State higher education governing agencies in the United States are uniquely positioned between the state government and public postsecondary sector. However, few studies have considered how this organizational characteristic influences these agencies' role in the policy process. The current study seeks to contribute to this gap in the literature…

All 50 US states have enacted mandates requiring insurers to cover autism-related services. We assessed whether and to what extent variation in generosity of state insurance mandates has been associated with rate of growth in the health workforce for children with autism spectrum disorder: including board-certified behavioral analysts, child…

As winter swept across the United States at the outset of 2018, ushering in the bitterest and bleakest days of the year, American teachers and their unions had little to celebrate. The first eight years of the decade had exacted a heavy toll, and still more trouble was lurking on the horizon. In the wake of the Great Recession, funding for public…

A national study of school counselor role and professional activities (Fan et al., 2019) was replicated using a West Virginia (WV) school counselor sample to determine if WV's unique context and state policies would reflect a difference in how counselors perceive their roles and conduct professional practices. The comparison between WV sample and…

Across all 50 states, there are different ways in which states allocate K-12 and special education funding to districts. Education Commission of the States has collected information on states' primary funding models, base per-student funding amounts, student attendance count methods, and funding for special education, English language learners,…

California approved a massive overhaul of its byzantine and unequal school finance system when the state Legislature passed and Governor Jerry Brown signed the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in 2013. LCFF featured a new state finance model, but it was much more than a change in finance distribution formulas. It also provided districts with…

Sometimes referred to as corequisite remediation, corequisite support refers to college-level coursework that integrates additional support for students, usually in the form of an academic support class. This resource provides data on whether or not corequisite support is addressed, and if so, if it is required or allowed. [View the full…

Instruction in prekindergarten through third grade (P-3) lends itself to authentic, project-based and playful experiences that immerse learners in STEM activities and instruction. In an era of increased focus on literacy and math skills, STEM provides an interdisciplinary approach that may prove more effective for young students to acquire skills…

This data point highlights reporting requirements in state policy regarding the use of suspension and/or expulsion. At least 39 states and the District of Columbia outline reporting requirements for the use of suspension and/or expulsion in statute or regulation. At least 11 states have reporting requirements that are specific to certain types of…

Restraint and seclusion (R/S) negatively affect students; for example, numerous investigations have demonstrated that serious injuries result from R/S (e.g., Chan et al., 2012; Mohr et al., 2003; Nunno et al., 2006). Changing policy and practice to reduce R/S is critical to promote safety and improve the educational experience and benefit for…

Nearly every school year there is another mass shooting or tragic violent act that is being reported by news stations throughout the United States. Every time this occurs our community members, educational leaders, teachers and politicians vow to stop these heinous acts of violence. Recently, there have been programs developed at the state level…

How do literacy coaches function as policy actors? Using a case study of literacy coaches in a small, rural South Carolina school district, this dissertation explored the ways coaches act as policy actors, the policies coaches create, and how they institutionalize policy. This study focused on literacy coaches as policy actors. The South Carolina…

In response to a proliferation of early literacy policy interventions and heightened and divisive rhetoric around an often-misunderstood concept referred to as the science of reading, this study interrogates the discourse surrounding a state-level early literacy policy within three distinct realms: the macropolitical, the local media, and the…

This report seeks to provide context for the current landscape of social studies curricula to highlight the need for high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) in social studies. It serves as a starting point for discussions on identifying HQIM and a guide for the development of social studies curriculum review tools, evidence guides, and…

Developmental education reform has shown promising evidence toward improving short-term outcomes, yet questions remain about whether these early gains contribute momentum toward mid-term and longer-term postsecondary success. In 2014, Florida implemented one of the nation's most comprehensive developmental education reforms. Many students became…