Understanding how key governance roles are structured and relate to each other helps clarify complex systems for policymakers. Every state has the same or similar policymaking roles; however, each of the roles operate differently in the context of each state's governance model. This interactive resource provides a national overview of the key…

Teacher shortages pose a major challenge for state policy makers, district leaders, and school leaders. Importantly, however, the severity of the shortage differs by the particular dynamics of state- and local- teacher labor markets with some regions and states experiencing more severe shortages than others. This brief examines the elements of the…

Teachers face many challenges in the first years of their careers. Without support and guidance from experienced, highly qualified teacher mentors, the demands of the classroom can overwhelm novice teachers. It comes as no surprise that one-third of teachers leave the profession within their first five years. This policy update draws on research,…

Three years after the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Patrick McGuinn reviews how the U.S. Department of Education has managed the approval process for state accountability plans, how state plans are shaping up as a result of their newfound flexibility, and what implementation challenges have emerged. States have required…

Dual enrollment is a complex policy issue and is increasingly of interest to state policymakers. Adequate data and data systems are critical to informing dual enrollment policy, yet the data at the federal level and many state data systems suffer from common challenges and lack the capacity to address dual enrollment policy. We review the…

This study examines the effects of transfer associate degree policies: an articulation approach featuring two-year credentials as a mechanism to transfer credits from two-to four-year institutions. Using institution-level data, I exploit variation in the introduction of these policies across multiple states as a natural experiment. Results suggest…

Twenty-five Wisconsin school districts were located that had undertaken compensation reforms after state law drastically curtailed collective bargaining for teachers. Document reviews and interviews determined (a) the impetuses for pursuing compensation reform, (b) change process characteristics, and (c) the specific compensation reforms.…

Since the 1960s, teachers unions across the United States have used strikes or the threat of strikes to influence the terms of collective bargaining agreements with local school districts. In the spring of 2018, teachers in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, and elsewhere changed their tack, staging walkouts designed to secure salary hikes and…

More states are recognizing the importance of leadership roles for teachers, signaling that state policy is reflecting teachers' voices. Thirty-five states now have formal teacher leadership policies, with a net of eight additional states adopting formal teacher leadership policies in the past two years. Even though the implementation of any…

Within-school marketing has a new twist, and teachers are at the center. Corporate firms, particularly those with education technology products, have contracted with teachers to become so-called brand ambassadors. A brand ambassador is an individual who receives some form of compensation or perk in exchange for the endorsement of a product. Unlike…

The current study seeks to identify a possible connection between the consolidation and reorganization of public school districts and schools and state-level legislation throughout the United States from 1993 through 2012. A mixed methods approach was utilized. Quantitative analysis of statewide public school district data identified states…

For-profit institutions are thought to fill the educational gap when traditional nonprofit colleges fail to serve the needs of an evolving student population. Over the past several decades, the enrollment share of undergraduate students attending for-profit institutions in lieu of traditional nonprofit institutions has expanded substantially.…

State policymakers can help public charter schools overcome obstacles to their stability, growth and ability to provide high-quality options to students--simply by providing these schools with access to affordable financing to build their own facilities. Ownership is a critical option to address charter school facility needs. Most charter schools…

This policy analysis project looked at evaluating state level policy for the creation and implementation of trauma informed schools. American schools strive to provide an educational environment, which is supportive and supports students so they can reach their full potential. Many students in American schools today suffer from some level of…

Introduction: The purpose of the project, the identification of the problem, guiding questions, and learning objectives are included in section I. Information concerning the conception and development of this project is included in this section. This project was devised to help state, district, and building leaders in education understand the…