With the developmental education (DE) reform movement at postsecondary still apace, this qualitative study seeks to understand the policy impacts of Florida Senate Bill 1720, major legislation mandating developmental education reform in the state of Florida. The body of literature thus far has focused on quantitative analyses of secondary data…

This hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions examines compensating college athletes, focusing on the potential impact on athletes and institutions. Opening statements were presented by: (1) Honorable Lamar Alexander, Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; and (2) Honorable Patty Murray, Ranking…

Each year, state legislators craft new policies that drive data use across their states, and as part of a comprehensive review of state education data legislation, the Data Quality Campaign (DQC) keeps track. In 2022, state legislators introduced 131 bills in 35 states--42 of which became law in 17 states-- that would govern the use of data along…

The purpose of this study was to examine factors contributing to special education enrollment trends in Texas over the past two decades through an examination of identification rates at state and local levels and gathering of perspectives from school personnel with direct knowledge of special education enrollment practices and the impact of…

Over the past fifty years, school districts have consolidated in an effort to achieve economies of scale. While the determinants and effects of district mergers on operations have been studied (Gordon and Knight 2006; Duncombe and Yinger 2007; Jones et al 2008), the impact on communities has not. In small towns, schools not only educate, but also…

Despite the efforts of parents, educators, and activists to oppose standardized testing through the act of opting out, most states and federal law still require students to take annual standardized tests. While key arguments of the opt-out movement in a state legislative process are explored, this case study focuses on those legislators who…

State policymakers and the public at large have a vested interest in the successful governance of their higher education institutions. The citizens who are appointed or elected to serve as board members of a state's colleges and universities oversee valuable public assets that they hold in trust for the state and for current and future…

Dual enrollment programs allow students to earn high school and college credit simultaneously. As dual enrollment programs have grown, policymakers across the country have been increasingly attentive to the issue of who has access to these courses. In 2019, states considered at least 219 bills related to dual enrollment; nearly half of those…

During its 2020 session, the Utah Legislature passed S.B. 111, "Higher Education Amendments"--a sweeping change to higher education structure and governance that merges the Utah System of Higher Education and the Utah System of Technical Colleges. While passing the legislation only took a matter of weeks, the process leading up to the…

Conservatives should be for school safety. It sounds so easy that it should go without saying. But the sad fact is that the progressive-minded education establishment has subordinated safety to "social justice." America's schools should not be governed by the whims of progressive groupthink. They should be governed by school boards that…

This causal-comparative study examined the effect of revised placement rules on throughput student success for transfer-level mathematics students in California community colleges. This study was timely and relevant in providing insight into the educational reforms instituted by the AB705 legislature in California community colleges to maximize…

Purpose: To reduce the smoking rates and alleviate societal problems associated with smoking, health administrators and policy makers have attempted to promote and implement statewide smoking free policy. The present study examined how adults' awareness of and attitude toward the smoke-free air law, their perceived risks of secondhand smoke and…

In this first installment of the series on state-level policy and microschooling, the authors explain Idaho's recent legislative debate over two competing approaches to supporting the creation of small learning communities, known as microschools. Idaho's strong homeschooling community and its low-enrollment rural districts create political…

In March 2021, the Legislature enacted HB 4048, which amended the State School Aid Act to appropriate supplemental funding for public education, including approximately $1.5 billion in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER II) funds awarded to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) by Congress under the Federal Coronavirus…

During the 2017 General Session, the Legislature passed House Bill 212, "Incentive for Effective Teachers in High Poverty Schools," which provides an annual salary bonus to eligible teachers in high poverty schools. This report is provided to the Education Interim Committee to evaluate the extent to which a salary bonus improves…