Dual enrollment has proved to be a powerful strategy for expanding college opportunity for all students, especially those who facing barriers that limit their access to postsecondary education. Extensive evidence shows that dual enrollment has wide-ranging benefits for students, high schools, colleges, and states. The model helps save time and…

Public schools are one of the last remaining institutions that bring people together across lines of race, class, and politics. Their civic role cannot be distilled to a single course. Embracing a broader vision means seeing school as a civic space and the everyday experience of school as an incubator of civic knowledge, skills, and commitment.…

STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education allows students to engage in interdisciplinary learning that fosters innovation, problem-solving skills and creativity. In November 2023, Education Commission of the States received applications from 10 states to participate in a technical assistance network and professional…

Almost all 11- to 17-year-olds with smartphones use them regularly in school, for a median 43 minutes per school day. Teachers and school leaders call this use a major distraction from learning. Many state and local authorities have responded by restricting the devices at school, and others are mulling doing so. Many have found stakeholder input…

This article is a case study of how educators made sense of the core ideas of a new statewide initiative intentionally designed to foster local flexibility. We trace the initiative's core elements through (1) communication materials, (2) school principals' understandings of the initiative and reasons for participation, and (3) teachers'…

Background: The most recent Farm to School (FTS) Census reported that of the 42% of US schools that participate in FTS, 77% procure food locally. In 2019, Colorado joined many other states in passing legislation that provides per-meal incentives for purchasing local foods. However, little is known about how these incentives impact procurement…

In some states, alternative schooling options are provided for specific student populations. State statute or regulation commonly notes which alternatives are available, which entity is responsible for establishing or providing such alternatives and for which student populations these alternatives are made available. This data point highlights…

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is an important policy that enables adult learners to complete their credentials by demonstrating their life experience is worthy of earning college credit. PLA policy in the state of Colorado remains a priority for the government and state agencies and understanding Colorado faculty perspectives of and experiences…

Research has demonstrated the wide-ranging and positive benefits from high-quality publicly-funded prekindergarten education. Yet, access for families with young children remains uneven, with significant gaps across geography, income, race, and ethnicity. Over the last few decades, many states have worked to broaden access to prekindergarten…

The qualifications that early childhood (EC) teachers attain vary across the 50 states. This variance is likely associated with the differences in state-level childcare licensing policies governing the qualification attainment of EC teachers. This research explores the relationship between childcare licensing policy and the qualifications that EC…

This study complements literature on state policymaking by exploring one state's achievement trends and policymaking during a period of remarkable achievement gains. I use mixed methods, drawing on hierarchical linear modeling and semi-structured interviews with policy actors, to explore the case of Tennessee in the post-recession period. Results…

This study aims to illustrate how states include an improvement science approach to educational improvement in their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) state plan. Through a qualitative content analysis of 52 state ESSA plans, we propose an introductory organizational typology to categorize states based on their explicit inclusion of improvement…

Policymakers' solutions to the problem of inequitable access to postsecondary institutions often focus on the financial barriers students face. However, other barriers are just as significant. Students may face barriers in the logistical aspect of applying to college. They may not have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college…

At least 38 states have created service areas or "districts" for each of their community colleges. However, little is known about the geographic boundaries of community college districts and the policymaking process that defines them. We studied state policy documents nationally and the actual district boundaries of Texas community…

This document contains a model policy for state departments of education to create a K-8 Math Act or policy. The intent of such Legislature is that each student is prepared for success in Algebra I starting with 60 minutes of daily math instruction to build math proficiency in grades Kindergarten through 8 using effective, standards aligned…