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More than 3.6 M home healthcare aides are key parts of the U.S. healthcare workforce, serving older adults and individuals with disabilities living in the community. This study used a social ecological framework (SEM) to identify facilitators and barriers to Covid-19 vaccination among home healthcare aides and administrators in N.J. Key informant interviews with a purposive sample of home healthcare aides along with federal and state policy review were used to develop a survey of home healthcare administrators (HHA), which was sent to all home healthcare agencies in N.J. Results show that completed vaccination series rates among HHA were the same or higher than statewide and national rates, but there was skepticism about the utility of a booster among both aides and HHA. While organizational policy and information support around Covid-19 from the agencies to the staff was inconsistent, overall agencies acted as a driver for higher vaccination rates. At the intrapersonal level, individual self-assessment of risk was not consistent with actual risk, impeding vaccination. When all levels of the SEM are working in concert it can increase completed vaccinations. Key areas to target addressing the call for yearly boosters include organizational policy and intrapersonal factors aligning perceived and actual risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the population of students classified as English learners (EL) grows and EL-classified students continue to experience barriers to opportunity, the need to improve services and supports for EL-classified students becomes increasingly urgent. In this piece we advocate that the next twenty-five years of education and social policymaking should include establishing, through federal policy, bilingual education as the standard service for EL-classified students. Our argument is based in a rigorous, comprehensive synthesis of evidence for the benefits of bilingual education, bilingualism, and biliteracy for students and the nation, a supportive sociopolitical moment, and a wealth of resources and knowledge to support implementation. We also make the case for a series of incremental federal, state, and local policy actions to build towards bilingual education as the standard for EL-classified students. We outline these actions as well as key considerations to guide the incremental policy implementation and the implementation of bilingual education as the standard service for EL-classified students.

First paragraph: Food insecurity is a significant problem in Nigeria, particularly for those living in poverty; vulnerable populations such as children, women, and the elderly are particularly at risk. This commentary explores the multifaceted issue of food insecurity in Nigeria, drawing from both global and local peculiarities in the socio-economic dimensions, and looks at the impact on vulnerable populations and the government’s response. Understanding of and ideas regarding food security have undergone numerous transformations over the past three dec­ades, which are reflected in many official policy perspectives (Clay, 2002; Heidhues et al., 2004). The concept of food security emerged in the mid-1970s, with the World Food Conference in 1974 defining it in terms of the stability and availability of food commodities at both the national and international levels (FAO, 1996, 2006; FAO & DED, 2006). The notion of food security is influ­enced by four key factors: food availability, afford­ability, utilization, and sustainability (Titus & Adetokunbo, 2007). . . .

Solidarity experienced a revival during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been an important component of the political discourse in every economic—and therefore also the social—crisis that hit Europe in the last years. This contribution aims to assess the relevance that members of German governing parties at the Laender level attached to solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic. By conducting a frame analysis, we identify calls to different types of solidarity, and brought these in relation to the explanatory power of situational aspects, economic interests and party-political positions. Empirical analysis displays that solidarity is an important, albeit not too frequently used frame, in crisis dialogue. High threat perception (but not actual threat) appears to foster claims to solidarity and other forms of communal behaviour, while the economic situation and party-political stances do not exhibit an equally strong effect. Nevertheless, aligned party-political positions on solidarity go along with a reduced understanding of the concept, which primarily serves as a justification for placing a burden on the caretakers of society. This traditional notion of solidarity is even more prominent amongst leftist party members, a fact raising questions concerning the distinctiveness of German party positions, as well as concerning social equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposures to industrial chemicals are widespread and can increase the risk of adverse health effects such as cancer, developmental disorders, respiratory effects, diabetes, and reproductive problems. The amended Toxic Substances Control Act (amended TSCA) requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to evaluate risks of chemicals in commerce, account for risk to potentially exposed and susceptible populations, and mitigate risks for chemicals determined to pose an unreasonable risk to human health and the environment. This analysis compares EPA's first 10 chemical risk evaluations under amended TSCA to best scientific practices for conducting risk assessments. We find EPA's risk evaluations underestimated human health risks of chemical exposures by excluding conditions of use and exposure pathways; not considering aggregate exposure and cumulative risk; not identifying all potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations, and not quantifying differences in risk for susceptible groups; not addressing data gaps; and using flawed systematic review approaches to identify and evaluate the relevant evidence. We present specific recommendations for improving the implementation of amended TSCA using the best available science to ensure equitable, socially just safeguards to public health. Failing to remedy these shortcomings will result in continued systematic underestimation of risk for all chemicals evaluated under amended TSCA.

Background: Nearly two decades have passed since the last successful reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Since then, student loan debt and the accumulation patterns based on race have become a pressing issue to address in U.S. society. Purpose: Student debt is one of the key issues on the federal higher education policy agenda. The purpose of this paper is to examine how race is addressed in a congressional hearing held to discuss the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Specifically, we examined one congressional policy markup hearing to understand how members frame student debt and the racialized dynamics embedded within. Research Design: We combined critical race theory and racial frames to discursively analyze 14 hours of congressional hearings on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Through critical discourse analysis, we interrogated the racialized discourse among policymakers as they proposed solutions and alternatives to address the issue of student debt during the policy markup process. Conclusions/Recommendations: Our findings highlight four types of discourse within a policy markup hearing: "All Students" Matter, Paternalistic, Race-Evasive, and Explicit Racial Discourse. We offer recommendations for policymakers and researchers to contend with ahistoricism and race-evasiveness prevalent in policy markup hearings and ways for future policy proposals to be more explicit in naming the groups facing disproportionate negative impact, the mechanisms that produce such inequities, and interventions that can address them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 requires that K-12 educational agencies invest federal education funds in evidence-based practices. We estimated what percentage of Title I funds at a large school district are invested in practices supported by a single study meeting one of the top three tiers of evidence as defined by ESSA. Over 95% met this bar. When studies about each practice from four research repositories were considered, the percentage of funds invested in practices with overall positive or mostly positive ratings fell below 60%. These proportions did not change substantially after the introduction of ESSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next-generation farmers face immense challenges in securing land. In recent years, some state- and federal-level land access policy incentives (LAPIs) have been implemented to address these challenges. In this paper, we assess the Transition Incentives Program (TIP), an initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program that is funded by Congressional farm bills. TIP offers landowners two years of financial incentives for leasing or selling to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher (categories of farmers defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture). In our study, we characterize TIP participants to understand where and how TIP assists beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. Our findings demonstrate that TIP serves some landowners and next-generation farmers, primarily in the Midwest and Mountain West. We demonstrate a spatial mismatch between where next-generation farmers live and high rates of TIP participation. Variable participation may be due to inconsistent outreach and limits to the program design. We identify key barriers and provide insights to improve TIP and other land access programs for next-generation farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most early maternal deaths are preventable, with many occurring within the first year postpartum (we use the terms "maternal" and "mother" broadly to include all individuals who experience pregnancy or postpartum and frame our recognition of need and policy recommendations in gender-neutral terms. To acknowledge limitations inherent in existing policy and the composition of samples in prior research, we use the term "women" when applicable). Black, Hispanic, and Native American individuals are at the most significant risk of pregnancy-related death. They are more commonly covered by Medicaid, highlighting likely contributions of structural racism and consequent social inequities. State-level length and eligibility requirements for postpartum Medicaid vary considerably. Federal policy requires 60 days of Medicaid continuation postpartum, risking healthcare coverage loss during a critical period of heightened morbidity and mortality risk. This policy position paper aims to outline urgent risks to maternal health, detail existing federal and state-level efforts, summarize proposed legislation addressing the issue, and offer policy recommendations for legislative consideration and future study. A team of maternal health researchers and clinicians reviewed and summarized recent research and current policy pertaining to postpartum Medicaid continuation coverage, proposing policy solutions to address this critical issue. Multiple legislative avenues currently exist to support and advance relevant policy to improve and sustain maternal health for those receiving Medicaid during pregnancy, including legislation aligned with the Biden–Harris Maternal Health Blueprint, state-focused options via the American Rescue Plan of 2021 (Public Law 117-2), and recently proposed acts (HR3407, S1542) which were last reintroduced in 2021. Recommendations include (i) reintroducing previously considered legislation requiring states to provide 12 months of continuous postpartum coverage, regardless of pregnancy outcome, and (ii) enacting a revised, permanent federal mandate equalizing Medicaid eligibility across states to ensure consistent access to postpartum healthcare offerings nationwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next-generation farmers face immense challenges in securing land. In recent years, some state- and federal-level land access policy incentives (LAPIs) have been implemented to address these chal­lenges. In this paper, we assess the Transition Incentives Program (TIP), an initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program that is funded by Congressional farm bills. TIP offers landowners two years of financial incen­tives for leasing or selling to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher (categories of farmers defined by the U.S. Department of Agri­culture). In our study, we characterize TIP partici­pants to understand where and how TIP assists beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. Our findings demonstrate that TIP serves some landowners and next-generation farmers, primarily in the Midwest and Mountain West. We demonstrate a spatial mismatch between where next-generation farmers live and high rates of TIP participation. Variable participation may be due to inconsistent outreach and limits to the program design. We identify key barriers and provide insights to improve TIP and other land access programs for next-generation farmers.

This study examines the goals of medical aid-in-dying (MAID) legislation introduced to the US Congress from 1994–2020 using a policy mapping analysis approach. Using congress.gov, we identified 98 bills, 23 bills were analyzed in this study. Most of the bills aimed to restrict the use of federal funds, to regulate the drugs commonly used for MAID, to prohibit the development of policies or practices supporting MAID, and to regulate practitioners' roles in MAID. In practice, these bills would limit patient access to MAID by restricting drugs, funds, health care services, legal assistance, policy, and research. These findings suggest there lacks congressional support for MAID, even though polls of the public are divided yet favorable. Policymakers who support MAID should consider affirmative policies that 1) prevent MAID policies from discriminating against vulnerable groups, 2) support funding to study the use of MAID, and 3) build avenues to allow all qualified people to access MAID in places where it is legal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reverses a trend toward centralization of education policy and instead provides greater authority to the states. This study explores states' interpretation and early implementation of ESSA's equity-related provisions. Using a qualitative case study approach, we find wide variation in the design and implementation of equity-related provisions. We provide an overview of implementation efforts and highlight states that are making significant strides and those that are lagging behind. Our findings highlight the need to build capacity at the state and district levels and to better understand the role of state education agencies in implementing ESSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the primary gatekeeper to secure financial aid for college. The federal government instituted two changes to the process in 2017, commonly known as "prior-prior year" FAFSA: (1) an earlier start date that lengthens the filing period and (2) the ability to use completed taxes from the prior calendar year. This paper uses descriptive statistics to examine resulting changes in application filing behavior in California. Students submitted their FAFSA substantially earlier and refiling rates increased among independent students in the policy year. Although these changes may have reduced the burden of applying, the earlier submissions did not appear to substantially alter state aid receipt or postsecondary attendance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in light of current educational inequities and the impact of the pandemic. The reauthorization presents an opportunity to center equity and justice and revitalize the civil rights aspects of the law. The authors review recent studies about the myriad ways the COVID-19 pandemic affected students, teachers and school systems and situates the reauthorization within the broader political context, including federal aid to states and districts during the pandemic. The authors present overarching policy recommendations: (1) a restructuring of the law's titles to focus on students, teachers, and systems (i.e. schools and districts); (2) a focus on the principles of racial equity, an ecosystem approach to serve students' needs across policy silos (i.e., housing and health), and a focus on research evidence; (3) policy targets for students; (4) policy targets for educators, including professional renewal and retention; (5) policy targets for the education system as a whole, including a focus on fiscal equity and facilitating regional approaches to cross-sector collaborations. The article presents a coherent conceptual framework for a redesign of ESEA with an emphasis on equity, evidence use, and ecosystems that is argued would directly address the needs of students, teachers, and systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) offers states increased flexibility in how they identify, rank, label, and support underperforming schools. Initial reviews of state ESSA plans, however, suggest that identification and labeling policies have remained relatively unchanged. In this study, we analyze all state ESSA plans to systematically determine how states' identified Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools and the criteria they set for those schools to exit CSI status. We describe our findings through the theory of institutional isomorphism, noting the many ways states responded similarly to ESSA. We close by considering what the lack of innovation in response to ESSA flexibility might mean for the future of educational policy and the implications for schools identified as underperforming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the US federal government pursues immigration reform, changes to the federal public-charge rule have triggered confusion and concerns among patients who are immigrants. Although federal judges temporarily blocked implementation, a decision by the Supreme Court in January 2020 allowed the proposed changes to take effect. These policy changes have resulted in many legal immigrants and their family members becoming more reluctant to apply for health insurance, food, housing, and other benefits for which they are qualified. This article summarizes the changes and exclusions. Family physicians can effectively respond to patient and immigrant community concerns about these changes by providing outreach education, access to primary health care, and referrals to legal and social services.

The Every Student Succeeds Act's evidence requirements mandate the use of research in the selection of school improvement interventions, with the aim of ensuring that schools and districts invest their efforts and funding more wisely. This study of eight states presents three different approaches to the evidence requirements: using lists of pre-sanctioned evidence-based interventions, training schools and districts to evaluate the research supporting potential interventions, and building local evidence of effectiveness. Through interviews with state administrators, I show how each approach relied on different understandings and prioritizations of research rigor and local relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lighting consumes a great deal of electrical energy in buildings, and the U.S. federal government is the largest single energy consumer in the United States. Therefore, the way that the U.S. federal government manages its lighting energy use is of great importance. One important way that energy use is managed is through Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) energy efficiency requirements. However, there is not much literature on how these requirements are set and how to value the resulting savings. This paper documents the methodology used to develop these for the 2017 FEMP lighting update. A methodology for calculating the total benefits is presented that goes beyond site energy saved, and includes full fuel cycle energy savings, energy cost savings, emissions offset and monetized emissions costs. The results show total benefits of $33 million USD including 475 kilotons of carbon dioxide (CO2) offset under the low compliance scenario, $104 million USD including 1494 kilotons of CO2 offset under the medium compliance scenario, and $217 million USD including 3124 kilotons of CO2 offset under the high compliance scenario.

Abstract Background As Medicaid is the largest payer for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment services in the United States, information about Medicaid provider reimbursement is critical, and Medicaid payment policies influence the structure of OUD treatment services for everyone with OUD treatment needs. Methods We collected Medicaid professional fees for OUD treatment and related services for the District of Columbia and fifty state Medicaid programs and the Medicare program in 2021. We create three fee indexes related to OUD treatment, with an emphasis on services related to first-line medication treatments in outpatient settings. We then create Medicaid fee indexes and Medicaid-to-Medicare fee indexes. Results Weekly Medicaid fee bundles for methadone treatment at OTPs in 2021 varied widely, more than 4-fold across states. The Medicaid-to-Medicare fee index shows that the national average Medicaid fee bundle was 56 percent of Medicare fees for regular methadone treatment at OTPs in 2021. For services related to OUD treatment, Medicaid fees varied up to 5-fold and larger across the components of each of the four services, and Medicaid fees were low relative to Medicare for almost all state services examined. The Medicaid-to-Medicare fee index was 64 percent of Medicare fees in 2021, ranging from 52 percent for evaluation & management to 76 percent for toxicology testing. Conclusions There appears to be little justification for such large variation in Medicaid fees across states. In addition, the generally low fees in Medicaid persist despite recent efforts to increase access to opioid use disorder treatment for Medicaid enrollees, and have important implications for access to life-saving treatment during the current opioid overdose crisis.

The article discusses the federal policies on certified nursing assistants (CNA) in the U.S. and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's (NASEM) workforce recommendations and their rationale as of 2023. Topics covered include recommendations on compensation, staffing requirements, empowerment of CNAs, and CNA education and training. Also noted is the need for more legislative support on workforce enhancements to improve the NH ecosystem.

The federal Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) provides on-the-job training to people 55 years and older with incomes at or below 125% of the federal poverty level with multiple barriers to employment. This study examined the processes by which SCSEP may influence participant financial, physical, and mental well-being. We engaged 15 SCSEP participants and case managers over four virtual and one telephone session using a participatory research method called community-based system dynamics. Activities included identifying key problem trends, variable elicitation, developing a causal map, and identifying changes to the system to increase participant well-being. Respondents identified how individual, organizational, and program and policy factors relate to participant well-being (e.g., SCSEP participation reduces social isolation, which increases desire to participate) and suggested program and policy recommendations to strengthen SCSEP (e.g., benchmarks of success should include health and well-being outcomes). These findings highlight the benefits and potential of this long-running program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The COVID‐19 pandemic has opened a dialogue regarding advocacy and policy changes that need to occur at the federal, state, and local levels to ensure provisions for the financial and healthcare well‐being of nurses. Often nurses struggle as the "breadwinners" in their families caring for multiple generations, thus leading them to live paycheck to paycheck. Design: A review of current and proposed policy changes. The pandemic demonstrated clearly through governmental executive orders that laws and regulations could be changed more rapidly than the traditional routes, illustrating an ability to enact change in nursing practice. At the federal level, provisions are not made to ensure that nurses who risk their lives during pandemic times are adequately compensated monetarily and through extended healthcare benefits, often provided for police, fire, and other emergency personnel. Results/Conclusions: Suggestions for new policy and advocacy agendas are proposed based on the gap in coverage noted during and after this pandemic. Clinical Relevance: COVID‐19 has brought to the forefront gaps in the financial and healthcare safety nets for nurses in the United States. Opportunities exist to inform via advocacy and policy reform at the federal, state, and local governmental agencies regarding the need for extended financial and healthcare provisions for nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many aspects of carbon taxes have been studied in the academic literature.  This paper focuses on an area that has received insufficient attention by examining some of the specific institutional challenges a carbon tax proposal would face in Congress.  A relatively unknown recent debate in the House of Representatives over a resolution to denounce the concept of carbon taxes provides a window into these challenges, demonstrating the arguments and tactics that can impede solution-oriented action to address climate change.  Developing a policy that responds to these arguments is likely to add complexity to a carbon tax proposal, to increase the number of congressional committees involved in consideration of the proposal, and to create additional demand for the revenue that a proposed carbon tax would generate.  Moreover, opponents of a policy can exploit these complicating factors and the lengthy time needed in Congress to consider legislation, so they can preemptively attack emerging concepts and proposals.  The paper concludes by arguing that enacting a carbon tax at the federal level, with the policy elements that are often contemplated, will require a great deal of agreement or complaisance among lawmakers.  Understanding this challenge well in advance of the opportunity for congressional consideration of a carbon tax will best prepare carbon tax advocates for a successful outcome.

This study explored strategies to improve adolescent food security using semi-structured in-depth interviews with 9 policy advocates, 12 parents and 15 adolescents aged between 17 and 20 years, living in households who were eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in 2020. This study was part of a larger evaluation of adolescent food insecurity conducted in Baltimore, Maryland, USA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three key strategies arose during analysis—improving federal nutrition assistance programs for households, federal nutrition assistance programs for individual adolescents, and leveraging school programs and resources. Respondents described concordant views regarding the role of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in supporting households but held discordant views about the role of other federal programs, such as the school nutrition programs and Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program. The results of this study provide important insights about policy and programmatic supports that may assist adolescents to acquire food for themselves and their families. Future research should test how federal programs and policies specifically impact food security and nutrition for adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of pediatric mental health in the United States has been declining prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and was also acutely exacerbated by it as well. Federal, state, and local governments have increasingly prioritized pediatric mental health by investing critical resources through the implementation of policies at all levels of government to reverse this disturbing trend. Despite these investments, there remains a need to improve access to critical pediatric mental health prevention and interventions. When all stakeholders are actively and authentically engaged in the creation and implementation of policy, there is the greatest potential for widespread impact., Competing Interests: Disclosure Dr B.R. Shaw and Dr N.A. Patel are employees of the United States Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This article does not represent an official position or opinion of the United States Department of Health and Human Services., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: As Medicaid is the largest payer for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment services in the United States, information about Medicaid provider reimbursement is critical, and Medicaid payment policies influence the structure of OUD treatment services for everyone with OUD treatment needs.Methods: We collected Medicaid professional fees for OUD treatment and related services for the District of Columbia and fifty state Medicaid programs and the Medicare program in 2021. We create three fee indexes related to OUD treatment, with an emphasis on services related to first-line medication treatments in outpatient settings. We then create Medicaid fee indexes and Medicaid-to-Medicare fee indexes.Results: Weekly Medicaid fee bundles for methadone treatment at OTPs in 2021 varied widely, more than 4-fold across states. The Medicaid-to-Medicare fee index shows that the national average Medicaid fee bundle was 56 percent of Medicare fees for regular methadone treatment at OTPs in 2021. For services related to OUD treatment, Medicaid fees varied up to 5-fold and larger across the components of each of the four services, and Medicaid fees were low relative to Medicare for almost all state services examined. The Medicaid-to-Medicare fee index was 64 percent of Medicare fees in 2021, ranging from 52 percent for evaluation & management to 76 percent for toxicology testing.Conclusions: There appears to be little justification for such large variation in Medicaid fees across states. In addition, the generally low fees in Medicaid persist despite recent efforts to increase access to opioid use disorder treatment for Medicaid enrollees, and have important implications for access to life-saving treatment during the current opioid overdose crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative case study examines how board members make sense of federal accountability policies and how their sensemaking shapes their use of assessment data as a policy instrument. Deviating from previous work on practitioner sensemaking, the participants' interpretations of assessments did not align with their ensuing use of the data. Furthermore, board members' use of assessment data diverged from both federal and state messaging, illustrating board members' synthesis and adaptation of external messaging into a locally driven narrative. As the nation has shifted to state accountability systems under Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the findings provide insights to policymakers and practitioners to support local implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. has the tools to end the HIV epidemic, but progress has stagnated. A major gap in U.S. efforts to address HIV is the under-utilization of medications that can virtually eliminate acquisition of the virus, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This document proposes a financing and delivery system to unlock broad access to PrEP for those most vulnerable to HIV acquisition and bring an end to the HIV epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study examined how research has been used in the federal higher education rulemaking process, through which the U.S. Department of Education implements programs under the Higher Education Act. Findings indicate that in this high-conflict policymaking process, politics infuses various forms of research use to create several overlapping categories of use (political-instrumental, political-conceptual, and political-imposed) that existing typologies of research use omit. This study demonstrates how previous conceptualizations of forms of research use should be expanded to account for these politically infused forms of research use. This study also uncovered consequences of widespread political research use in rulemaking, including a general distrust of research presented in the process and political actors using the same or similar data to reach different conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The community school concept has become a popular school reform model that has gained traction in urban school systems. To date, however, few studies have looked across contexts to see how various communities are conceptualizing the reform: the aims that are articulated, the partnerships that are being created, or sustainability plans. In this study, we explore these questions through an analysis of 32 funded proposals from the federal Full-Service Community Schools grant program. We examine the goals, aims, and plans of reformers and ask questions about governance, inclusion, and sustainability, situating our analysis in the policy implementation literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID‐19 hit the United States in January 2020, quickly resulting in stay‐at‐home orders that sent the U.S. economy into a major recession. The federal government leveraged fiscal, regulatory, and monetary policies to provide relief. Decisions had to be made in a complex environment wrought with difficult choices, complicated by the federalist governing system in the United States. Myers (2016, p. 202) asserted, "If an event like the [1918 influenza] pandemic were to occur in the United States, it is important that the government be prepared, not only in terms of material, but ethically." We analyze the ethical choices of the initial responses by reviewing early U.S. government responses and the impact of culture, federalism, and justice. We conclude that utilitarian analyses of balancing infection rates and economic impacts must be supplemented with Kantian principles of not treating people as means to an end, balancing the protection of individual freedoms with the good of society, and protecting vulnerable groups. As governments prepare for future crises, ethical considerations should be built into those plans as guardrails to guide decision‐makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how federal courts and agencies employ “rich Indian” discourses to force tribal economic development to fit normative notions of market capitalism in the United States. In particular, we evaluate the ways in which tribal government revenues are falsely portrayed as individual tribal wealth. Probing rulings on tribal labor relations as well as federal policy that regulates issuances of tax-exempt bonds, our analysis finds that federal courts and agencies use the financial success of tribal governmental industries such as gaming as an excuse to limit tribal government access to federal programs or exemptions. By limiting tribal access to these institutions and programs, federal agents undermine tribes’ ability to produce revenues that are critical for tribal nation (re)building. Thus, employing a rich Indian rhetoric in federal courts and agencies results not only in stifling tribal economic development, but more importantly, undermining tribal sovereignty and self-determination.

This special edition of JLME centers on a novel proposal for a national PrEP access program with the potential to break through a failed status quo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When protests arose from a new Canadian federal policy requiring border officers to carry handguns in 2009, authorities shut down the border to Akwesasne Territory. An initial Canada Broadcasting Corporation news article on this highly publicized event caused an influx of people to post opinions to the online article's message board. Examining 657 of these comments, we analyze the embeddedness of discourses relating to securitization, sovereignty, and citizenship. Highlighting the contentious dichotomy that defines the problematic as either "the Natives" or "the State," this article reveals how many perceptions are filtered through a colonialist lens—a mentality that considers Native peoples a threat and assumes that Canada is "under attack from within."

Background: Providers in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system are caught between two opposing sets of laws regarding cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD) use by their patients. As VA is a federal agency, it must abide by federal regulations, including that the Food and Drug Administration classifies cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug and therefore cannot recommend or help Veterans obtain it. Meanwhile, 38 states have passed legislation, legalizing medical use of cannabis. Objective: The goal of this project is to examine how VA providers understand state and federal laws, and VA policies about cannabis and CBD use, and to learn more about providers' experiences with patients who use cannabis and CBD within a legalized and nonlegalized state. Materials and Methods: We identified 432 health care providers from two VA facilities in northern Illinois (IL) where medical and recreational cannabis is legal, and two VA facilities in southern Wisconsin (WI) where medical and recreational cannabis is illegal. Participants were invited via e-mail to complete an anonymous online survey, including 31 closed- and open-ended questions about knowledge of state and federal laws and VA policies regarding cannabis and CBD oil, thoughts about the value of cannabis or CBD for treating medical conditions, and behaviors regarding cannabis use by their patients. Results: We received 50 responses (IL N =20, WI N =30). Providers in both states were knowledgeable about cannabis laws in their state but unsure whether they could recommend cannabis. There were more providers who were unclear if they could have a conversation about cannabis with their VA patients in WI compared with IL. Providers were more likely to agree than disagree that cannabis can be beneficial, χ 2 (1, 49)=4.74, p =0.030. Providers in both states (81.6%) believe cannabis use is acceptable for end-of-life care, but responses varied for other conditions and symptoms. Discussion: Findings suggest that VA providers could use more guidance on what is allowable within their VA facilities and how state laws affect their practice. Education about safety related to cannabis and other drug interactions would be helpful. There is limited information about possible interactions, warranting future research.

For stakeholders who would like to see more research as a basis for educational policy, it is important to understand the prevalence of research use and the sources of the studies used by policymakers, as well as the factors that hinder research use in educational policymaking. Through an analysis of regulatory documents and interviews with 34 key informants, this multi-case study examined the prevalence and sources of research utilized in higher education rulemaking, which is the process for developing federal regulations that govern higher education. This study also examined barriers to using research in higher education rulemaking. Findings indicate that while research has been used in this process, factors other than research were discussed more frequently in final regulations. Barriers to research use in higher education rulemaking included time constraints, unavailability of data, politics, lack of government research capacity, and other disjunctions between the research and policy communities. Moreover, the contexts in which particular rules were created shaped the prevalence and sources of research used in the regulations’ development. The article concludes with implications for policy and theory.

Success for young, beginning, and/or socially disadvantaged (New Gen) farmers and ranchers depends on their ability to secure suitable land to start and expand their operations. Yet this is a significant and widely reported challenge. It is especially difficult for beginners to acquire suitable land with appropriate housing and infrastructure. The U.S. federal government and several states have recognized this challenge and addressed it with various types of financial incentive policies. However, little research has been done to measure the impacts and reach of these policies, even though the biggest of them have a decade of experience, increasing participation, and invest­ment totaling over US$210 million. In this view­point, we first introduce the slim evidence that exists of the impacts and reach of land access policy incentive (LAPI) programs. Next, we call for further assessment of three major types of LAPIs. At the state level, these include (1) beginning farm­er tax credits and (2) easement incentives to help New Gen farmers buy and preserve farmland. At the federal level, we include the Conservation Reserve Program-Transition Incentives Program (CRP-TIP) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. The purpose of evalua­tion will be to understand more about whom LAPI programs help, what effects they have, and what recommendations can be made to strengthen policy design and program delivery.

This article employs event history analysis to explore the factors that were associated with the rapid uptake of teacher evaluation reform. We investigate three hypotheses for this rapid adoption: (a) downward diffusion from the federal government through Race to the Top (RTTT), (b) upward diffusion from large school district policies, and (c) the influence of intermediary organizations. Although RTTT clearly played a role in state adoption, our analysis suggests that having a large district implement teacher evaluation reform is the most consistent predictor of state adoption. Intermediary organizations appeared to play a role in the process as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Success for young, beginning, and/or socially disadvantaged (New Gen) farmers and ranchers depends on their ability to secure suitable land to start and expand their operations. Yet this is a significant and widely reported challenge. It is especially difficult for beginners to acquire suitable land with appropriate housing and infrastructure. The U.S. federal government and several states have recognized this challenge and addressed it with various types of financial incentive policies. However, little research has been done to measure the impacts and reach of these policies, even though the biggest of them have a decade of experience, increasing participation, and investment totaling over US$210 million. In this viewpoint, we first introduce the slim evidence that exists of the impacts and reach of land access policy incentive (LAPI) programs. Next, we call for further assessment of three major types of LAPIs. At the state level, these include (1) beginning farmer tax credits and (2) easement incentives to help New Gen farmers buy and preserve farmland. At the federal level, we include the Conservation Reserve Program-Transition Incentives Program (CRP-TIP) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. The purpose of evaluation will be to understand more about whom LAPI programs help, what effects they have, and what recommendations can be made to strengthen policy design and program delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Federal-level strategies or guidance for addressing wildfire risk encourage adaptation activities that span progressively larger scales, often focusing on landscape-level action that necessitates coordination between decision-makers and socially diverse communities. Collaborative organizations are increasingly explored as one approach for coordinating local efforts that address wildfire risk and adaptation, offering a platform for scaling and adjusting federal and state guidance that align with the needs of local landscapes. We conducted semi-structured interviews with members and supporters of the Kittitas Fire Adapted Communities Coalition (KFACC) and later facilitated two workshops at the behest of the organization. The goal of our interviews and workshops were to better understand how organizations such as KFACC emerge, function, and evolve in complex social and ecological landscapes, with a focus on their role in addressing landscape-level wildfire adaptation. We use an existing theoretical analogy of fire adaptation that crosses institutional and physical scales to help conceive of lessons from in-depth analysis of KFACC functioning. We found that KFACC originated from a need to establish a shared local mission for fire adaptation and a recognition that federal and state initiatives surrounding wildfire management needed further contextualization to be effective among diverse local social conditions. Later organizational foci included identifying key audiences for targeted adaptation efforts, including the identification of key messages and communities where specific mitigation actions might be needed. KFACC members were effective in strategically advocating for fire adaptation resources and policies at broader scales that might increase adaptation within Kittitas County, including caveats to local planning efforts designed for wildfire risk reduction. Likewise, the organization had begun to focus on tailoring mitigation efforts to different communities in the landscape as an effective means of catalyzing sustained, realistic fire adaptation actions. We suggest that organizations like KFACC are well-positioned to act as "board hoppers" who can integrate community-based needs into wildfire management, but caution that the functioning and 'niche' of such organizations may require strategic development or regular reflection on organizational goals. • Federal policy increasingly encourages landscape-level wildfire adaptation efforts. • Landscape-level organizations are well positioned to advocate at larger scales. • Landscape-level organizations need to explore their unique organizational identity. • Landscape collaboration can help better reflect or tailor to diverse local needs. • Strategic development and frequent reflection can inform organizational evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]