For too long, the middle grades have been racked by a mistaken narrative that this age group is simply too difficult, or that it's a time in life when one must simply endure rather than thrive. The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) rejects that narrative. It is time for a unified policy agenda in support of the middle grades. This…

This Playbook aims to assist school districts and school leaders as they develop or revise their policies to guide the presence and use of personal devices in schools. It outlines a process by which school district and school leaders can engage students, educators, and parents as partners in the development of school district or school-based…

Every state's juvenile justice system is meant to rehabilitate young people -- and high-quality education is a key part of that goal. Young people who are incarcerated do not lose their rights to educational opportunity and have the same protections as their peers in traditional school settings, including access to interventions like special…

Transfer students often face significant challenges when attempting to transfer their credits from one institution to another. The University of Texas (UT) System and MDRC developed and field-tested this toolkit to encourage a higher-education system that is more transfer-ready by facilitating the transfer process and including transfer students…

This survey is designed to assess your institution's efforts to prevent and respond to campus sexual violence. It covers practices and policies mandated by federal law as well as those recommended by experts in the field. Questions are organized around the six pillars of the Culture of Respect CORE Blueprint. Survey questions are included to…

With their increased autonomy and flexibility, charter schools can be a promising educational option for students with disabilities. However, during the inception of the charter movement, very few people were focused on ensuring that charter school policies addressed the needs of students with disabilities. Since its creation in 2013, the Center…

This guide is designed for use by school, district, and state education agency staff to improve the effectiveness of efforts to collect and use discipline data, including reporting accurate and timely data to the federal government. It explains the importance of collecting discipline data, identifies key considerations for agencies implementing…

Financial aid promotes and supports students' access to and success in higher education. This is especially true at community colleges. Whether students are seeking job training, a certificate or an associate degree, many rely on consistent and meaningful sources of financial support to advance their educational aspirations. Without these…

The report contains real-world, proven school climate strategies to guide policymakers in building a comprehensive and coherent state-wide approach for improving school climate. It features 12 recommendations linked to existing state policy examples policymakers can use to build a comprehensive, coherent state-wide approach for improving school…

State leaders are deeply committed to providing information to parents, educators, and the public about student performance to help target resources and supports quickly and effectively. Some state leaders have examined the context in their respective states and determined that taking a different approach to assessment for the spring of 2021 would…

As outlined in the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan, digital health, safety, and citizenship skills reflect the full set of knowledge and habits students need to use technology appropriately, responsibly, and safely. For schools and districts, creating the conditions for those skills to develop includes policies regulating the use of…

This policy guidance offers recommendations that schools can adopt to safeguard their students and ensure their right to engage in peaceful protest, while maintaining a safe campus environment and upholding relevant laws. The guidance came in response to a growing wave of discriminatory and punitive actions against student protesters, particularly…

This technical assistance paper provides policy and guidance to individuals with test administration responsibilities in adult education programs. The Florida assessment policies and guidelines presented in this technical assistance paper are appropriate for state and federal reporting. Therefore, guidance and procedures regarding the selection…

Virtual learning has grown significantly over roughly the last decade and, more recently, was thrust into the spotlight because of the shift to remote instruction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2019-20 school year, full-time virtual schools enrolled more than 330,000 students, and statewide programs provided over 1 million courses,…

The purpose of this study was to understand one type of restorative discipline, collaborative conversations, which uses a structured dialogue process between an adult and a student to address disciplinary incidents. This study presents existing literature on restorative discipline and the benefits of a one-on-one model like the one discussed in…