A gap in practice exists regarding the lack of inclusive policies in U.S. schools for transgender students. U.S. high school administrators experience challenges in creating inclusive policies that could potentially protect transgender students from being bullied or harassed. Guided by empowerment of minority students theory and minority stress…

Since the first endeavors at high school restructuring, there have been attempts to summarize the findings on school size (Bickel et al., 2000). However, there has been a wide range of outcomes over the years that have yet to identify a definitive consensus amongst the research on the effects of the small high school movement (Research for Action,…

Engaging in mental health advocacy as a high schooler has granted the author the unique opportunity to observe some of the most inspiring manifestations of hope that humanity has to offer. Simultaneously, it has opened their my eyes to the systemic underrepresentation and misrepresentation of youth. The author has been mentored by their school…

While much of the literature regarding Spanish as a heritage language has focused on higher education institutions and areas of traditional immigration in the United States, less research has specifically examined Spanish heritage language learner (HLL) policies in states like Tennessee that have recently experienced an exponential rise in the…

The purpose of this study was to review school policy documents and seek secondary principals' perspectives regarding Black, Asian, and Latino males grades 9-12 in North Dakota public schools. Qualitative data was collected to investigate practices, policies, and routines that contributes to their graduation rates. Interviews were conducted to…

Given the dominance of residentially based school assignment, prior researchers have conceptualized K-12 enrollment decisions as beyond the purview of school actors. This paper questions the continued relevance of this assumption by studying the behavior of guidance counselors charged with implementing New York City's universal high school choice…

Given the dominance of residentially based school assignment, prior researchers have conceptualized K-12 enrollment decisions as beyond the purview of school actors. This paper questions the continued relevance of this assumption by studying the behavior of guidance counselors charged with implementing New York City's universal high school choice…

Federal and Arizona educational policies challenge U.S.-Mexico border educators to meet the diverse needs of bilingual, bicultural students while also being required to use instructional pedagogies that offer monolingual and monocultural schooling experiences. Ethnographic research captures American schooling experiences of Latino…

Background/Context: Most research on "elite" schools has focused on the private sector. However, as a result of economic residential segregation, a number of public school districts exist which may plausibly be construed as socioeconomically elite. Districts of this sort remain relatively understudied. In particular, few researchers have…

High rates of absenteeism are often an early warning sign for negative long-term outcomes. Typical high school attendance policies, especially those that are punitive in nature, can make attendance problems worse. Fortunately, evidence suggests that even small improvements in student attendance can lead to meaningful outcomes. To support this…

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented education equity crisis in California. Since mid-March, almost all California schools and colleges have closed in response to the pandemic, requiring education leaders and administrators to stretch their resources to create or improve distance learning plans, support students' basic needs, and…

Research on the merit of school tracking policies has long been at the center of heated educational debate. Unfortunately, while the trend in studies looking at tracking in schools has continued, the student perspective has been underutilized in much of this previous research. Recently, however, there has been a surge in research that focuses on…

Background: A unique biological shift in sleep cycles occurs during adolescence causing later sleep and wake times. This shift is not matched by a concurrent modification in school start times, resulting in sleep curtailment for a large majority of adolescents. Chronic inadequate sleep is associated with poor academic performance including…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "School Holding Power." Contents include: (1) Texas Higher Education Law Aims to…

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) National School Climate Survey is our flagship report on the school experiences of LGBTQ youth in schools, including the extent of the challenges that they face at school and the school-based resources that support LGBTQ students' well-being. The survey has consistently indicated that…