One year after the COVID-19 pandemic forced state and school leaders across the nation and around the world to immediately close school buildings, the lasting impact on students is increasingly evident: Months of online learning and limited in-person interaction with educators, coaches and mentors have led to gaps in learning, and unknown…

The purpose of this case study was to understand how collaboration, or lack of collaboration between community college-level silos, affected the process of accreditation as conducted by the Higher Learning Commission. The theory that guided this study is Smith's theory of seven silos of higher education, as it explains the relationships between…

"Through redesign you have the opportunity do whatever you choose to do to make your school reflect the needs and desires of your community. I believe our public-school teachers can do the great things we keep hearing private and charter schools do if we would just let them." Randy Watson, Kansas Deputy Commissioner of Education, said…

The purpose of this problem-based learning project was to explore how superintendents make decisions regarding school facility resource deployment in order to inform the process of decision-making, leading to facilities leadership better aligned with best practices. Through interviews with 12 superintendents from school districts, comparable in…

This qualitative case study examined the individual plan of study (IPS) within three comprehensive high schools. Ecological systems theory was used as a construct for understanding the actions of the participants and their interactions within the ecology in support of the success of each student. Participants in this research shared their…

Leaders in the U.S. Army have recently emphasized that there is a gap between the skills required for strategic leaders and those required to succeed at the entry (tactical) and intermediate (operational) levels of the organization. The problem is compounded by the fact that elevation to senior leadership positions only occurs following…

USD 240 Twin Valley School District, consisting of Bennington Grade School and Bennington Junior High/High School in Bennington and Tescott Grade School and Tescott Junior High/High School, was one of seven districts initially selected in August 2017 as part of the first cohort of Kansas State Department of Education's Kansas Can School Redesign…

State early childhood administrators are planning to strategically invest the federal appropriations in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) to address disruptions in children's care and learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. State leaders must consider how this one-time funding can be used effectively while understanding the context around…

As community colleges across the country look for ways to promote student success, the need for scaling effective approaches is critical. This guide builds on a framework of four phases of scaling developed in Job For the Future's (JFF's) previous publication, "Thinking Big: A Framework for States on Scaling Up Community College…

Recent ethnographic research of physical academic library spaces demonstrates that students often utilise these spaces quite differently than the library's staff may have originally intended. Student feedback in library remodelling efforts improves design outcomes and helps to foster a sense of student engagement with the larger academic…

"Career Pathways: From School to Retirement" brings together leading workforce researchers and practitioners to provide new perspectives on school-to-work and workplace career pathways. This groundbreaking book explains the transformations that have taken place in the workplace over the past several decades and how those transformations…

Change swept throughout the country with the 2018 elections, bringing 20 new governors into office. Whether returning or starting their first term, governors are taking the opportunity in their State of the State addresses to highlight achievements and outline plans for the future. Every governor who has given an address has mentioned an…

The goal of "Navigating Next" is to support school systems by providing concise, prioritized guidance for effectively and successfully completing the 2020-2021 school year while simultaneously planning and preparing for the start of the 2021-2022 school year. Additionally, "Navigating Next" supports districts in determining…

This brief is the first 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…

For most students with intellectual disability (ID), education in the least restrictive environment has been determined to be separate special education classrooms. One means to promote greater participation in general education classrooms is for educators to identify and arrange individualized supports that students need to be successful. We…