Background: The National Federation of State High School Associations provides recommendations regarding health and safety policies; however, policy development is governed at the state level. Given interstate differences in governance, the primary purpose was to describe processes that State High School Athletic Associations (SHSAAs) utilize to…

For states to succeed in their efforts to improve reading instruction, they must ensure teachers are prepared to implement and sustain scientifically based reading instruction. The states most successful in leveraging policy to improve reading outcomes for students have taken a cohesive and comprehensive approach focused on improving teachers'…

While reference societies as an "externalization" process are often used to justify borrowing policies from abroad, a concerted attempt to understand how "power" influences this process, particularly regarding "semiperipheral" references to the periphery, remains absent. This article explores the externalization…

Research on higher education policy in the United States often seeks to understand commonalities across state contexts to understand broader concepts influencing decision-making. However, this minimises the importance of abstract and distinct factors impacting policy processes within a state. While researchers in other fields attribute these…

Student participation in summer programming can be an effective way to address students' academic and developmental needs. When well implemented and well attended, summer enrichment programs, academic programs, and employment programs have demonstrated positive outcomes for youth in areas related to program content, including academic achievement…

As federal funding for summer learning as a pandemic recovery strategy phases out, state governments face decisions about their future role in supporting students' access to quality summer learning opportunities. This brief is based on the full report, "How States Are Expanding Quality Summer Learning Opportunities," and summarizes…

This study examines the role of adult facilitators in supporting student voice efforts for educational policy change. Using case study and Accidental Ethnography data, we explore the actions that adult facilitators take to support student voice efforts in policy spaces. Our findings include that adults (1) intentionally shift power to students,…

This document contains a model policy for state departments of education to create a Closing the Digital Divide in Education Act. The purpose of such an Act is to: (1) Raise awareness of federal and state broadband subsidy programs to ensure eligible residents, particularly those in households with K-12 students, are aware of the ability to…

Teachers, leaders, reformers, policymakers, and advocates all comprehend the weightiness of reading instruction, experiences, and outcomes for society, schools, and children. There have been numerous waves of reading reform, with federal, state, and local policies addressing numerous aspects of reading instruction. Currently, there are numerous…

Online learning, hybrid learning, correspondence education, hyflex learning, blended learning, and distance education are terms that have been used by institutions, scholars, policymakers, accreditors, and more to describe the variety of course delivery options that are available today. These terms may often be used interchangeably or in ways that…

Equitable school funding is key to achieving overall educational fairness. Successful state education finance reform advocates must address the causes of funding inequity and create solutions that consider the effects of changes from different perspectives. "Designing Change: A Toolkit for State Education Finance Reform" gives advocates…

"Fostering Youth Transitions 2023: State and National Data to Drive Foster Care Advocacy" is a unique compilation of data designed to inform federal and state policy efforts aimed at making a difference for young people in foster care. This overview brief and detailed profiles of the latest available data from all 50 states, along with…

This dissertation is about North Dakota's political structures and culture spanning the past 30 years through a case study approach examines the modern identity of politics that derive meaning into how policies are decided upon, and ultimately, the dynamics of those policies for the state's system of higher education. Individual interviews and…

This study complements literature on state policymaking by exploring one state's achievement trends and policymaking during a period of remarkable achievement gains. I use mixed methods, drawing on hierarchical linear modeling and semi-structured interviews with policy actors, to explore the case of Tennessee in the post-recession period. Results…

At least 38 states have created service areas or "districts" for each of their community colleges. However, little is known about the geographic boundaries of community college districts and the policymaking process that defines them. We studied state policy documents nationally and the actual district boundaries of Texas community…