K-12-unit school structures are unique in grade band structure and in community involvement. Often found in rural settings, K-12-unit schools are steeped in tradition and community. They are typically smaller schools with under 1500 students enrolled. K-unit-schools exhibit characteristics of an open system wherein they are impacted by both those…

Approximately 7% of all U. S. K-12 schools have received the United States Department of Education's (USDOE) National Blue Ribbon (NBR). Information was needed about how leaders prepare their schools to earn this award. This study was focused on the leadership practices of school principals honored with the award between 2005 and 2021 to learn…

While previous studies have assessed public opinions for arming teachers in K-12 schools in the United States, comparatively less research has focused on understanding teachers' opinions for such policies and assessed whether and to what extent school- and individual-level factors are associated with differences in support. The current study aims…

This exploratory sequential mixed methods study examines the contemporary usage of online education in rural, K-12 settings, as well as explores the relationship between Internet connectivity, smartphone use, and rural, K-12 online education in the United States. The following general research questions were explored: (1) How are rural K-12…

The forces against school integration are relentless. Societal and marketplace decisions create segregated schools even in racially integrated areas in the suburbs. Jonathan E. Collins suggests creating a federal designation for public schools called the Black-serving institution (BSI), similar to historically Black colleges and universities.…

For the past quarter century, federal law has required states to measure school performance, identify the lowest performing schools, and provide support to identified schools. Earlier accountability systems were criticized for overemphasizing student achievement in reading and mathematics, excluding nonacademic features of school performance, and…

I examine the effect of out-of-school suspensions (OSS) on attendance in a large midwestern urban district with high rates of chronic absenteeism. I do so from an ecological perspective and using daily attendance and discipline data. Out-of-school suspension has a modest and persistent negative effect on subsequent attendance, particularly for…

While there has been movement from disability, or special education needs (SEN), eligibility identification as a prerequisite for special education services, formal school-based identification remains critical in understanding the educational experience of students with disabilities. This study examined data from Ontario, Canada between 2006 and…

In this article, the authors study family preferences in one of the most competitive school markets ever developed in the United States: New Orleans, where virtually all district students attend a charter school. The vast majority provide transportation from anywhere in the city, and none can charge tuition. Admission is based on parental…

The use of exclusionary discipline (ExD) was compared for U.S. public pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) and K-12 grades within the same school. ExD rates were 10 times higher in K-12 than in Pre-K when calculated for all schools but ExD rates were comparable for schools that reported at least one case of ExD in Pre-K. Additionally, disparities in the use…

This study examines current approaches to professional development (PD) for school leaders in Brazil, Chile, and Colombia. While PD programs indicate significant progress, school leadership remains in an early stage of development. The findings highlight the need for national policy commitments to ensure long-term sustainability. The challenge is…

The American School District Panel (ASDP) is the newest addition to RAND's American Educator Panels (AEP) and was designed to survey district leaders two times each school year. RAND recruits ASDP members using probabilistic sampling methods, which allow researchers to weight survey results to generalize to the national population of school…

This is the latest report in the State of the Superintendent series, an annual report intended to provide a reliable, recurring snapshot of the U.S. public school superintendency. Since the American School District Panel began in fall 2020, researchers have periodically surveyed superintendents about their job, focusing on job-related stressors,…

This report examines (1) comprehensive support and improvement (CSI) school characteristics; (2) how CSI plans address selected Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requirements; and (3) Education monitoring. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) compared the characteristics of CSI and other schools using 2019-20 Education data (the…

Over the last several years, enrollment at Conservative Christian schools has risen noticeably due to a response to COVID-19 regulations and culture wars being played out within primary and secondary schools. Alongside this trend, there has also been a significant rise in White Christian nationalism during the early part of the 21st century. Using…