This report summarizes the results of a project by the Center on Education Policy (CEP) that explored how education leaders, practitioners, and the research community might work together more effectively to advance the use of evidence in school improvement. In particular, the project focused on how to support states and school districts as they…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that state education agencies (SEAs) conduct periodic resource allocation reviews (RARs) in districts that serve low-performing schools. The mandate represents a new opportunity for states and districts to examine the connection between resource allocation and academic outcomes, but the language of…

The Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), within the U.S. Department of Education (ED), is established as a performance-based organization (PBO) pursuant to Section 141 of the Higher Education Act (HEA). This report begins by discussing the HEA provisions that distinguish FSA from other types of federal agencies. This is followed by a discussion of…

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is the single largest federal investment in K-12 schools, making it a key tool for driving opportunity and closing the achievement gap. Title I provides financial assistance to schools based on the number of low-income students they enroll. Schools receiving the grants are required to…

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) enforces, among other statutes, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. While Title IX is directed towards the prevention of discrimination in collegiate athletics, Title IX does not explicitly remedy only issues in college athletics. Rather, the statute's heart is a…

Given that marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug among college students (A. M. Arria, Caldeira, Bugbee, Vincent, & O'Grady, 2013);(Palmer, McMahon, Moreggi, Rounsaville, & Ball, 2012);(Pinchevsky et al., 2012);(Primack et al., 2012), the increase in use and changing attitudes among Americans seems to mirror what Parker (2005)…

Our nation has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to providing every child with an equal opportunity to an education. Two Federal laws that address the education for children with disabilities are the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), signed into law in 1965 and 1975,…

More Latino students are attending college than ever before, bringing urgency to remove financial barriers that stand in the way of their academic goals and the promise of the American Dream. As the fastest-growing group within the national and postsecondary population, Latinos are vital to our nation's prosperity and progress. Seal of…

United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal 4 seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all learners. Education can only unfold its full potential to transform our world if it is approached from a lifelong learning perspective. In this way, learners' lives are…

Teacher education remains a largely unexplored area within the history of American education. This paper is an example of the types of state-specific stories that are needed as university administrators and policymakers make critical decisions about the content and purpose of teacher ed curriculum. These decisions, in turn, have a direct impact on…

We analyzed teacher supervision and evaluation policy systems in 30 states since the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 in the United States (US). This qualitative study of state ESSA policy documents and legislation examined how teacher supervision and evaluation systems (TSES) models have been developed under ESSA,…

Simulation pedagogies, while offering powerful potential benefits to students, often have difficulty in combining two desirable outcomes: experiencing the consequential stakes associated with true crisis situations, on the one hand, with the direct relatability associated with more "realistic" hands-on scenarios, on the other. In this…

This article briefly responds to the following question: Why aren't more students with severe disabilities being placed in general education classrooms? I offer five reasons why more students with severe disabilities are not included, because: (a) ableism persists, (b) schools continue to misapply the least restrictive environment provisions of…

Undocumented students face many challenges while trying to navigate through the K-12 educational system. This article emphasizes the educational and personal challenges and traumas this vulnerable student population faces. Using the ecological systems theory (1977) developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner as a framework, two student vignettes will be…

This article describes the Division of Career Development and Transition's (DCDT) position regarding Career Technical Education (CTE) and provides recommendations regarding more intense collaboration to improve access to and persistence in CTE for students with disabilities. Professional groups, such as the DCDT and the Association for Career and…