When the state of Texas took control of the Houston Independent School District (HISD) in the summer of 2023, it marked the end of a multi-year legal battle between the district and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the beginning of a community-led campaign to re-take control of the district. Since, students and community groups have rallied to…

Substantial research has clearly established the relationship between school attendance and indicators of student achievement over time in large, urban cities using longitudinal studies. However, there is an insufficient amount of literature that focuses on an immediate relationship in smaller, suburban areas with differing demographics. This…

Over the past five years, enrollment has declined at nearly three-quarters of California school districts, and losses are expected to continue across nearly all regions through at least the next decade. The California Department of Finance (DOF) projects enrollment to fall below 5.2 million by 2032; the federal government projects an even larger…

The School Spending & Outcomes Snapshot allows users to view and print data visualizations to explore spending and outcomes data in order to foster thoughtful conversations to improve equity and outcomes in their schools communities.

Collective teacher efficacy (CTE) is a social construct that describes teachers' perceptions of the collective capability of their colleagues to make an educational difference in the lives of their students that transcends the impact of students' homes and communities (Bandura, 1993, 1997; Goddard et al., 2000). The purpose of this study was to…

Across the United States, there is an increased interest in improving school climate, reflecting a deepening understanding of the foundational role that school climate can play in supporting students' well-being, learning, and development. School climate is constructed from norms, expectations, and interpersonal relationships that come together to…

The purpose of this study was to understand the nature of writing instruction across time and grade bands. We used quantitative and qualitative analyses of teacher interviews and video records of classroom instruction of English language arts writing instruction in 97 fourth- through eighth-grade classrooms in 2010 and 2018. Video records showed a…

Student absenteeism is a persistent concern in K-12 education. Not only are the negative academic and social consequences of excessive absenteeism well documented, but states, districts, and schools are increasingly being held accountable for student attendance. As research indicates that disruptions in students' learning contexts may exacerbate…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is an integral measure of academic progress across the nation and over time. It is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what our nation's students know and can do in various subjects such as civics, mathematics, reading, and U.S. history. The program also provides…

From academic years 2003-04 through 2008-09, enrollment in WCPSS grew by more than 26%, from 108,970 to 137,607 students. Such unprecedented enrollment growth presented challenges for the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). Enrollment outpaced new school construction and led to overcrowding. In addition to constructing mobile classrooms, the…

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to investigate the extent to which being labeled as an economically disadvantaged student contributed to the number of exclusionary discipline referrals in secondary schools belonging to three neighboring school districts in South Texas. The framework was based upon the Diamond et al.…

The National Center for Rural Education Research Networks (NCRERN) seeks to increase opportunity for rural students through the power of actionable data and evidence. NCRERN partners with networks of rural school districts to generate and evaluate strategies for improving student outcomes. For more information about NCRERN's work, see the…

This brief comes out of a 4-year partnership between Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) and California Education Partners (Ed Partners) aimed at improving school district outcomes. Ed Partners' efforts focus on two key areas: prekindergarten and transitional kindergarten through third grade coherence and increasing the number of…

School districts have attempted to implement many programs, initiatives, and frameworks to promote positive student behavior. However, despite these attempts, there remain inequitable student behavior outcomes in many public schools. Educational leaders who hold the position of building administrator in a public school district in Oklahoma were…

This quantitative study investigated the impact of leadership behaviors and additional factors on teacher morale across seven schools from three Arkansas school districts. The study utilized the "Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI)" and "Purdue Teacher Opinionaire (PTO)" as measurement tools to explore various leadership…