For two decades, the state role in educating children before kindergarten has been growing, and it is accelerating. Enrollment in state-funded preschool today far exceeds that in federal Head Start, and states are the dominant provider at age 4, serving about half of all four-year-olds who attend any preschool program. New universal preschool…

Background: District wellness policies provide an avenue to advance the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. The extent to which wellness policies currently align with WSCC is unclear; to-date, tools have been unavailable to examine this issue. Methods: We reviewed written health-focused policies among 37 school districts in…

This article aims to clarify the effects of conflicts on the task performance of supervisory boards in education. Management studies on conflicts on corporate boards sometimes find a positive effect and sometimes a negative effect on the performance of boards. These mixed findings are considered a result of the triggering of harmful personal…

The entry into kindergarten is a key transition children experience and has lasting consequences for their academic development. In light of this, many schools have implemented transition practices designed to foster positive development for children during this time. This study uses qualitative interview data to examine the policies, practices,…

Although many districts and teachers have struggled to provide online learning, those who serve young children were perhaps least prepared. And although nearly all states have developed guidance and resources to support students and families since the pandemic started, they often lack an effective remote learning model for preK-3 that is rooted in…

This single case study explored K-12 school leaders' perceptions of their district's structure for implementing diversity and creating inclusion as a framework (Getzels & Guba, 1957). Previous research that highlighted the views and perceptions of school leaders with respect to diversity and inclusion in schools as social systems focused on…

As students seek new ways to enter the national conversation on topics such as school safety, many state boards of education are asking how to best incorporate student input into their decision making. Some state boards seek such input from designated student board members who participate regularly at state board meetings. At least seven other…

In this paper, we study the role of expertise and independence on governing boards in the context of education. In particular, we examine the causal influence of professional educators elected to local school boards on education production. Educators may bring valuable human capital or experience to school district leadership, thereby improving…

Background/Context: A growing interest in how principals address issues of social justice in schools has emerged with an emphasis on critically interrogating school practices, policies, curriculum, and instructional approaches. Yet, many injustices, which prompt calls for social justice, are created outside of the school by larger socioeconomic…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the authors' views of university-multi academy trusts' (MATs) opportunities for future interconnectivity that could support successful partnerships. Design/methodology/approach: The authors developed a matrix of university-MATs partnerships that could help identifying potential scenarios of…

Background: We examined written language in Wisconsin school wellness policies (SWPs) for federal mandate compliance, quality related to obesity prevention, and school characteristics associated with variations in quality. This is the first near census of Wisconsin SWPs and examines whether adhering to federal mandates results in strong policies…

Teachers of elementary English language arts/literacy (ELA) tend to line up behind one of two very different approaches to reading instruction. The first approach prioritizes reading comprehension strategies over content. The second rests on the idea that building background knowledge of the world, including the vocabulary that accompanies such…

Seven years ago, Highland Park Schools went through a highly publicized period of turmoil and organizational upheaval. The troubled time for that Detroit-area district was brought on by a steep drop in enrollment and the deep financial crisis that followed. By contrast, the district's newest upheaval is rooted less in obvious signs of distress…

There have been increases in both teacher turnover and the number of new- or early-career teachers as the leading demographic of educators within schools across the United States. In order to allow new teachers to be best prepared for teaching positions within their schools, districts implement systematic induction procedures whose key component…

Research suggests that diversifying the educator workforce has a strong positive influence on students, particularly vulnerable and historically underserved groups. This article presents an intrinsic case study of a Leaders of Color Network that provided promising design elements to reduce professional and racial isolation, promote collective…