Purpose: This qualitative case study sought to understand and examine school social workers' perspectives on their role within California's TK-12 public school system. Theoretical Framework: Bronfenbrenner and Morris's (2007) bioecological systems theory and Frey et al.'s (2013) national school social work practice model were employed as the…

Due to the growing number of students enrolling as homeless in American public schools, a quantitative design was applied to determine if students in an Illinois suburban, kindergarten through eighth grade school district (District A), who are enrolled under the McKinney-Vento Act and are receiving resources of food, shelter, clothing, and…

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented changes to education, influencing both teachers and learners. As a result of the global health crisis, teachers adapted their teaching methods to accommodate their students. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the COVID-19 pandemic challenges on the K-12 education sector…

This second of six briefs analyzing data from the U.S. Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), covering the 2020-21 school year, explores enrollment of students with disabilities by race, gender, English proficiency, and primary disability to gain a fuller picture of educational equity. It is recognized that such categories can, at times, conceal as…

STEM education equips students with critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation skills necessary for success. This Spotlight will help readers analyze research-backed strategies to bolster the STEM teacher pipeline; learn how teachers can build student confidence and motivation in STEM; discover how hands-on learning can increase engagement…

This fourth of six briefs analyzing data from the 2020-2021 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), released earlier this year, focuses on the experiences of students with disabilities with disciplinary practices at both charter schools and traditional public schools. Though the COVID-19 pandemic was still in its early stages, concerns about the…

Using a multistage sampling technique, the students completed the self-constructed Identification Battery on Comorbid Conditions (IBCC), which assesses 10 disorders, including dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dysphasia, dyspraxia, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), autism, and tic…

Graduation rates and standardized test scores are common indicators to measure student academic achievement. These indicators have revealed a gap between two socioeconomic cohorts of students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Students attending high-poverty schools have lower academic performance than students attending low-poverty schools. As a…

Eight years ago, in 2014, the Civil Rights Project issued a report that raised awareness about the dire state of segregation in New York State and, in particular, New York City schools. That report spurred substantial activism, primarily led by student groups, parents, teachers, and administrators, which has been influential in the current…

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to examine the status of school orchestra programs in Oregon and to explain the reasoning behind the descriptive data. The quantitative phase of the study reported the data on the number of school districts and schools by type that offer orchestra instruction as well as the profile…

The primary purpose of this study was to compare K-12 West Tennessee teachers' perceptions of their teacher preparation programs regarding the factors of planning, engaging, and assessing student learning based on whether they attended HBCUs or PWUs. This quantitative study examined 103 certified West Tennessee elementary, middle, and high school…

Project OCCAMS is an accelerated English language arts curriculum and delivery model for high ability middle school learners. This program was initially developed in a research-practitioner partnership with two universities and a state department of education. Over 6 years, it was implemented in Columbus City Schools, Ohio's largest urban school…

The federal Gun-Free Schools Act (GFSA) enacted in1994 requires U.S. public school systems to report any incident of a student bringing a firearm to school or being in possession of a firearm on school property, the law applies to all states and jurisdictions funded under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. Under federal…

Double-dosing in math expands the time for students to learn by having them enroll in two (or occasionally more) math courses during the regular school day. Although the practice can take different forms and be used at different grade levels (Chait, Muller, Goldware, & Housman, 2007; Nomi & Allensworth, 2009), most research on…

This policy analysis, informed by ethnographic techniques, reviewed 12 Florida school district ESOL policies. A priori coding of these policies was conducted using criteria pulled from the literature on culturally responsive practice (CRP). Subsequent observations and practitioner interviews within two schools from the same district were conducted…