This qualitative pilot study introduces and reflects on early development and implementation of the Zero Fee Tuition (ZFT) program in the rural, oil and gas town of Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada. This innovative, primarily municipally funded program, implemented in 2019, provides local students with up to $5,000 in free tuition for select…

The nation's community colleges play a key role in addressing the need to expand and diversify the STEM technological workforce. However, significant barriers must be overcome for the programs to meet the increasing demand for skilled employees. The programs are expensive to establish and maintain; community colleges are generally underfunded;…

In 2022, Tennessee overhauled its education funding formula to improve outcomes for the 1 million students in the state. The Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act (TISA) was designed to simplify the existing funding formula and more equitably allocate resources to schools. Bellwether's case study, "After the Policy Win: First-Year…

Pupil premium is a direct grant paid to state-funded schools in England which aims to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils aged 5-16. As disruption to learning during the COVID-19 pandemic had a greater impact on disadvantaged pupils, the recovery premium grant was introduced in 2021 to help address this. Recovery premium funding finished…

Background: The Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) Grant Program aims to increase the number of highly effective educators by supporting the implementation of evidence-based practices that prepare, develop, or enhance the skills of educators. The three central goals of this program are: (1) Recruit, prepare, and retain effective and…

This report is the second in a series that unpacks the barriers to access that families face, the variety of solutions that navigation organizations have developed, and the challenges that limit the reach and impact of those solutions. This series offers recommendations for how to help navigators address these challenges and support more families…

Early childhood educators play essential roles in providing stable and high-quality child care for young children and supporting their development and growth. As is also true nationwide, historically low wages in the District of Columbia have led to challenges in compensating and retaining qualified early childhood educators, and in turn, building…

California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) received a six-year grant, "Providing Aid for STEM Success" (PASS), from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in March 2024 to offer scholarships and tailored support to academically talented, low-income students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). In its inaugural…

This report presents summative findings from RAND's six-year evaluation of the BHP Foundation's Education Equity program. The evaluation is based on a review of funded partner organizations' internal program progress reports, performance indicators, and independent project evaluation reports; interviews with representatives from partner…

This study is dedicated to analyzing and evaluating government initiatives aimed at addressing migration challenges in Kazakhstan that manifest in uneven migration flows and significant disparities in population density between the southern and northern regions. The authors assess the implementation of a state program as part of their analysis,…

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc throughout school systems across the world during the 2020-2021 school year. Riyadh School District in Saudi Arabia effectively transitioned from in-person student learning to remote student learning as a result of effective planning of resources and effective processes for implementation of remote learning.…

In this article we explore the experiences of principals and school governing body (SGB) members about the implementation of internal financial processes to manage school finances. To avoid the mismanagement of school funds, SGBs are compelled to design and implement internal financial processes. However, many SGB members lack the necessary…

This study explored science and mathematics teachers' knowledge and beliefs about project-based instruction (PBL). Data included two focus groups, and a 12-item questionnaire administered to 138 teachers. The response rate was 70% (n=96). Results show strong teacher knowledge of PBL Gold Standard Design Elements/Teaching Practices, but low usage…

This study explored the dynamics and key factors influencing the development of computer science education (CSEd) pathways in teacher preparation at 10 higher education institutions in the United States. Through cross-case analysis, the findings highlighted that personal commitment and leadership from CSEd champions played a key role in initiating…

Like many states across the nation, California is facing persistent teacher shortages. School districts continue to find it difficult to fill vacancies with fully credentialed teachers, especially math, science, special education, and bilingual education teachers. Teacher shortages impact student learning as districts resort to relying on a…