Poor indoor environmental quality impairs student health and decreases academic performance, yet many school facilities are in disrepair, creating subpar learning conditions. In a 2020 national survey, half of U.S. school districts reported needing to update or replace at least two building systems in many schools. Among the most common unmet…

Youth formerly in foster care (YFFC) are more likely to report facing financial struggles while in college and may lack resources, marketable skills, and have limited networks/ support to rely on. These students may not have access to the same kind of family support as their peers. To address these challenges, this population relies more heavily…

This document records testimony from a hearing before the Committee on Education and Labor that was held to examine the policies and priorities of the Office of Federal Student Aid. Member statements were provided by: (1) Honorable Frederica S., Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment; and (2) Honorable Gregory F.…

With an increase in students arriving to the U.S. from other countries, many local educational agency (LEA) homeless liaisons have questions about eligibility for services under the McKinney-Vento Act, as well as strategies for best serving these students. This resource provides an overview of the rights of immigrant, migrant, and undocumented…

Massachusetts has received $2.9 billion in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding, with the vast majority going to districts. Across the state, almost all of the first round of funding (ESSER I) and the majority of the second round (ESSER II) has been spent. Districts now have until September 2024 to spend the remainder…

The problem addressed through this study is the low graduation rate of military-connected students who received benefits from military funding programs (FMCSs) at a community college in the northeastern United States (CCNE). Increasing the graduation rate will prepare more FMCSs for gainful employment and their transition into civilian life. The…

This dissertation presents two essays on econometric methods for program evaluation and policy choice. In Chapter 1, I develop a statistically optimal way of using data to make policy decisions when the performance of counterfactual policies is only partially identified. Specifically, I consider a class of statistical decision problems in which…

The College Cost Reduction Act would overhaul the Higher Education Act, making changes to student borrowing and repayment, borrower protections, college oversight, postsecondary data, and more. The bill includes a new proposed risk-sharing model that would require colleges to repay the federal government for a calculated proportion of their…

This quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of a one-time emergency financial relief program among Pell Grant eligible undergraduate students in Spring 2015 pursuing their first bachelor's degree across academic and financial outcomes. The academic outcomes included retention to the next semester, degree completion, attempted credit…

In the face of financial, political, and capacity constraints, leaders within the Baltimore City Public School System and Chicago Public Schools are making progress toward closing post-pandemic gaps in student learning. The executive leadership teams serving Baltimore City Public School System and Chicago Public Schools are using several…

This quantitative, correlational-predictive study was performed using publicly available archival data to determine if and to what extent post-COVID-19 relief funding (ESSER III) received by the Arizona public school districts in the 2021-2022 school year had a statistically significant impact on the English Language Arts (ELA) assessment during…

Troubled by the inequities in competitive grantmaking, we use critical quantitative methods to analyze the FY2023 federal academic earmarks as a potential mechanism for racialized change work. Specifically, we ask: To what extent does Congress distribute academic earmarks in ways that reinforce or weaken the racialized stratification of resources…

At a time of increasing and unprecedented homelessness--with more children and youth living without safe, stable housing than during the pandemic--schools are running out of time to use federal pandemic-era funds dedicated to helping homeless students. While the pandemic is officially over, the crisis of homelessness is unabated and growing.…

Disasters have severe implications for life and property, often requiring large-scale collective action to facilitate recovery. In the U.S., one key determinant of recovery is access to resources that mitigate damage losses and shorten disaster recovery trajectories. However, communities with the disabled present may be excluded from such services…

The Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk, is authorized by Title I, Part D of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and was most recently amended in 2015 by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This guidance is intended to be used in conjunction with the…