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The goal of Smithsonian Science for North and South Carolina Classrooms was to provide teachers with ongoing, differentiated professional development and research-based curricular materials to improve elementary student achievement in science, mathematics, and reading. This work used an inquiry-based science curriculum, Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, which is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and was implemented in Grades 3-5 within predominantly rural North and South Carolina school districts serving high-needs students. The Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP) at the University of Memphis, a State of Tennessee Center of Excellence, was the independent third-party evaluator. CREP implemented a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to collect and analyze data using a rigorous, mixed-methods approach, including quantitative analyses of student achievement data from the Stanford-10 and state assessments, and qualitative analyses of classroom observation data, as well as teacher feedback from professional development surveys, module logs, and focus groups. For this study, 36 schools (including one split cohort being treated as one school) in seven districts within North and South Carolina were randomly assigned to treatment and comparison groups. The study cohort, followed over three academic years (2020-21 through 2022-23), was composed of more than 1,600 third grade (2020-21) students in these schools. In the comparison condition, schools used their business-as-usual science curricula and teacher professional development and did not receive Smithsonian Science curricular materials or professional development. As the pretests for achievement outcomes, students took the Abbreviated Battery of the Stanford Achievement Test Series, Tenth Edition (Stanford-10) in Reading and Math in spring of 2021 (the cohort's third grade year). The main findings and posttests included the combined sample (i.e., both states combined) for (a) the Stanford-10 Science subtest, which was administered in the spring of 2023 (the cohort's fifth grade year), and (b) spring 2023 standardized state assessment scores in Reading and Math. Using a hierarchical linear model (HLM) with school as a random effect, the analysis of the effect of Smithsonian Science for the three main findings after several years of disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic was (a) positive (g = 0.18) and statistically significant (p = 0.032) on the Stanford-10 science assessment and (b) positive for both Reading (g = 0.10) and Math (g = 0.16), meaning students in the treatment group performed better than the control group, but the effects were not statistically significant. Teachers were generally positive in terms of the professional development provided, and feedback on the module logs largely supported the effectiveness of the professional development and fidelity of implementation. Classroom observations further supported the effectiveness of the professional development and fidelity to inquiry-based practices in treatment classrooms (e.g., use of experiential hands-on learning and level of class time dedicated to inquiry-based science). With instructional time for science lagging other subject areas, and as learning recovery in reading and math after COVID-19 receive national attention, the results demonstrate that ongoing, differentiated, high-quality professional learning and high-quality instructional materials for science instruction can support student achievement in science, math, and reading.

This First Look report introduces new National Household Education Survey data that provides estimates for children in the United States from birth through the age of 5 who were not yet enrolled in kindergarten by 2023 on early childhood care and education arrangements. The report also presents data on parents' ratings of factors that affected their choice of child care arrangements, degree of difficulty finding care, reported reasons for difficulty finding the desired care arrangement, and on their participation in various learning activities at home with their children.

High-quality decodable books enhance literacy by providing children with focused practice opportunities to break down sounds they have learned and apply their decoding skills. Just Right Reader (JRR) hired LXD Research to measure its impact during a pilot study in the Spring of 2024 to determine the effect of their decodable books on literacy outcomes. Conducted in four schools in an urban Texas school district, the six-week study included 93 JRR and 111 non-JRR students, with 69 students submitting implementation logs that were used to track dosage. Key findings reveal meaningful progress for JRR students from the mid-year to end-of-year assessments, outperforming Non-JRR students. JRR students showed a MAP Growth Percentile improvement of 33 points (34 to 67), compared to 23 points in Non-JRR students (31 to 54). Additionally, JRR students excelled in DIBELS ORF accuracy, with the median percentile rising from 46 to 62, while Non-JRR improved from 42 to 44. Due to the small sample, these changes were not statistically significant. Notably, the 45% of JRR students who read for 3+ hours at home (i.e., High Dosage implementation) demonstrated remarkable growth, improving from below the 14th percentile to above the 72nd percentile. Overall, the JRR program meaningfully boosted literacy development.

In the concept of early childhood education and care (ECEC), certain foundational principles stand out as vital and of paramount importance for ensuring ideal child development through different stages during the age of 1-5 years. While rooted in extensive research and best practices, the following five principles serve as guiding lights for educators, policymakers, and stakeholders. This discourse delves into five such key principles, each of which holds significant implications for the holistic development of young learners.

The focus of this report is on mental health interventions delivered in K-12 neighborhood public schools. A vast array of commercially available programs, conceptual frameworks, and approaches to school-based mental health are not unanimously recommended, applied, or agreed upon. This poses a challenge to any comprehensive description or evaluation of school-based mental health. Key findings include: (1) There is a lack of high-quality evidence to support school-based mental health initiatives. Rigorous evaluations of universal programs on mental health literacy, awareness, prevention, and screening--and of many social-emotional learning programs--find neither reduced rates of mental health conditions nor improved academic outcomes; (2) The concept of school-based mental health, as currently delivered in typical neighborhood public schools, is incoherent because it primarily serves youth who are not specifically in need of mental health treatment, while insufficiently serving those with mental disorders; (3) While some youth can benefit from high-quality mental health services, universal mental health programs carry underestimated potential harms: directly, through poor-quality care, overdiagnosis, and misallocated spending; and indirectly, through wasted class time and reduced accountability in the mental health and education systems; and (4) Federal agencies responsible for school-based mental health programs provide no meaningful or coordinated guidance on essential questions such as what it means for a program to be effective, what expectations exist in "mental health deserts," and how schools should sort through numerous overlapping initiatives.

This study examined the impact of COVID-19 on academic "redshirting" in kindergarten, the practice of holding a child back for a year and enrolling them in kindergarten at age 6, using student-level data on all Delaware kindergarten students from fall 2014 through fall 2022. The rate of redshirting declined by 40% in fall 2020, then increased by 44% (relative to pre-pandemic baseline) in fall 2021, and more for some subgroups of children traditionally less likely to redshirt. Further, redshirting was not restricted to children with summer birthdays, as in previous years, with growth seen across the age distribution. Redshirting had not returned to pre-pandemic baseline by fall 2022. These findings point to changes in the motivations for redshirting kindergarten students since the pandemic.

Robust investment in early childhood education can help expand children's access to high-quality pre-K programs. These investments can also strengthen the ability of educators to gather valuable information about young children's behaviors, skills, and competencies in order to make better decisions about how to support their learning and development. This is a critical need: Pre-K programs currently lack accurate, reliable, and routine data about children's skills and competencies. At the same time, inequities in the design and use of early learning assessments to inform decision-making mirror disparities in access to and experiences of high-quality pre-K programs and subsequent outcomes based on children's race, ethnicity, language, and geographic location. The purpose of this brief is to provide a resource to help the early childhood field use a strengths- and assets-based lens to identify and measure the skills and competencies of an increasingly diverse population of young learners in pre-K. It begins by describing some of the limitations in current early learning assessments and highlights the implications of using assessments that are not designed with and for historically margin­alized groups of children, namely children of color and those from linguistically diverse backgrounds. The brief then draws on the existing literature to identify content-focused opportunities to address shortcomings in existing assessment tools: (1) acknowledging cultural and linguistic strengths in children from historically marginalized groups, and (2) expanding measurement within domains of interest to elevate a broader range of strengths and competencies for these children. With this information, the field will have better information to help design pre-K programs that support all children's development over time.

This brief continues ongoing research by NWEA® examining the degree to which the COVID-19 pandemic, and its associated school closures, influenced student learning. Prior research focused on math and reading and found that the pandemic's negative impact steadily accumulated during the 2020-2021 school year, with significant disparities in achievement and growth compared to prepandemic trends (Lewis, Kuhfeld, Ruzek, & McEachin, 2021). Although there were modest rebounds in reading and math during the 2021-2022 school year, progress toward pandemic recovery largely stalled in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, with achievement and growth trends still trailing behind prepandemic levels (Kuhfeld & Lewis, 2022; Lewis & Kuhfeld, 2023; Lewis & Kuhfeld, 2024). Building on previous research series focused on math and reading achievement, this brief explores how the pandemic influenced student achievement in science. It examines science test scores across seven school years to understand how COVID-19 influenced science achievement.

The purpose of this technical appendix is to share detailed results and more fully describe the sample and methods used to produce the research brief, "COVID's Impact on Science Achievement: Trends from 2019 through 2024. We investigated three main research questions in this brief: 1) How did science achievement in 2021 and 2024 compare to achievement in 2019, before the pandemic? 2) How much additional schooling was required in spring 2021 and spring 2024 to return to spring 2019 levels? 3) How do these patterns differ by race/ethnicity?

Described is the Parenting Program for the Prevention of Child Abuse which employs home visits to upgrade home environments and to prevent physical abuse of children up to 6 years of age. The program is noted to focus on four major areas: psychological support of the parent; obtaining social services (including health services, educational programs, and financial assistance) that are needed; resolution of inner conflicts which contribute to the danger of child abuse; and parent education in the area of parenting skills. Also explained are factors considered when making referrals to the Parenting Program, specific evaluation and treatment functions, and training of therapists. (SBH)

The expansion of early childhood education (ECE) and increased spending have benefited children and supported families. However, these investments have not addressed inequities within the ECE workforce. ECE providers face economic insecurity, earning an average of $14 per hour, which is below a living wage. In rural communities, this median wage drops to $11.42, and in Tennessee, it is even lower at under $10 per hour. Women of color, especially in rural areas, are disproportionately affected by poor compensation and benefits. To address these issues, this project partners with an organization called Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA) to understand the experiences of ECE providers in an effort to raise awareness of: (1) the benefits of the TECTA program and the resources they provide; (2) the key challenges and barriers they navigate on the pathway to their education; and (3) the need for program expansion to enable opportunities for social and economic mobility. This study underscores the need for systemic changes to support ECE providers, particularly in rural areas and other marginalized communities. By addressing economic insecurity, professional recognition, training disparities, and policy inconsistencies, we can create a more equitable and effective ECE workforce.

In August 2017, the Houston area was ravaged by one of the costliest natural disasters in history--Hurricane Harvey. In this brief, the first in a two-part series, the authors examine the effects of Harvey on student homelessness in the Houston Independent School District (Houston ISD). The authors find that student homelessness in Houston ISD quadrupled due to Harvey, and most students experiencing homelessness lived, at least temporarily, in unsheltered contexts, such as sleeping in a car or on the street. Unlike other high-profile storms such as Hurricane Katrina, students who became homeless due to Harvey tended to be broadly representative of the district in terms of their demographic characteristics. However, they differed systematically from students who experienced homelessness for conventional, economic reasons such as job loss and medical debt, who were particularly likely to be Black. The authors conclude with implications of these findings for educational stakeholders in preparation for both generational and "everyday" homelessness crises.

This study examines the effects of universal public pre-kindergarten for 3-year-olds (Pre-K3) on later public education outcomes, including enrollment, school mobility, special education status, and in-grade retention from kindergarten through second grade. While universal pre-kindergarten programs typically target 4-year-olds, interest in expanding to 3-year-olds is growing. Using the centralized assignment lottery in the District of Columbia as the basis for a quasi-experimental design, we find that Pre-K3 students are more likely to persist in the public system and remain in the same school. These effects are strongest for residents of low-income neighborhoods and communities of color and for students enrolled in dual language programs. Overall, public Pre-K3 appears to stabilize children's early educational experiences, especially those starting furthest from opportunity.

Catholic schools have seen more than a 30% decline in enrollment over the past 20 years. While some of the decline in enrollment may have been spurred by secular trends or the Church abuse scandal, the increase in schools of choice, principally public charter schools, may explain at least some of this decline. In this paper we estimate the effect of the opening of charter schools in proximity to Catholic schools across the entire U.S. We find that the opening of a nearby charter school has a negative impact on Catholic school enrollment and increases the likelihood that the school will close. We also find that charter openings induce greater racial isolation. Findings are especially pronounced in K8 schools, rather than high schools.

The "Examining Implementation and Outcomes of the Project On-Track High-Dosage Literacy Tutoring Program" study describes the characteristics of students who participated in a full year of Project On-Track, a high-dosage, small-group literacy tutoring program for students in grade 1-3. Its online adaptive program, Amplify Reading, groups students by skill level and generates mini-lessons aligned to the science of reading that are delivered by tutors. Although the content of the tutoring sessions is highly structured, Project On-Track offers schools flexibility in how they implement the program, including when they provide tutoring, who provides tutoring, in which grade levels they offer tutoring, and how they identify students within a grade level for tutoring. This flexibility can make it easier for schools to adopt the program, particularly rural schools, which may face greater challenges in hiring tutors or delivering tutoring outside of school hours. It also examined how schools implemented the program, with a focus on three implementation features: when and how frequently tutoring is offered and who provides it. This document presents the following three appendixes that accompany the study: (1) Methods; (2) Qualitative case studies; and (3) Supporting analyses.

School districts in northeastern Tennessee have had persistently low proficiency rates in grade 3 English language arts, which were exacerbated by disruptions in schooling due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In response, the Niswonger Foundation, a technical assistance provider that supports these districts, developed Project On-Track, a high-dosage, small-group literacy tutoring program for students in grade 1-3. Its online adaptive program, Amplify Reading, groups students by skill level and generates mini-lessons aligned to the science of reading that are delivered by tutors. Although the content of the tutoring sessions is highly structured, Project On-Track offers schools flexibility in how they implement the program, including when they provide tutoring, who provides tutoring, in which grade levels they offer tutoring, and how they identify students within a grade level for tutoring. This flexibility can make it easier for schools to adopt the program, particularly rural schools, which may face greater challenges in hiring tutors or delivering tutoring outside of school hours. However, variation in implementation may also affect program effectiveness. To inform future implementation of the program, this study describes the characteristics of students who participated in a full year of Project On-Track and how schools implemented the program, with a focus on three implementation features: when and how frequently tutoring is offered and who provides it. By reporting on the association between variations in implementation and student literacy scores, the study offers important insights to inform future program implementation. The study found no differences in student literacy scores based on timing or frequency of tutoring. Most schools (66 percent) offered tutoring during school and more than twice a week (64 percent). Rural schools were more likely to offer tutoring during school (92 percent) than were nonrural schools (47 percent). Most tutors were current teachers (55 percent) or retired teachers (12 percent). This study does not provide evidence of differences in student literacy scores based on tutor qualifications. More than half the students who participated in a full year of Project On-Track tutoring started the year with literacy assessment scores identifying them as most at risk for reading difficulties, and 42 percent of them improved to a lower risk category after one year of tutoring. Although this study uses descriptive methods and cannot assess effectiveness, the findings suggest that schools and districts using a highly structured tutoring program like Project On-Track might be able to exercise flexibility in when and how often tutoring is offered and by whom without compromising program quality and benefits to students.

Math fact fluency--the ability to quickly and accurately recall basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts--is a foundational mathematical skill. "Zaner-Bloser Building Fact Fluency (BFF)" was designed to build students' conceptual understanding of arithmetic operations and increase procedural fluency among elementary school students, with the goal of strengthening math learning. LXD Research conducted a study to examine Grade 3 students' math proficiency levels on the standardized Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) across five "Building Fact Fluency" participating schools and 20 similar Iowa comparison schools from spring 2021-spring 2023. One "Building Fact Fluency" pilot school began the program in fall 2021, and four additional schools began the program in fall of 2022. The pilot "Building Fact Fluency" school, Year 2-only "Building Fact Fluency" schools, and comparison schools had a similar percentage of students on grade level at baseline. However, Grade 3 students in "Building Fact Fluency" schools showed consistently greater improvements in the percentage of Grade 3 students on grade level in math.

In school choice systems, many families face geographic constraints. Yet, there is limited evidence on the association between school-based transportation and students' school choice, especially in fragmented transportation contexts. Using unique data on Detroit kindergarten students' eligibility and access to school-based transportation, we find that students with access to a bus at a school-- either a traditional or shuttle-style bus--were 4-5 percentage points more likely to enroll in that school. The association was greater for traditional buses in higher-crime neighborhoods and for shuttle-style buses for farther-away choices. We did not find that this association differed by block-group-level household car ownership. Our findings suggest that school-based transportation can increase school choice access, depending on policy design and contextual factors. [This report was written in collaboration with the Detroit Partnership for Education Equity & Research (Detroit PEER).]

This report explores the dramatic increase in Head Start teacher turnover during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) from 2010 to 2022, the study investigates trends in teacher turnover across all Head Start program types and examines the reasons behind teacher departures. The report finds that teacher turnover surged significantly in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, with the 2021-22 year experiencing a particularly sharp increase exceeding 28% of teachers. Turnover rates varied by program type, with Early Head Start programs exhibiting higher turnover than traditional Head Start programs, and American Indian Alaska Native (AIAN) Early Head Start programs seeing the highest rate at 37.1%. The study reveals that compensation remains the most common reason cited for teachers' departures, both before and during the pandemic. However, COVID-19 related factors also emerged as prominent reasons for departure. This research underscores the urgent need to address the challenges of teacher turnover in the Head Start sector, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. The report advocates for policy initiatives aimed at improving teacher retention through enhanced compensation.

Over a 6-year period, a sociolinguistic and sociocultural project was undertaken by Alaska Native expert educators and linguists (aka the Yup'ik Expert Group) from the Yup'ik community in the Lower Kuskokwim School District, Central Alaska. The native experts developed their own culturally sustainable, valid, and reliable Kindergarten through Grade 6 Alaska Native language (Yugtun) assessment. Yup'ik experts named their assessment the Yugtun Piciryaranek Qaneryaranek-llu Cuqyun (aka Yup'ik Culture and Language Measurement). This paper focuses on a foundational component of the assessment, the Yup'ik Cultural Awareness subtest, which has two components, Nonverbal Communication and Yup'ik Worldview.

Tempe PRE was designed as a high-quality preschool program to create more opportunity for children in Tempe. In the 2021-2022 school year, NORC at the University of Chicago conducted an evaluation of Tempe PRE to understand how the program was being implemented and its effects on children and families. They also collected students' outcome data the following year once they entered kindergarten to measure impacts on achievement compared to a control group. This evaluation documented the successful early installation of a high-quality preschool program that was designed to provide novel access to children from low-income households who would not otherwise have had such an opportunity in their community. Through close collaboration among multiple local government and philanthropic partners, and with a strong, common commitment to quality, the Tempe PRE program was structured and implemented with key components hypothesized to produce positive child outcomes.

This is the technical document for the report, "Centering Quality, Centering Equity: Lessons Learned in Increasing Early Childhood Educator Credentials." The report explores Early Childhood Education (ECE) credential requirements in California (CA) and Washington, D.C. (D.C.) for two key reasons: 1) both recently raised these requirements and 2) both are in the process of implementing the new changes. The study does not seek to advocate in favor of or against the adoption of increased credential requirements. Rather, its purpose is to shed light on the need to center racial and economic equity in policy design and implementation--focusing on the impact of increased credential requirements on early childhood educators in states pursuing these changes. The appendices in this technical document are: (1) Make-up of Early Care and Education Workforce; (2) Center-Based Early Educator Characteristics by Role; (3) Center-Based Early Educator Work Experience and Credentials by Role; (4) Center-Based Early Educator Time Worked, Income, and Wages by Role; (5) Lead Teachers' Work Experience and Credentials by Race and Ethnicity; (6) Lead Teachers without a Postsecondary Degree, Characteristics by Race and Ethnicity; (7) Focus Group Interview Protocol for California; (8) Focus Group Interview Protocol for Washington, D.C.; (9) Hourly Wages for Early Childhood Educators; and (10) Comparison of D.C. Teacher Salaries in 2022 and Minimum Salaries Required in Fiscal Year 2024 for Programs Receiving Pay Equity Funds.

Thriving communities depend on a strong early childhood education (ECE) system--one where both young children and members of the workforce are served and supported. In recent years, state government leaders have increasingly focused on changing qualifications for specific ECE roles, as increasing credential requirements has sometimes been associated with increasing quality. However, across the country, early childhood educators face significant barriers to economic security and continuing education--all while supporting children, parents, and their communities with specialized education services. This report examines the barriers that even highly qualified early child educators experience in the face of increased credential requirements. Featuring case studies of California and Washington, D.C., the report offers implications for policies that protect educators and advance racial and economic equity in the profession. Included with the report are an Executive Summary encapsulating the findings and a Technical Document describing the methodology, data collection, and quantitative analysis.

This study examined the impact of Classworks® Individualized Learning math instruction on second-grade students performing below the 25th percentile in math. The research, conducted during the 2021-2022 school year, involved 1,367 students from 45 schools across seven districts. A quasi-experimental design compared 941 students who had any use of Classworks (treatment group) with 426 students who did not (comparison group). Students in both the treatment and comparison groups completed the Classworks Math Universal Screener assessments at the beginning and end of the school year. The study employed linear modeling with adjustments for clustering, baseline achievement, and district fixed effects. Results showed that Classworks users scored an average of 5.17 points higher on the spring math assessment compared to non-users, with an effect size of 0.13. Treatment group students engaged with the program for an average of 11 minutes per week over 30 instructional weeks. These findings suggest that Classworks Individualized Learning math instruction has a positive impact on the math performance for struggling second-grade students, even with modest time investment. Educators may consider implementing such personalized, technology-based interventions to support students performing below grade level in mathematics. Future research could explore the program's long-term effects and its impact on different student subgroups. The study includes tables presenting baseline equivalence statistics and model-based results, along with references supporting the methodology and context of the research.

California's K-12 funding and instructional policies for English learners (ELs) have changed significantly over the past 2 decades. The major policy shifts held the potential to change student learning outcome patterns for ELs. As a first step in identifying the potential impacts of these policy shifts, this report describes changes over time in the development of academic skills and English proficiency among English learners in California. The results suggest that some combination of the policies described--from more rigorous requirements for teacher preparedness for EL students to increased funding and the introduction of transitional kindergarten--has likely made a difference in EL outcomes. This report also illuminates a gap between when students achieve English proficiency and when they are reclassified. The authors find that almost three quarters of K-cohort EL students are English proficient as measured by the California English Language development Test (CELDT) by the end of elementary school, but only half of K-cohort ELs are reclassified by that same time point. In California, where English proficiency represents only one of the four criteria students must meet to be reclassified, this discrepancy demonstrates the role played by other barriers to reclassification, most likely the criterion to demonstrate basic skills on another assessment.

In 2021, California committed to providing universal prekindergarten (UPK) for all 4-year-olds and expanding access for income-eligible 3-year-olds by 2025-2026. California UPK includes several early learning programs, including transitional kindergarten (TK), the California State Preschool Program (CSPP), Head Start, and locally funded early learning programs. To support UPK expansion, California's legislature and administration established the Universal Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant in 2021, which allocated $200 million to all local education agencies (LEAs) serving kindergarteners, which include school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education. The California Department of Education surveyed all grant recipients in August 2023 about their UPK programs. This report provides an update on UPK implementation across the state through an analysis of survey responses from 1,384 LEAs, which represent almost all (95%) public school districts and two thirds (65%) of charter schools that serve elementary grades. Findings provide insights into LEAs' progress in UPK implementation related to service delivery models, facilities and transportation, instruction and assessment, strategies to support student needs, workforce development, implementation challenges, and technical assistance needs. In addition to statewide insights, the survey revealed promising practices and wide access with UPK expansion in California's four largest districts during their first year of implementation. The findings in this report may help policymakers and practitioners identify areas for additional investments and supports.

This research uses the implementation of a school suspension ban in Maryland to test whether a top-down state-initiated ban on suspensions in early primary grades can influence school behavior regarding school discipline. Beginning in the fall of 2017, the State of Maryland banned the use of out-of-school suspensions for grades PK-2, unless a student posed an "imminent threat" to staff or students. This research investigates (1) what was the effect of the ban on discipline outcomes for students in both treated grades and upper elementary grades not subject to the ban? (2) did schools bypass the ban by coding more events as threatening or increasing the use of in-school suspensions? and (3) were there differential effects for students in groups that are historically suspended more often? Using a comparative interrupted time series strategy, we find that the ban is associated with a substantial reduction in, but not a total elimination of, out-of-school suspensions for targeted grades without substitution of in-school suspensions. Disproportionalities by race and other characteristics remain after the ban. Grades not subject to the ban experienced few effects, suggesting the ban did not trigger a schoolwide response that reduced exclusionary discipline.

As women increasingly entered the labor force throughout the late 20th century, the challenges of balancing work and family came to the forefront. We leverage pronounced changes in the availability of public schooling for young children--through duration expansions to the kindergarten day--to better understand mothers' and families' constraints. We first show that mothers of children in full-day kindergarten spend significantly more time at work, less time with their children, less time performing household duties, and less time commuting with their children in the middle of the day relative to mothers with half-day kindergarteners. Exploiting full-day kindergarten variation across place and time from 1992 through 2022, combined with the narrow age targeting of kindergarten, we document the impact of full-day kindergarten access on parental labor supply, family childcare costs, and children's subsequent academic outcomes. Our estimates of the maternal employment effects imply that full-day kindergarten expansions were responsible for as much as 24 percent of the growth in employment of mothers with kindergarten-aged children in this time frame.

This study explores the underrepresentation of Black and Latinx students in California's community college Dual Enrollment (DE) programs. The study investigates how DE staff describe an understanding and commitment towards equity for Black and Latinx students in DE programs and how staff engage in equitably aimed praxis to serve Black and Latinx students through practices and collaborations between feeder high schools. Using a Critical Policy Analysis lens, the research highlights how Black and Latinx students are prioritized through equitable practices focused in advising and outreach. However, not all DE staff prioritize Black and Latinx through practices. Despite this, scant instances reveal that collaborative efforts between DE programs, high schools, and districts improve DE services and outcomes, though majority of K-12 partners are absent from collaborative efforts led by DE programs. The study emphasizes the need for increased collaboration between K-12 partners and integrating equitable approaches to DE outreach and advising to engage and recruit Black and Latinx students. This research advances the conversation of equity in DE programs and offers insights for addressing participation gaps among Black and Latinx students.

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has made a commitment to support the multistakeholder pledge made at the second Global Refugee Forum to ensure every child living as a refugee realizes their right to a quality education and is included in national education systems that are adequately supported to cater to the needs of every child, both from the host community and those living as refugees. A holistic approach is needed to transform education systems to be truly inclusive for those children. UNICEF Innocenti (2023) highlights areas of policy and practice which are especially relevant for their inclusion within education systems, irrespective of their gender, nationality or disability status. Within this framework, there are 10 dimensions that affect the level of inclusion within an education system, including legal frameworks, type of school, system financing, social protection, school infrastructure, teachers, curriculum, language of instruction, assessment and certification, and education data systems. This tool--which is intended to be used by GPE Secretariat country teams and partner countries--highlights ways to address dimensions of the above framework within the policy dialogue on partnership compacts (which identify partner countries' priority reforms), GPE-funded grants and broader education sector dialogue. This document is organized by selected priority areas drawn from the GPE 2025 strategy, preceded by one overarching consideration. The areas are: (1) Policies and financing; (2) Data systems; (3) Access; (4) Learning, including early learning; and (5) Quality teaching. Gender equality and intersecting vulnerabilities are considered throughout.

The Federated States of Micronesia National Department of Education (FSM NDOE) requested support from the Region 18 Comprehensive Center (R18CC) to build National and State-level knowledge of effective practices in bilingual and multilingual education. This scan offers an overview of evidence-based practices for implementing and evaluating the effectiveness of bilingual and multilingual education programs. The scan assumes that bilingual/multilingual education programs are based on the goals of two-way and immersion programs that may also accommodate heritage learning. It first begins with a brief overview of definitions of major terms utilized through the document, and then moves to discuss the following components of program implementation: (1) Program Planning and Implementation; (2) Educator Quality and Pedagogic Practice; (3) Engaging Families and Communities; (4) Assessment, Accountability, and Evaluation.

Evidence shows that children's early years are a crucial time for their development. Well-designed early childhood education (ECE) experiences can foster meaningful gains in school readiness, as well as long-term benefits such as lower rates of special education placement and higher graduation rates. The quality of early education is highly dependent on sufficient preparation and support for early educators to meet the needs of diverse young learners. Research has identified high-quality coaching as an effective professional learning practice for supporting educators in the implementation of evidence-based practices. According to the research, effective coaching relies on a strong partnership between coaches and educators; reflection and individualized feedback; focused observations; intentional coaching plans to guide sessions; and job-embedded learning opportunities for active learning. Well-qualified coaches with knowledge of specific coaching models and practices, general coaching and consultation skills, and knowledge of early childhood development and teaching are critical as well. This report examines five early childhood coaching systems--two state systems (Alabama and Washington) and three California county systems (El Dorado, Fresno, and San Diego)--that have developed systemic coaching approaches. The researchers studied these coaching systems to understand the different ways that comprehensive coaching systems can be implemented at scale, the types of coaching approaches used, and the supports offered. Although there is no singular strategy to scale effective coaching, this research provides insights for policymakers and program administrators seeking to incorporate coaching into their efforts to improve the quality of early childhood education.

LXD Research conducted a study to evaluate the impact of the Zaner-Bloser Kickstart: Number Sense program, a math intervention designed to enhance foundational math skills among first and second-grade students in an Oregon school district over a three-year period from spring 2019 to Spring 2023. The program was implemented in two schools, engaging 130 first graders and 163 second graders. The student population included 15% Hispanic/Latino students, 8% English Language Learners, 15% students with diagnosed disabilities, and approximately 70% of students qualifying for Free/Reduced Price lunch. The district represents at least 19 different language backgrounds, reflecting a diverse and multicultural student body. The intervention comprised daily 20-minute group lessons focused on developing critical math skills, conducted by instructors without prior math teaching experience. The program's effectiveness was evaluated by comparing third-grade math proficiency rates between Kickstart students and their peers from comparison schools of similar size across the state, utilizing publicly available proficiency scores from the Oregon Statewide Assessments (OSAS) as the benchmark. Key findings demonstrated that Zaner-Bloser Kickstart: Number Sense students consistently outperformed their counterparts in comparison schools over multiple academic years. Specifically, in the 2021-2022 academic year, 44% of all Kickstart students achieved math proficiency, compared to 26% in comparison schools. In the 2022-2023 academic year, the proficiency rate for all Kickstart students was 39%, compared to 26% in comparison schools. Additionally, first graders' proficiency increased from 43% in 2021-2022 to 56% in 2022-2023, while second graders' proficiency rose from 35% to 47% over the same period. These results suggest that the Zaner-Bloser Kickstart: Number Sense program is highly effective in significantly improving early math outcomes, fostering a solid foundation in math for young learners, and potentially bridging educational gaps. The study's rigorous methodology and findings support Zaner-Bloser Kickstart: Number Sense as a comprehensive program that meets the criteria for ESSA Level 2. [This report was produced by Zaner-Bloser.]

LXD Research conducted a study to examine the relationship between investment in Zaner-Bloser Handwriting program and Grade 3 student proficiency in handwriting in Alabama. Data from 4,759 students across 54 schools were analyzed, with schools categorized into Low Zaner-Bloser Handwriting (>$1 and [less than or equal to]$5 per student per year), Moderate Zaner-Bloser Handwriting (>$5 and [less than or equal to]$10 per student per year), and High Zaner-Bloser Handwriting (>$10 per student per year) investment groups. The demographic profile of the sample included a diverse range of students, notably with a significant representation of low-income and minority groups. The study revealed a substantial positive correlation between the level of ZB-HW investment and handwriting proficiency. Notably, 91% of students in the High ZB-HW investment group achieved proficiency, compared to 82% in the Moderate group and 69% in the Low investment group. Additionally, each $1 increase in per-student investment was associated with an 18% increase in the likelihood of achieving proficiency. These findings highlight the effectiveness of Zaner-Bloser Handwriting in enhancing handwriting skills and underscore the importance of targeted investment in educational resources to support student outcomes. The findings and rigorous study design support Zaner-Bloser Handwriting as a comprehensive program that meets the criteria for ESSA Level 3. [This report was produced by Zaner-Bloser.]

Several federal laws require schools to provide services and accommodations to students with disabilities and to protect them from discrimination. The application of these laws may change depending on students' circumstances. At the P-12 level, three main federal laws protect the rights of students with disabilities: the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For students receiving special education under the IDEA or accommodations and services under Section 504 or the ADA, transitioning from the P-12 public education system to an institution of higher education (IHE) may affect how a school assesses their disabilities, their eligibility for accommodations or services, and the services and accommodations available to them. Students may also experience different treatment in the same educational context depending on which laws apply to them. This report examines the impact of these laws on students with disabilities in certain key respects: (1) how the laws define disability; (2) how the laws require schools to determine eligibility for services and protections; (3) how the laws ensure students with disabilities receive the accommodations and services they need; (4) the scope of legal protection guaranteed to students with disabilities; (5) how families enforce their rights; and (6) the available remedies.