California requires each school district to belong to a Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) for special education planning and governance. The California Department of Education (CDE) and the State Board of Education (SBE) are interested in the impact on the surrounding small and midsized districts when large districts become single-district…

During the pandemic, there have been bipartisan calls for dramatically increased public funding for early education and care (EEC). As that money is being invested, more needs to be done to make it easier for families to exercise true choice--in which they have affordable, accessible, and high-quality options and the information they need to make…

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, there was a sudden shift from face-to-face to distance education in all schools and universities in Saudi Arabia (SA) starting March 2020. Many instructors and students were not technically prepared for this abrupt transition as some did not have devices and Internet access. On the other hand, some households have…

The goals of this article are to provide a critical policy analysis and conceptual examination of California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and Accountability (LCAP) systems in the Silicon Valley context. The goals and structure of this article are as follows: First, I situate my discussion on LCFF by providing a sociocultural and…

Over the past 25 years, a small but growing number of school districts have implemented weighted student funding (WSF) systems as a way to increase school-level autonomy and more equitably distribute resources among schools. In these districts, which are predominantly large urban school systems, education leaders have implemented policies that…

Despite the obvious benefits derived from education, governments face difficult trade-offs when balancing the share of public and private contributions to education. Understanding how private expenditure is sourced, through public transfers or through private funds, can make a difference in enabling access to education and provide insights into…

Through case studies of five states with varying facilities policies, the study presented in "What about the Schools? Factors Contributing to Expanded State Investment in School Facilities" examines the factors contributing to expanded state investment in equitable public school facilities and how those factors can be leveraged to…

Through case studies of five states with varying facilities policies, the study presented in "What about the Schools? Factors Contributing to Expanded State Investment in School Facilities" examines the factors contributing to expanded state investment in equitable public school facilities and how those factors can be leveraged to…

This environmental scan argues for the value in making grant proposals open access. Applying for and receiving grant funding is an important facet of research. However, accessing information on grant application, review, and award processes remains a particular challenge for early career scholars, researchers from smaller or underresourced…

New Jersey, like many states, has long struggled with the tension of maintaining a well-funded public education system while not overburdening residents with high property taxes. New Jersey's school funding formula, 2008's School Funding Reform Act (SFRA), includes a determination of how much local funding -- raised through property taxes -- is…

Local control has been a bedrock principle of public schooling in America since its inception. In 2013, the California Legislature codified a new local accountability approach for school finance. An important component of the new California Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) approach is a focus on English learners (ELs). The law mandates that…

One of the aims of K-12 supplemental programs is to maximize the potential for success of students who bring special needs into a classroom. Therefore, the intent behind a large majority of these additional resources is to support programs that are designed to address the needs of otherwise marginalized students by leveling the playing field. The…

Statistical analysis of existing databases across nearly 200 countries dealing with national/human development (2 databases) and literacy/education policy (4 databases) shows high correlation between literacy and national development. Correlations were highest between national literacy scores and human/national development. Correlations were…

Researchers have shown renewed interest during the past decade in the relationships among politics, policy, finance, and governance of higher education at the state level. Little attention, however, has been paid to state higher education executive officers (SHEEOs), the individuals responsible for leading the agencies that oversee higher…

This Policy Briefing Note questions the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR's) predictions of future student numbers. OBR's forecasts feed into the country's economic planning on things like levels of borrowing, which in turn affects the room for manoeuvre that policymakers feel they have. This Policy Briefing Note provides examples of OBR's…