This brief case study shows how one State--Delaware--identified priority goals and reforms and plans to sustain them. The case study outlines Delaware's involvement in the Reform Support Network (RSN) Sustainability Work Group and three sustainability lessons learned by the State Education Agency (SEA): focus on what works, establish proof points…

Over the last 25 years, the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) has invested nearly $5.3 billion into the charter school sector, directing funds to schools in 43 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Approximately 60% of students in CSP grantee schools are from low-income backgrounds and 64% are Black or Hispanic. The CSP has played a critical role in…

Growing up in poverty increases youth risk for developing aggressive behavior problems which, in turn, are associated with a host of problematic outcomes, including school drop-out, substance use, mental health problems, and delinquency. In part, this may be due to exposure to adverse school contexts that create socialization influences supporting…

All states value their distinct approaches to policy and to life and the U.S. Constitution embeds the idea of state rights and responsibilities as a core principle in the federal system. California arguably takes this further than most. This paper provides a new way to think about how national policies might complicate or augment the next state…

Since the adoption of CCSS by 43 states, there has been growing concern regarding teacher training and preparation of state standards for students with disabilities. Through a better understanding of the kinds of support and training needed for teachers to apply the CCSS, the educational system may offer students with disabilities the experience…

Each year, effective federal programs give parents the power to provide their children with affordable healthcare, nutritious food, stable housing, and early childhood education. These programs lift millions of children out of poverty, but also have long-term benefits--children in families who accessed these programs have higher educational…

Educational reform in the past decade has placed a very strong emphasis on teacher accountability and student achievement. This change in focus has caused a thorough reexamination of how teacher quality and effectiveness are defined in the field, and has triggered a reform of the teacher evaluation process. As a result, generic, all-encompassing…

We know that students cannot learn if they are not in school, and that students with economic challenges miss school more frequently than other students. What obstacles create this attendance gap, and how can school districts provide the supports to improve attendance for these students? The authors of this article, who work with the Texas…

Federal laws and funding initiatives, such as the No Child Left Behind Act and the Race to the Top campaign, have created an increasing incentive for schools nationwide to document student progress, standardize assessment practices, and evaluate teachers according to student success. In response, the Common Core State Standards, a popular yet…

Educational policies such as Race to the Top in the USA affirm a central role for testing systems in government-driven reform efforts. Such reform policies are often referred to as the global education reform movement (GERM). Changes observed with the GERM style of testing demand socially engaged validity theories that include consequential…

Over the past few years, students by the thousands have refused to take their state's standardized tests. This "opt-out" phenomenon has prompted debate in state legislatures and in Washington, putting states at risk of losing Title I funds. Advocates describe opt-out as a grassroots movement of parents concerned about overtesting,…

In recent years, TRIO Programs have been targeted for budget cuts. The development of more data-based arguments is needed to defend these programs. Arguments against the continuation of TRIO programs stem from concerns about the program's relevancy and success. Specifically, Student Support Services (SSS) operates at higher education institutions…

English language learners (ELLs) in a Midwestern urban elementary school have not been meeting the local school's adequate yearly progress (AYP) in reading in 3 consecutive years on statewide test scores. Meeting school standards is important because failing to meet AYP for 6 consecutive years can result in the restructuring or closing of any…

In this article, Reginald L. Stewart asks: "What is the true value of higher education to military veterans?" Military veterans may be underrepresented in higher education due to life adversities including homelessness, medical disabilities, substance abuse, family hardships, and deficient academic skills, however, with the transition of…

Objectives: Recruitment of the needed doctoral level social workers is impeded upon when doctoral graduates experience greater educational debt burden, modest salaries, and limited opportunities for student loan debt repayment. The purpose of this article is to describe a promising opportunity to reduce doctoral level social workers'…