Purpose: This study addressed the current policy push to improve students' college and career readiness (CCR) as manifested within the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and examined CCR policy in the state of Illinois as a case study, noting ways in which provisions for CCR programs prepare all students, including those historically underserved by…

This article is based on research conducted during a semester-long professional development workshop series for Spanish-speaking family childcare providers in Wisconsin aimed at creating space for dialogue regarding the ways in which care and professionalism are intertwined. We examine the historical, economic, and political forces accompanying…

According to higher education policy experts, "Campus threat assessment is not merely a recommendation, but an emerging standard of care." However, despite evidence of the emergence of this standard and the consistency of recommendations that comport with those made by the Virginia Tech Review Panel, college campuses continue to vary…

Undocumented immigrants constitute about 3.5% of the current US population and Texas ranks second, after California, in the number of unauthorized immigrant population. Annually, about 65,000 undocumented children graduate from American high schools. Using the variation provided by the in-state resident tuition policy of Texas, the author…

While many policymakers see college credit attainment programs as potential cost savings, little research has examined the actual savings (if any) tied to taking college classes in high school. This Rapid Response brief helps fill the gap, investigating and comparing the costs of providing college credit in high school in three states with the…

Through case studies of five states with varying facilities policies, the study presented in "What about the Schools? Factors Contributing to Expanded State Investment in School Facilities" examines the factors contributing to expanded state investment in equitable public school facilities and how those factors can be leveraged to…

Through case studies of five states with varying facilities policies, the study presented in "What about the Schools? Factors Contributing to Expanded State Investment in School Facilities" examines the factors contributing to expanded state investment in equitable public school facilities and how those factors can be leveraged to…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) has ushered in a new era of flexibility for state policies and practices related to low-performing schools. Will the states make changes? What aspects of change will need additional support? This descriptive, mixed methods study uses survey data from turnaround leaders in all 50 states and an extant document…

Transfer is the movement of students and their earned credits from one institution to another. This process includes how students' work from the sending institution is applied toward degree requirements at the receiving institution. The Washington Legislature has tasked the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) with "improving student…

"Return on Investment, What is the Value of the Associate Degree?" provides a checklist of high-impact practices that colleges can employ to support students on their journey to degree completion and potentially improved employment outcomes. Mark Schneider, vice president and institute fellow, American Institutes for Research (DC),…

Recently a number of studies have focused on states' adoptions of postsecondary-specific policies. Cutting across much of this research is the presence and influence of interstate diffusion of policy adoptions, a phenomenon for which support is scant. This paper seeks to address this through broadening the categorization of policies beyond…

This article explores the many ways in which states can and are addressing racial equity in problem solving and policymaking. The authors explore national data that make the case for addressing bias and advancing equity in state policy; share strategies and best practices for engaging families and communities; and provide examples of policies that…

California's longstanding efforts to promote child development and kindergarten readiness have paved the way for focusing greater attention on the role Medi-Cal, the State's Medicaid program, can play in realizing the full strength of these initiatives. As a state with a large and diverse population, California's reach and potential influence are…

Across the United States, students face increasingly high expectations of what they should know and be able to do upon completing high school. However, too few state policies take into consideration how the pathway to graduation may look different for English Learners (ELs), particularly adolescent newcomers who have limited formal education. Many…

In almost any conversation about accountability for private schools, accountability for public schools is assumed. This is a dangerous myth. By assuming that the edifice that states and the federal government have created over the past several decades actually holds schools accountable, school choice advocates immediately find themselves in an…