To explore and identify gaps in students' opportunities to take and prepare for advanced math since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, RAND Corporation researchers conducted a nationally representative survey of teachers and principals in spring 2022. The researchers focused on two key ingredients that enable equitable student…

The COVID pandemic caused changes in education of which we may never know or understand all its repercussions to the public education system. One group of vulnerable students, newcomers from Guatemala and Honduras with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE), were negatively affected. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one SLIFE program sent…

Online learning has profoundly transformed the educational landscape, providing greater flexibility, convenience, and tailored instructional opportunities. Despite these benefits, challenges and disparities have emerged, particularly highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This policy brief examines findings from a study at a suburban high school in…

Research Problem: Computer science (CS) education researchers conducting studies that target high school students have likely seen their studies impacted by COVID-19. Interpreting research findings impacted by COVID-19 presents unique challenges that will require a deeper understanding as to how the pandemic has affected underserved and…

The ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated educational inequities for students from institutionally marginalized communities. This article specifically examines the college (in)opportunities and conscious choices of rural Latinx students from California's San Joaquin Valley as they pursued higher education during the pandemic. This…

The Navajo Nation has been historically underserved, as evidenced by the prevalence of education inequity, inadequacies in healthcare facilities and personnel, and limited capacity of telecommunications and electrical infrastructure. These vulnerabilities of the Navajo Nation were further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative…

The advent of online learning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic radically altered the landscape of modern education. While most research has examined the socio-emotional and academic impact of the shift to online school, far less attention has been given to its effect on extra-curricular activities. This article examines the ways in which…

In an effort to investigate school administrator self-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic, two public high school administrators from the same high school in a Southeastern U.S. state were interviewed virtually two times a week during the first six weeks of the 2020-2021 school year. Selection of participants was accomplished using convenience…

A new survey of approximately 1,500 parents or guardians of school-age children provides a snapshot of the current afterschool program landscape, documenting that while children and families who are able to access afterschool programs report high levels of satisfaction, for every child in an afterschool program, there are four more who are waiting…

This annual report looks closely at how CPS students are progressing on the path to and through high school and college. In particular, we examine three key milestones: high school graduation, college enrollment, and college completion, and track how rates on these milestones have changed across time. These rates are then used to calculate an…

There are hundreds of recognized tuition-free college "promise" programs, but few are as generous or flexible as the Kalamazoo Promise (KPromise). Pre-COVID studies on KPromise have demonstrated effects on increased college attendance, credit completion, and persistence. Extending these findings to the COVID-19 pandemic context can help…

In this dissertation, I examine various factors shaping students' trajectories and opportunities later in life. In Chapter 1, I explore the role of grade retention policies. Grade retention as a remedial policy is controversial because the benefits of extra instruction time may not outweigh its costs. Previous research has primarily examined…

This study explores challenges faced by young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families enrolling in inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs during COVID-19. The benefits of attending IPSE programs are well-documented, but this group is disadvantaged accessing postsecondary education and employment.…

The State of Vermont's policy is that all Vermonters, including secondary students, should receive educational services that enable them to master the skills essential for further education and training and for successful entry into or advancement in the workplace. As part of this policy, high schools are required to provide genuine access to…

Academic preparation is a key factor in readiness for college-level work. Students who enroll in rigorous courses while in high school realize better secondary and postsecondary outcomes. Evidence from California suggests that rigorous learning opportunities may not be equally distributed across the state, prompting questions about course…