English language (EL) students' English language proficiency (ELP) scores directly impact a school district's College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) score, measuring whether Georgia meets accountability requirements. English language proficiency for English language learners (ELLs) is measured by the ACCESS for ELLs assessment. The…

This quantitative study focused on the Algebra 1 End-Of-Course Exam Program (EOCEP) exam that students must complete if they are enrolled in beginning algebra classes. The research focused on one school, the high schools within this school's district, and South Carolina. The purpose of the study was to determine if there was a relationship between…

Executive functions are widely considered as an umbrella term for the higher order cognitive processes that contribute to goal-directed behavior. In addition, executive functions are highly correlated with positive academic outcomes. To promote the development of executive functions among youth within educational settings, some theorists and…

Children in foster care are a vulnerable population in the United States K-12 education system. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative multiple-case study was to understand the perceptions of high school teachers, school social workers, and child welfare case managers regarding foster care and school collaboration protocols and supports put…

There is no question that students who experience homelessness, like all students, are entitled to be educated. A federal law, known as the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, requires states to provide homeless children and youth with the same access to free appropriate public education as is available to other students. The Act also requires…

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), the process of developing and utilizing interpersonal skills for everyday life, has become a primary vehicle for structuring students' social and emotional health in the United States and across the world. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of understanding SEL practices, is increasingly at the…

Recent federal education policies and initiatives in the United States have emphasised the importance of college and career readiness and showing up in school. The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act provides federal funding for career and technical education (CTE) in the country, and key pieces of the act focus on…

New York State has long been a leader in educational reform, including initiating efforts to enhance civic education. For example, in 1985, concerns regarding the civic and economic literacy of the state's youth prompted the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to mandate a fourth credit in social studies education. This fourth credit…

Alternative high schools in the United States perform a significant role for students who drop out, are pushed out, or fall out of conventional high schools. An essential function of alternative high schools is to support some of the most underserved students in the country to graduate from high school. High school graduation is a major factor…

In its regulatory attention on school-level graduation, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) continues what is historically a federal effort to define graduation and dropping out. These efforts rely on methodology which may not accurately represent the measured outcome. The purpose of this research article is to examine the historical accuracy of…

The discussion in policy circles and secondary schools focuses on the importance of being college and career readiness for all students (Conley & McGaughy, 2012). As with any type of policy, implementation is the key to success. The federally approved Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) required states to design K-12 career education based on…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effect of the yearly principal attrition rate on the state accountability ratings of 144 traditional public high schools in Mississippi from 2015-2019 and the proficiency rate of high school students in Mississippi in mathematics, reading, science, and history as evidenced on the…

This study solicited perspectives of underserved youth and educators who serve them regarding college and career readiness. We defined underserved youth as adolescents who experience inequitable access to educational resources. Purposeful sampling was used to select 84 focus group participants including educators and students (9-12th grade).…

Statewide testing with college admissions exams dates to 2001, when Colorado and Illinois introduced the practice. Such testing expanded in subsequent years, and beginning in 2017--2018, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) allowed states to use a college admissions exam to meet accountability requirements for high schools. Some see this option…

The Every Student Succeeds Act redefines the priorities of our nation's education system. Prior to its passage, turnaround strategies advanced solutions for low-performing schools. Research literature examining how these reforms impacted the schooling experiences of students attending these schools is lacking. We present the results of a…