This study examined integrated science questions of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in Ghana at the end of grade 9. Results from BECE determine which senior high school a student can attend. Science questions (n = 751) over the span of eight years were analyzed in this study and viewed under the lens of the revised Bloom's…

In this dissertation, I present an examination of the economics of education through three chapters. In the first paper, I study the overrepresentation of elite university graduates in senior positions in public administration. Using rich administrative data from Chile, I employ a stacked fuzzy regression discontinuity design to estimate the…

Assembly Bill 1705 (AB 1705) seeks to strengthen students' completion of the first STEM Calculus course for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs across the California Community Colleges. The law sets new standards for students' placement and first math enrollment to ensure STEM students begin in transfer-level coursework that…

In Sweden, pupil referral units (PRUs) have been recommended by the government, suggesting that "inclusion has gone too far". This governmental recommendation is not based on research focusing on PRUs, as such research is sparse. Furthermore, there has been a lack of evaluations of the efficacy of PRUs, and no national evaluations of…

Colleges across the country struggle with determining the most appropriate means of placing students into math and English coursework. Most colleges utilize a single high-stakes standardized placement exam to assess incoming students and use strict cut-scores to determine students' placement. However, the ability of these tests to accurately place…

"Meredith v. Jefferson County/Parents Involved v. Seattle" ruled that K-12 public-school districts could no longer use the race of an individual student for placement in schools, which resulted in districts adopting new "race-neutral" assignment plans. This qualitative research study on school assignment and school choice…

Many school districts with centralized school choice adopt strategyproof assignment mechanisms to relieve applicants of the need to strategize on the basis of beliefs about their own admissions chances. This paper shows that beliefs about admissions chances shape choice outcomes even when the assignment mechanism is strategyproof by influencing…

This systematic research review identifies approaches of inclusive education concerning adolescents with autism spectrum (ASC) without intellectual disability (ID). The definitions of inclusion, whose perspectives are taken into account, approaches, and the implications suggested for best practices are reviewed in the articles included in this…

Research on early intervention (EI) teachers' perceptions toward the educational placement of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been limited. This study examined the influence of daily living skills (DLS) profiles on EI teachers' perception of educational placement in preschool students with ASD using vignettes featuring students…

The purpose of the current study was to determine how students identified as Emotionally Disturbed (ED) with severe internalizing concerns who receive special education services are placed in different school districts throughout the country. Examining the variance in how this population is placed in different parts of the country is of…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder impacting social interaction and communication skills. ASD can cause restrictive or repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities, with associated challenges and co-morbidities that often carry over into adulthood. These can limit opportunities for higher education, socialization,…

The Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA) safeguards the learning of students with disabilities and protects them from nondiscriminatory assessments that identify their disabilities and align them with the special education support and services required. However, when the IDEA is not adequately followed, students with disabilities…

Multiple measures assessment (MMA) has gained considerable momentum over the past decade as an alternative to traditional test-based procedures for placing incoming students into developmental or college-level coursework in math and English at broad-access colleges. Compared to standardized tests, which measure student performance at a single…

The purpose of this research study is to comprehend the perception and practices of New Jersey public school educators serving students in kindergarten through 12th-grade settings, regarding factors impacting placement in the least restrictive environment for special education students. This study explored how educators rate the implementation of…

This study examines the effects of English Learner (EL) status on subsequent Special Education (SPED) placement. Through a research-practice partnership, we link student demographic data and initial English proficiency assessment data across seven cohorts of test takers and observe EL and SPED programmatic participation for these students over 7…