-nine percent of low-income, school aged children receive health coverage through Medicaid and Child Health Plan (CHIP) which is 37% of all school-aged…

Wisconsin was one of the 10 states selected to participate in New Skills for Youth (NSFY). NSFY, launched by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in 2016, is a $75 million, five-year initiative, aimed at strengthening and expanding high-quality career pathways for youth. As part of this initiative, the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE and…

Across all 50 states, there are different ways in which states allocate K-12 funding to districts. This document provides information on small size or isolated funding adjustments, including funding mechanism, small size/isolated identifier, and small size/isolated citation. To classify funding mechanisms that appear in state statute or in…

Nearly all states require students to complete a certain number of units per course to earn a standard diploma in the state; but courses, units and assessments outside of exit exams and diploma options vary. This interactive resource provides an overview of state high school graduation requirements. To see how all states approach specific…

Trans-informed administrative guidance introduces concepts from trans studies to educational leaders, but researchers have relatively ignored these policy implementation tools. This content analysis describes the design of administrative guidance using a representative sample of 112 Illinois districts: the who, what, how, and why of supporting…

Increased attention to police brutality and violence against people of color has elevated scrutiny of campus police. Students have critiqued the inequitable treatment of students of color on their campuses by campus police. In doing so, the students are critiquing racial inequity in the campus climate. The California Community Colleges…