Reports

March 15, 2023 | Policymakers in Alabama, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and West Virginia have worked to expand public preschool to meet growing demand. Researchers examine one of the biggest challenges they face: coordinating preschool providers that operate in very different contexts and settings and need different kinds of supports.

March 6, 2023 | Findings from hundreds of studies indicate that evidence-based SEL programs improve students’ social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes at all grade levels and for all students. To successfully implement SEL, schools and educators need support by state and district infrastructures that advance whole child development.

March 6, 2023 | In 2019–20, 1.3 million U.S. students were identified as experiencing homelessness, yet efforts to support them are underfunded and inaccessible—for example, most districts serving these students don’t receive federal funds to assist them. Policy changes can help remove barriers and provide these students with the equitable education they deserve.

February 22, 2023 | In Texas, a large majority of new teachers are now hired before they complete preparation. Researchers have taken a deep dive into the state of the Texas teacher workforce to understand the conditions that have led to shortages and to surface the solutions and policies that can help.

January 12, 2023 | Expanding beyond standard college applications, which often reflect disparities in the education system, the Ross School of Business added a student-generated portfolio component in 2016. The school shows an example of how to move beyond traditional admissions to build a diverse and college-ready class.

October 3, 2022 | Examining five school districts committed to serving students experiencing homelessness, researchers explore how districts fund and staff their programs; how federal, local, and district policies can strengthen supports; and how districts identify and address the needs of this vulnerable student group.

September 30, 2022 | Research shows that exclusionary discipline practices like suspensions and expulsions are ineffective at improving school safety and deterring infractions, may have a long-lasting negative impact on students, and disproportionately affect students based on their gender, race, school level, and disability status.

September 15, 2022 | Relatively few studies have successfully linked specific features of principal learning to teacher and student outcomes. To begin to address this gap in the literature, LPI researchers conducted a study of the relationship between principal learning opportunities (both preservice preparation and in-service professional development) and key outcomes for the teachers and students in their schools.

August 24, 2022 | A student’s performance under conditions of high support and low threat differs substantially from how they perform without such support or when feeling threatened. To create identity-safe classrooms where students can learn and thrive, schools can promote trust and interpersonal connection; create purposeful communities of care and consistency; use restorative practices to promote understanding, voice, and responsibility; and recognize diversity as an asset.

August 9, 2022 | Magnet schools can be tools for increasing community and school diversity and providing academic benefits to all students. They also present opportunities for neighborhood revitalization and stability. However, achieving these outcomes requires holistic thinking about civil rights and integration. Schools and neighborhoods are inextricably linked, and policies that reflect this reality will garner better results for both children and communities.