Open enrollment in public schools is a form of school choice that allows students to attend schools other than the one assigned to them by their school district. Though often less visible than policies such as charter schools, vouchers, and education savings accounts, K-12 open enrollment is rising in popularity across the nation, and 73 percent…

This research project aimed to investigate the experiences and roles of school social workers in Arizona and how school and district leaders can support their professional needs. The study's participants included 10 school social workers who met specific criteria, such as having a master's degree in social work, a certification through the Arizona…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if, or to what extent, a correlation existed between teachers' collaboration and the intrinsic, extrinsic, and general job satisfaction of K-12 teachers in the Southwestern United States. The sample of this studied consisted of 113 K-12 public school teachers, in Arizona, that…

This report summarizes the fiscal effects of education choice programs across the United States from an analysis of 48 private education choice programs in 25 states plus D.C. The programs in the analysis include five education savings account programs, 22 school voucher programs, and 21 tax credit scholarship programs. This study estimates the…

Civics education continues to gain national importance, especially in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election and with recent debates about the teaching of history that addresses the legacy of racism and discrimination in the United States. Despite the increasing interest in strengthening civics education, states continue to differ in…

In the 2022-23 school year, Arizona began implementation of a "universal voucher" program through which all school-age students are eligible for a voucher, and families can use public funding to underwrite private or homeschool education for their children. Universal vouchers in Arizona are an expansion of the existing Empowerment…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how teachers in a K-12 grade classroom setting describe their learning management system (LMS) training for performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions in an online classroom environment in schools across Arizona. The theoretical framework…

We live in an era of rapid technological change. Not only must citizens contend with social problems presented by new and more invasive technologies, but they must also make sense of older technologies that can be viewed as natural to the world. We sought to answer the question, how is technology included and framed in K-12 content social studies…

How do educators sustain K-12 district initiatives? Teaching and learning initiatives, despite being well-intentioned, often struggle to gain traction due to limited teacher acceptance or inconsistent program fidelity, so much so that many are familiar with the concept of "initiative decay." Even the most promising initiatives can…

Arizona shifted to using current-year enrollment, instead of prior-year enrollment, as the basis for determining state aid for school districts following the passage of Arizona Education Finance Amendment (AEFA) in 2017. This study examines the short-term effects of AEFA implementation on school inputs--namely, expenditures and district personnel,…

Although the Texas economy is racing ahead at full speed, state K-12 education has stalled. One major obstacle has been the claim by opponents of school choice in Texas that giving families more education options via education choice policies would harm or even destroy rural district schools. These concerns, even if understandable, are not based…

A stock inhaler program provided access to rescue medication (albuterol sulfate) for school children. School staff were provided with a standardized protocol for medication administration. We hypothesized licensed nurses were more likely to report compliant events compared to unlicensed school staff. Stock inhaler events were defined as either…

In the past year, the Region 15 Comprehensive Center (R15CC), Region 13 Comprehensive Center (R13CC), and Regional Educational Laboratory West (REL West) partnered to convene directors of Indian education at state education agencies (SEAs) to learn together, explore challenges and opportunities of practice, and advance equity for Native students.…

Amid the ongoing pandemic, school librarians across the country have been facing a different kind of battle, one that has been going on for years in some cases: the fight for every student to benefit from the instruction and carefully curated resources a certified school librarian can provide. Several states are working to introduce or retain…

The purpose of this study was to examine enrollment management needs and potential processes in traditional public preschool through 12th grade school districts. This study allowed school districts to examine their own individual unique enrollment management needs and potential processes for moving forward in making equitable decisions for all…