Joint attention, or shared attention to an object or event, is a pivotal skill for the development of social interactions and social communication. Joint attention typically develops in natural contexts within the first year of life. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related developmental disabilities often experience difficulty…

In this follow-up to our 2021 report, we again focus on the world of charter schools run for profit, a world both hidden and misunderstood. We focus on how for-profit operators expanded their reach and enrollment during the Pandemic years so that one in every five charter school students attends a school controlled by a for-profit corporation. We…

In order to realize all the benefits of parental-choice programs, advocates, policymakers, and participating schools have to pay more attention to implementation challenges, both when designing parental-choice policies and after new programs are enacted. This report discusses both categories of implementation challenges. The first…

In this study, we examine the supportive and hindering factors that influenced 26 teachers' implementation of pedagogy learned through a research-based, resource-intensive literacy PD initiative (100+ hours). Through post-intervention interviews, we explore the space between learning and enactment of new practices for literacy teaching and…

Research in urban and gifted education has often highlighted the underrepresentation of certain student groups in gifted programs due to factors such as insufficient teacher training and educational quality. However, a significant factor contributing to this underrepresentation is teacher bias. There's a noted tendency of teachers to under-refer…

This study examines charter school funding equity in 18 cities using 2019-20 data, the most recent available. The study uses official school district and state budget documents to capture every dollar flowing to schools, including in-kind services. The study answers the following questions: (1) What is the difference in per-pupil revenue between…

Enrollment in dual credit classes has increased over the last 10 years benefiting K-20 education and high school students in providing an opportunity to obtain college credits and increasing postsecondary education enrollment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictors of achievement through the lens of Social Cognitive Theory by…

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is important for academic and social success, yet responsive SEL for Black youth remains underexamined. The current study analyzed focus groups to investigate how Black boys (N = 10) in an urban middle school think about emotion and its regulation. Results revealed that participants negotiate tension between emotion…

Although there has been a significant increase in the number of charter schools, little is known about their science education programs from the science teachers' perspective. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic created limitations for all participants that required new untested approaches that varied depending on circumstances. The first study in this…

Research in sociology demonstrates the way social connections shape access to information about job opportunities. In education, we understand less about how social networks impact the job process for marginalized teachers and teachers in nontraditional labor markets. This study examines how teachers in New Orleans and Detroit, cities with high…

The purpose of this study was to establish historical enrollment trends, student demographics, and home-based pedagogies of nonclassroom-based schools in California in an effort to gain insights into lesser-known homeschooling practices. According to the United States Department of Education, in 2016, homeschooling had progressively increased to…

In this article, we explore how White supremacist ideologies operate in "no excuses" charter schools. Drawing on critical race frameworks and qualitative data collected in two "no excuses" charter schools in New Orleans, we illustrate how anti-Blackness, White saviorism, and colorblind racism are taken up through hiring…

Background/Context: The business and philanthropic sectors have been a persistent force in shaping U.S. schools. Recently, they have used their resources to advance policies that embody newer principles of industry--reforms that suggest that competition, choice, and deregulation can spur improvement and effectiveness. This has most notably…

The purpose of this study was to better understand the extent to which a Public Charter High School and a Two-Year Community College leveraged their partnership and committed resources towards expanding access to concurrent credit career and technical education programs. The goal of this partnership was to invest in the human capital of high…

Teachers have lasting influence on their students, and they are invaluable assets to their schools. However, they are leaving their schools and the profession too frequently. The problem addressed by this study was the shortage of teachers in Arizona charter elementary schools, resulting from low and declining retention rates of early career…