Misinterpretations and caricatures of Critical Race Theory (CRT) abound in popular media and in higher education scholarship. Given the confusion surrounding what CRT is and is not, I write this conceptual essay as an invitation to engage seriously with CRT's legal foundations. I offer four guideposts to aid scholars in engaging the legal roots of…

This short reflection explores both the challenges and potentials of teacher professional learning in contemporary times. It argues that the neoliberal logics of professional development as deployed in many contexts around the world limit and curtail the potential for teachers to engage in generative professional learning that fosters growth and…

In the United States, in 2013, 610,042 people were estimated homeless in one night. Improving the effectiveness of homeless assistance programs, particularly aligning programs' practices with their goals, is critical to serving this population. Using a theory that predicts homeless exits, this study presents an innovative, low-cost evaluation tool…

Compelling international evidence illustrates the potential of reading for pleasure for enhancing student reading achievement along with other learning and wellbeing outcomes. Yet profound challenges exist for nations seeking to encompass attention to students' volitional reading. In this paper we critically review the growing research evidence in…

Some school districts have centralized school operations as a means to ensure universal access to schools of choice. Yet, centralization can infringe on charter school autonomy. We explore how district and charter school leaders in three contexts perceive and negotiate the trade-offs between centralized versus school-based autonomy. We find that…

In England, music education policy is deeply rooted in neoliberal ideologies, shaping classroom practice and assessments. This paper presents findings from a four-year funded longitudinal project exploring the impact of musical partnerships on young people at risk of educational exclusion. Through a posthuman lens, the researchers made a…

This dissertation examines the landmark case Larry P. v. Riles and its impact on addressing the disproportionality and overrepresentation of Black and/or African American students in special education within California. Despite the court's ruling, which prohibited the use of IQ tests for Black students for special education placement due to…

University-industry relationship has always been disputable in higher education. The affiliated Technology Development Zones (TDZs) of universities are proposed as the most viable form of university-industry relationship, and countries have invested extensive public monies in TDZs. However, concerns have been raised regarding the structures of…

The valorization of skills in English higher education policy-making is a long-standing refrain, informing both rhetoric and investment from government and shaping university behaviour. Critiques of the 'skills agenda' are equally established, on grounds of its contested evidence base, manner of implementation and even its very definition. This…

Notwithstanding the dramatic admission of the historical injustice against females in the Ethiopian constitution three decades back and the education policy that reflected the enthusiasm to address gender inequality, in practice, it failed to create a fairly inclusive higher education environment that is friendly to women. The aim of this study is…

The years 2020-2021 were filled with contention, including politicizing a global virus, a US presidential election, and the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Yet, much of the research on college student responses has tended to focus on US domestic students. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine international students'…

Schools of public policy are explicitly charged with preparing their students to play significant roles in public life. This paper looks at the degree to which policy schools appear to be honoring a commitment to ideological diversity and bridge-building. The authors took a closer look at the ideological composition of the faculty in 10 of the…

Exclusionary discipline -- suspensions or expulsions that remove students from the learning environment -- can have long-lasting, negative impacts on a student's trajectory. Research suggests that students who are suspended or expelled suffer academically and are more likely to drop out and be involved in the criminal justice system later in life.…

Given the importance of Public Policies for social transformation, the document explains why and under what circumstances they constitute a decisive factor to promote or inhibit social transformation. A policy is a purposeful, intentional, planned behavior, not just reactive, casual. It is set in motion with the decision to achieve certain…

Policy capacity in music education can be enhanced through understanding the policy-making process and state governmental policy. Three examples of engagement in state-level policy action are used to explore agency, negotiation, and visioning as important dispositions for advancing music education policy goals. First, influencing state-level…