On October 14, 2016, the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) and the National Center for Education Research (NCER) in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) convened a group of experts to gain insights and advice on how best to support the advancement of evidence beyond an efficacy study. Discussion followed five topics of…

This paper seeks to analyse the policy trajectory of the inter-regional plans to establish a common space in higher education (HE) involving the European Union (EU) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) regions. Although both regions developed different formats of higher education cooperation programmes, it was in 1999 that an…

Through engaging in interviews with 10 local educational agency liaisons, this study provides insight into their roles, challenges, and training in serving children and youth experiencing homelessness. Using thematic analysis to analyze transcripts, common themes were uncovered. The findings highlight the liaisons' challenges related to…

This article focuses on the interface between language policy and development in Mozambique. Special attention is devoted to the interplay between language and education and to the role of development agencies in language policy and planning activities in Mozambique. I show that there has now been a discourse shift from homogenizing language…

In this brief we summarize findings from three surveys that sought to learn how county offices of education (COEs) are changing in response to the implementation of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and the Statewide System of Support (SSS). COEs have been assigned critically important responsibilities in the implementation of these…

This edition of "Equity Dispatch" poses the question: what is the responsibility of state education agencies (SEAs) to support local education agencies (LEAs) in centering educational equity? Here, we focus on the impact of SEAs, aiming to illuminate the ethical necessity of concurrent, coordinated, equity-focused efforts within and…

There is a new state education policy concept termed either innovation zones or districts of innovation. State education agencies interested in shifting their role from enforcing compliance to one of supporting innovation and building capacity in districts are working to spur new innovative instructional models and create space for…

The Virgin Islands Department of Education (VIDE) began an intensive examination of the U.S. Virgin Islands' education future and VIDE's role relative to the two school districts and communities in shaping that future. The Commissioner, Dr. Sharon Ann McCollum, and selected leaders representing VIDE, both districts, and several schools met for…

The coronavirus pandemic will have a profound, lasting impact on students, particularly those who are already marginalized. This includes students in foster care, those in juvenile detention facilities, or those experiencing homelessness. Schools, districts, nonprofit organizations, and other partners play a critical role in ensuring that systems…

With the increasing visibility of state school psychology consultants (SSPCs) across the nation, there is a pressing need to understand their roles and functions relative to serving their stakeholders. In addition, it is unclear whether current SSPC job responsibilities are aligned with the National Association of School Psychologists' (NASP)…

As it has become a prominent feature in the identification of students with specific learning disabilities (SLD), response to intervention (RTI) has generated significant interest and, in some respects, controversy regarding assessment and attendant procedures. In the present study, the authors surveyed state directors of special education…

Historically, U.S. school districts have led schooling, while state education agencies (SEAs) have held a largely regulatory role in school improvement. Yet, a recent reform strategy, the "state takeover," allows an SEA to assume direct governance of a low-performing district -- potentially creating a much more active role for state…

One of the biggest challenges that states and local intermediaries face in setting up and scaling high-quality youth apprenticeships is gathering relevant, accurate and actionable data. High-quality data is an essential ingredient for a strong youth apprenticeship program because it equips state and local leaders to evaluate impact, monitor…

This document records testimony from a hearing held to learn what actions the Department of Education intends to take to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act and to help ensure the department acts in a manner that strictly adheres to the letter and intent of the law. Under the new law, authority over accountability, teacher quality, and school…

Roughly 270,000 school-aged youth were in foster care at the end of fiscal year 2017. Youth in foster care may change schools frequently, which can negatively affect their academic achievement. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), enacted in 2015, reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and included provisions to improve…