The U.S. Department of Education (Department) allocates funds to States through statutory formulas based primarily on census poverty estimates and the cost of education in each State. To receive funding, a State plan that includes a description of its accountability system must be submitted to the Department for review and approval. For the…

State Interagency Coordinating Councils (SICCs) play vital roles in decision-making for Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). While parent representatives are required to serve on SICCs, it is unclear how parents participate in the SICC. It is important to understand parent experiences on the SICC given the…

The inclusion of children with disabilities in preschool classrooms is increasing, supported by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Head Start, which promote educating students with disabilities alongside their peers. Well-trained early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers are critical to the success of these…

Since the reauthorization of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 and the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V) in 2018, a new focus has been placed on career-focused indicators within state accountability systems. Among all possible career-focused indicators, dual enrollment participation/success is the most…

The original principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act offer strengths and possibilities for fostering professional and family collaboration and partnerships. In spite of persistent challenges, opportunities exist for special education leaders to enhance stakeholder involvement and ensure that parents play a key…

Multiculturalism, a federal policy that emphasises cultural, social, and political rights for ethnic minorities in Canada, is a crucial aspect of immigrant life. Concurrently with the implementation of multiculturalism by the federal government, Canada adopted bilingualism as its official language policy. Although the primary motivation for this…

Nutrition provisions in the FY2025 budget reconciliation law (P.L. 119-21/H.R. 1), as enacted July 4, 2025, are estimated to reduce federal spending for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and, in order to achieve such savings, significantly change how the benefits, administrative costs, and nutrition education costs are funded.…

This paper examines the financial resources allocated to Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in the United States. Our analyses demonstrate that CSI schools do receive additional funding and spend more than comparable non-CSI schools. However, we question whether the magnitude of this…

Ensuring that all students graduate high school prepared to pursue a career, postsecondary degree, or enter a certification program requires all stakeholders to work together for a common goal. The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 gave state education agencies the opportunity to partner with their local education agencies, restructuring school…

Title IX Coordinators are responsible for implementing standardized procedures related to each component of Title IX procedures on college and university campuses. The problem this study addressed was the gap in practice regarding the ways colleges and universities implement standardized procedures to ensure equitable due process for involved…

Title IX, the federal law that protects against sex discrimination in schools, is frequently considered a law to protect women from bias, harassment, and assault. However, in recent years, it has also been used to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ students and of men. Robert Kim describes how male victims of harassment have been able to seek justice…

The prevalence of students with visual impairments (VI) varies across the United States, yet no analysis exists on how individual state factors may correlate with the number of students receiving services. This study presents the results of an analysis of variations in eligibility criteria for the Individuals with Disabilities Education…

The evidence deployed in the policy process is often done so from sources hoping to shape policy along preconceived ideological lines. This chapter presents the data and research cited as evidence in tuition-free community legislation proposed and enacted by 10 states, along with the sources that produced this evidence when applicable. Results…

This study aims to illustrate how states include an improvement science approach to educational improvement in their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) state plan. Through a qualitative content analysis of 52 state ESSA plans, we propose an introductory organizational typology to categorize states based on their explicit inclusion of improvement…

Next generation accountability systems can empower states, districts, communities, and schools with timely, relevant information and provide the capacity to analyze and continuously improve instruction and learning. After 21 years of the current accountability framework in federal and state policy in the United States, there is growing recognition…