Assistant teachers are an integral component of the preschool classroom, planning and implementing educational activities and supporting individual children and small groups, and often bring linguistic, cultural, and racial/ethnic diversity to the teaching field. However, there is limited research on the impact of assistant teacher qualifications…

This study employs difference-in-differences estimation to explore the relationship between the implementation of state merit-aid programs and students' participation in study abroad. The relationship between implementation of these financial aid programs and study abroad participation has not been tested explicitly in prior policy or education…

The federally financed GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program) was organized two decades ago with the purpose of increasing high school completion and college enrollment among low-income students. The College Crusade of Rhode Island's GEAR UP program was designed as a long-term effort to buttress student success…

This report contains evaluation findings from 43 programs that received a total of around $10 million state investment through Proposition 10 to support early childhood services in Kern County, California during Fiscal Year 2017-2018. The Kern County Children and Families Commission (First 5 Kern) was established on December 15, 1998 by Ordinance…

For this report, The Education Trust conducted a first-of-its-kind analysis examining race and ethnicity in state-funded preschool programs across the country. Education Trust analyzed two aspects of these programs: the percentage of a state's Black and Latino 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled by quality of the program and the representation of Black…

This paper examines the New York State Excelsior Scholarship and the criteria that must be met for students to be eligible to receive it. The main focus of this examination is how this scholarship aims to address access issues faced by students from low income families and how the program can be improved to better address their needs. Comparisons…

The ABC Quality program, South Carolina's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), is a statewide system designed to improve the quality of early care and education services. Historically, two observation instruments are used for centers that elect to participate in the state's voluntary QRIS depending on the level of quality for which they…

This document records testimony from a hearing before the Committee on Education and the Workforce that was held to discuss the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Given the monumental shift in education policy represented by ESSA, it is important to hear how implementation is progressing. This committee has been keeping a…

This brief is the second in a series focusing on Employment First implementation as it relates to one of the seven elements within the High-Performing States in Integrated Employment model. It examines the background of circumstances under which Employment First efforts began in seven states, and introduces each state's values, mission, and goals…

Purpose of this study is to provide an estimate of concurrent enrollment (CE) costs and return on investment (ROI) in Colorado. This report is part of a larger U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES) funded grant to develop a college access and success research partnership (R305H170049). This study is of Colorado…

Preparing all students, including students with disabilities, for life after high school is a critical responsibility for California's education system. Engaging students and their families in discussions regarding careers, employment, and the pre-requisites for postsecondary education, training, and employment must start early and continue…

Federal, state, and local initiatives have encouraged education and training providers to build stackable credentials, a series of postsecondary credentials that can be earned over time and that build on each other to prepare individuals for different needs for knowledge and skills throughout a career. By offering flexible pathways that allow…

Tuition-free college policies have gained momentum since the implementation of the Tennessee Promise, which provides financial aid to students pursuing two-year post-secondary degrees in Tennessee. While previous research has addressed the effects of similar programs on student outcomes, scholars have yet to thoroughly investigate potential…

California ranks on top of the nation for supporting health and wellbeing of young children with statewide comprehensive programs. As part of the backbone support, voters passed Proposition 10 in 1998 to fund early childhood services with a 50 cent-per-pack tax on cigarette and other tobacco products. This report delineates evaluation findings…

This report was written in compliance with Senate Bill 5437 Section 6, to explore the development of a Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) Tribal Pathway that meets the needs of Tribal Sovereign Nations in providing ECEAP in their communities and decreasing the opportunity gap…