Background: In theory and practice, it is understood that personal relationships play a role in the effectiveness of translational models that bridge research and policy. These models can be made more efficient by understanding factors impacting relationships between policy-making players and third-party knowledge brokers. Aims and objectives:…

This report presents findings from two studies examining accommodations policies and research on alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). This policy analysis and literature review revealed several key insights about accommodations for AA-AAAS, with far-reaching implications for policy, practice, and…

Since 2019, the Washington State Board of Education has engaged stakeholders in creating a vision for mastery-based learning (MBL) that sparked pilot programs, outcome evaluations, and a push for legislative action. By decoupling how students earn high school credits from the amount of time spent in classroom seats, the board also sought to boost…

The Trump administration's push to scale back the federal role in education could mean more autonomy for states. But this increased decision-making power will also make state K-12 accountability more important than ever. States must ensure education funding is used effectively, especially for those students furthest from opportunity. While some…

Like many policymakers across the globe, Tennessee policymakers have adopted theoretically substantial teacher evaluation reforms since the early 2010s. Although research suggests that the introduction of redesigned systems has not affected teacher or student outcomes, on average, specific accountability- and developmental-oriented policy levers…

Community college to university transfer (i.e., vertical transfer) is an important potential path to a bachelor's degree. However, community colleges may be particularly challenging for students to navigate. In this brief we argue that multiple transfer policies, combined with the complexity of community colleges, create a set of choices that are…

Unsurprisingly, the proliferation of statewide school choice policies has resulted in increased student use. Most research on school choice policies examines the policies' effects on student outcomes. However, the policies are not uniform in design or in student take-up rates. Our team's exploratory study tracked initial enrollment rates in nearly…

This article presents the findings from a yearlong narrative inquiry of teacher enactment of state mandated curricular reform in middle level social studies. Four brief narratives and cross-narrative themes are presented to provide examples of the complexities of teacher decision making and positionality when implementing new reforms. Analysis…

Introduction: This study reviews state certification requirements for teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs). Method: TVI certification criteria were systematically reviewed and coded from 55 states and territories. Fifteen variables captured a broad overview of criteria including license and endorsement data (i.e., terminology, grade…

Objective/Research Question: States have increasingly used merit-based criteria to distribute scholarships and grants, and the dominant conversation on merit-aid programs centers on students attending 4-year colleges and universities. This study examines the characteristics of state-funded merit-aid programs for community college students and…

In October 2022, the administration of Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin commissioned a secret rewrite of the state's History and Social Science Standards of Learning to replace the draft that the state Department of Education had developed through its own standards revision process. This unprecedented step galvanized supporters of public education…

Access to menstrual products is important to support adolescent health. Advocacy to increase access to menstrual products in schools is growing; however, ideal access requires policies that will require schools to support the menstrual health of menstruating students. We conducted a legislative review on the existence and status of state…

Objective: Two-thirds of U.S. colleges are near vape shops, where higher rates of underage sales exist. This study examined vape shop compliance with state-mandated age-of-sale signs, the presence of age-of-entry signs and the tobacco industry's "We Card" sign. Participants: Random sample of 614 California vape shops, stratified by…

Failure to complete is an unfortunately common occurrence in the nation's community colleges, and research demonstrates that not completing a credential is associated with negative student outcomes. In response to these issues, the Guided Pathways institutional redesign reform movement has spread rapidly across the United States over the past…

Lawmakers are debating a bill to add Wisconsin to the growing list of states banning K-12 students from using cell phones in schools during instructional time. Of the 309 districts and charter schools responding to a recent survey, most already restrict student cell phone usage to common areas, with smaller districts tending to favor more…