Publications: School Policy and Organization

students walking down a school hallway with security officer looking on

Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place? Disentangling the Intersections of Student Behavior, School Discipline, and School Safety in the Post-COVID Era

Policy Brief

Richard O. Welsh and Kathryn James McGraw

May 20, 2025

picture of Denver Public Schools bus travelling on a mountainous road

NEPC Review: Systemwide and Intervention-Specific Effects of Denver Public Schools’ Portfolio District Strategy on Individual Student Achievement (Center for Education Policy Analysis, University of Colorado Denver, September 2024)

NEPC Review

Robert Shand

November 8, 2024

Taking Equal Opportunity Rhetoric Seriously: Envisioning and Costing-Out a P–12 Public School System in North Carolina Where Every Child Thrives: A Working Document

Resource Document

Christopher Saldaña, Anna Deese, Kevin G. Welner, Kathryn Wiley, Tatianna Grant, Adam York, Michelle Renée Valladares, and John L. Myers

April 25, 2024

NEPC Review: The System-Level Effects of Denver’s Portfolio District Strategy: Technical Report (Center for Education Policy Analysis, University of Colorado Denver, December 2022)

NEPC Review

Robert Shand

February 8, 2023

NEPC Review: Use of Personalized Learning Platforms in One Pandemic-Era Microschool: A Case Study (Center on Reinventing Public Education, June 2022)

NEPC Review

Bryan Mann

October 18, 2022

NEPC Review: The Third Way: A Guide to Implementing Innovation Schools (Progressive Policy Institute, October 2020)

NEPC Review

Carrie Sampson and Sarah Diem

January 21, 2021

Rethinking “Innovation Schools”: Strengths and Limitations of Autonomy-Based School Improvement Plans in Contexts of Widening Racial Inequality

Policy Brief

Terrenda White and Anna Noble

October 27, 2020

Education Interview of the Month: Christopher Saldaña Interviews Educators and Activists About Educational Equity During the Pandemic

FYI

Christopher Saldaña, Jillian McRae, Ann Dealy, Saa’un Bell, Kyle Serrette, and Keith Catone

April 16, 2020

Investing for "Impact" or Investing for Profit? Social Impact Bonds, Pay for Success, and the Next Wave of Privatization of Social Services and Education

Policy Brief

Martin Carnoy and Roxana Marachi

February 4, 2020

NEPC Review: Beyond the Mirage: How Pragmatic Stewardship Could Transform Learning Outcomes in International Education Systems (June 2019)

NEPC Review

Frank Adamson

October 29, 2019

NEPC Review: Fiscal and Education Spillovers from Charter School Expansion (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, July 2018)

NEPC Review

Clive Belfield

October 5, 2018

Organizing and Managing Instruction in US Public School Districts: Considerations for Families, Communities, and States

Policy Brief

Donald J. Peurach and Maxwell Yurkofsky

September 27, 2018

Education Interview of the Month: Greg Smith Interviews Warren Simmons About Systemic Change in Schools

FYI

Gregory A. Smith and Warren Simmons

March 7, 2018

Education Interview of the Month: Greg Smith Interviews Jeannie Oakes on Community Schools

FYI

Gregory A. Smith and Jeannie Oakes

December 19, 2017

NEPC Review: Leveraging ESSA to Support Quality-School Growth (Thomas B. Fordham Institute and Education Cities, March 2017)

NEPC Review

Gail L. Sunderman

June 13, 2017

Community Schools: An Evidence-Based Strategy for Equitable School Improvement

Policy Brief

Jeannie Oakes, Anna Maier, and Julia Daniel

June 5, 2017

Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking - 2013 Collection

Policy Brief

William J. Mathis

June 13, 2013

Review of Failure Is Not an Option

NEPC Review

Mark Paige

January 15, 2013

Researchers as Resources: A List of Experts Who Can Speak to the Overall Knowledge Base on Important Education Issues

Policy Memo

Kevin G. Welner, William J. Mathis, and Alex Molnar

January 23, 2012

Consolidation of Schools and Districts: What the Research Says and What it Means

Policy Brief

Craig Howley, Jerry Johnson, and Jennifer Petrie

February 1, 2011

NEPC Review: U.S. Math Performance in Global Perspective: How Well Does Each State Do at Producing High-Achieving Students? (November 2010)

NEPC Review

Jeremy Kilpatrick

January 11, 2011

NEPC Review: The Impact of a Universal Class-Size Reduction Policy: Evidence from Florida’s Statewide Mandate (May 2010)

NEPC Review

Jeremy D. Finn

July 14, 2010

NEPC Review: Teacher Layoffs: Rethinking "Last Hired, First Fired" Policies (National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), February 2010)

NEPC Review

Richard Ingersoll and Lisa Merrill

May 12, 2010

NEPC Review: The Shaping of the American Mind: The Diverging Influences of the College Degree & Civic Learning on American Beliefs (December 2009)

NEPC Review

Gregory J. Marchant

March 17, 2010

Reviews Worth Sharing: Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Innovation (November 2009)

Reviews Worth Sharing

Bob Williams

December 16, 2009

Reviews Worth Sharing: Tracking and Detracking: High Achievers in Massachusetts Middle Schools (December 2009)

Reviews Worth Sharing

Kevin G. Welner

December 14, 2009

Universal Access to a Quality Education: Research and Recommendations for the Elimination of Curricular Stratification

Legislative Brief

Carol C. Burris, Kevin G. Welner, and Jennifer Bezoza

December 14, 2009

NEPC Review: Reroute the Preschool Juggernaut (June 2009)

NEPC Review

W. Steven Barnett

June 16, 2009

NEPC Review: The High Cost of High School Dropouts in Ohio (February 2009)

NEPC Review

Sherman Dorn

March 4, 2009

The Intersection of Race, Culture, Language, and Disability: Implications for Urban Education

Resource Document

Janette K. Klingner

January 1, 2009

Fellows’ Education Letters to the President

Policy Brief

Peter W. Cookson, Jr. and Kevin G. Welner

December 29, 2008

Multiple Pathways: 21st Century High Schools that Prepare All Students for College, Career and Civic Participation

Legislative Brief

Marisa Saunders and Christopher A. Chrisman

December 1, 2008

NEPC Review: Education Olympics 2008: The Games in Review (Thomas B. Fordham Institute, August 2008)

NEPC Review

Edward García Fierros and Mindy L. Kornhaber

October 15, 2008

NEPC Review: Markets vs. Monopolies in Education: A Global Review of the Evidence (September 2008)

NEPC Review

Clive Belfield

September 30, 2008

Preschool Education and Its Lasting Effects: Research and Policy Implications

Policy Brief

W. Steven Barnett

September 10, 2008

NEPC Review: The Effect of Special Education Vouchers on Public School Achievement: Evidence from Florida's McKay Scholarship Program (Manhattan Institute, April 2008)

NEPC Review

John T. Yun

May 22, 2008

NEPC Review: How Sound an Investment? An Analysis of Federal Prekindergarten Proposals (March 2008)

NEPC Review

W. Steven Barnett

March 24, 2008

Accountability, Rigor, and Detracking

Resource Document

Carol C. Burris, Edward W. Wiley, and Kevin G. Welner

March 1, 2008

NEPC Review: The High Cost of Failing to Reform Public Education in Missouri (March 2006)

NEPC Review

Sherman Dorn

January 9, 2008

Schooling and the Construction of Identity Among Minority Students in Spain and the United States

Resource Document

Janette K. Klingner

January 1, 2008

NEPC Review: Michigan Higher Education: Facts and Fiction (Mackinac Center, July 2007)

NEPC Review

José Luis Santos

July 5, 2007

NEPC Review: How Much Are Public School Teachers Paid? (Manhattan Institute, January 2007)

NEPC Review

Lawrence Mishel and Sean P. Corcoran

February 19, 2007

NEPC Review: Report Card on American Education (November 2006)

NEPC Review

Gene V Glass

January 8, 2007

Demanding More of Presidential Candidates

Resource Document

Kevin G. Welner

January 1, 2007

The Use of Assessment for Curricular Differentiation

Resource Document

Kevin G. Welner and K. Martinez

January 1, 2007

The Promises and Pitfalls of Alternative Teacher Compensation Approaches

Policy Brief

Debbi C. Harris

January 1, 2007

Discarding the Deficit Model

Resource Document

Janette K. Klingner

January 1, 2007

Dropout Policies: Research-Based Strategies

Policy Brief

Holly Kurtz, Jennifer S. Silverstein, Kevin G. Welner, and Samara S. Foster

January 1, 2007

NEPC Review: Giving Students the Chaff: How to Find and Keep the Teachers We Need (September 2006)

NEPC Review

Ash Vasudeva and Raymond Pecheone

October 25, 2006

NEPC Review: Getting Farther Ahead by Staying Behind: A Second-Year Evaluation of Florida's Policy to End Social Promotion (Manhattan Institute, September 2006)

NEPC Review

Derek C. Briggs

October 10, 2006

NEPC Review: Assessing Proposals for Preschool and Kindergarten: Essential Information for Parents, Taxpayers and Policymakers (May 2006)

NEPC Review

W. Steven Barnett

May 31, 2006

The Special Education Referral and Decision-Making Process for English Language Learners: Child Study Team Meetings and Staffing

Resource Document

Janette K. Klingner

May 9, 2006

NEPC Review: Getting Ahead by Staying Behind: An Evaluation of Florida's Program to End Social Promotion (Manhattan Institute, February 2006)

NEPC Review

Edward W. Wiley

February 23, 2006

NEPC Review: The State of High School Education in Wisconsin: A Tale of Two Wisconsins (January 2006)

NEPC Review

William J. Mathis

February 17, 2006

English Language Learners Who Struggle with Reading: Language Acquisition or Learning Disabilities?

Resource Document

Janette K. Klingner

January 18, 2006

Cultural Considerations with Response to Intervention Models

Resource Document

Janette K. Klingner and P. Edwards

January 1, 2006

Alternative Approaches to the Politics of Detracking

Resource Document

Kevin G. Welner and Carol C. Burris

January 1, 2006

Research Reveals Teacher Working Conditions Key to Improving Student Achievement

Resource Document

March 22, 2005

Closing the Achievement Gap by Detracking

Resource Document

Carol C. Burris and Kevin G. Welner

January 1, 2005

Addressing the Disproportionate Representation of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students in Special Education through

Resource Document

Janette K. Klingner

January 1, 2005

Rethinking Expert Testimony in Education Rights Legislation

Resource Document

Kevin G. Welner and Haggai Kupermintz

January 1, 2004

The State of Preschool: 2003 State Preschool Yearbook

Legacy Publication

W. Steven Barnett

January 1, 2004

These Youths Deserve Better

Legacy Publication

David C. Berliner

January 1, 2004

Social Welfare, the Neo-Conservative Turn, and Educational Opportunity

Resource Document

Michele S. Moses

January 1, 2004

The Overrepresentation of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students in Special Education

Resource Document

Kevin G. Welner

January 1, 2004

Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported by Rigorous Evidence: A User-Friendly Guide

Resource Document

December 1, 2003

Breaking the Code: Colorado's Defeat of the Anti-Bilingual Education Initiative (Amendment 31)

Resource Document

Kathy Escamilla, Sheila Shannon, Silvana Carlos, and J. García

January 1, 2003

When Should Bilingual Students Be in Special Education?

Resource Document

Janette K. Klingner and Alfredo J. Artiles

January 1, 2003

Class Size: Counting Students Can Count

Resource Document

Charles M. Achilles

January 1, 2003

Important Publications in the Field of LD in Light of Imminent Topics

Resource Document

Russell Gersten, Linda K. Elksnin, Daniel Boudah, Janette K. Klingner, and David Scanlon

January 1, 2003

Assessing Arizona's Dropout Problem: Why Current Measurement Methods are Flawed, and How to Fix Them

Policy Brief

Theresa Huerta

January 1, 2003

Ability Tracking: What Role for the Courts?

Resource Document

Kevin G. Welner

January 1, 2002

School Choice and the Pressure to Perform: Déjà Vu for Children with Disabilities?

Resource Document

Kenneth R. Howe and Kevin G. Welner

January 1, 2002

The Changing Roles and Responsibilities of an LD Specialist

Resource Document

S. Vaughn and Janette K. Klingner

January 1, 2002

Class Size Reduction and Special Education Referrals and Placements

Resource Document

T. Parrish, Edward W. Wiley, and G. W. Bohrnstedt

January 1, 2001

Legal Rights, Local Wrongs: When Community Control Collides with Educational Equity

Resource Document

Kevin G. Welner

January 1, 2001

Disabling Discrimination in Our Public Schools: Comprehensive Legal Challenges to Inappropriate and Inadequate Special Education

Resource Document

Daniel J. Losen and Kevin G. Welner

January 1, 2001

Reducing Class Size to Enhance Learning

Resource Document

January 1, 2001

Tracking in an Era of Standards: Low-Expectation Classes Meet High-Expectation Laws

Resource Document

Kevin G. Welner

January 1, 2001

Assessing the Writing of Spanish Speaking Students: Issues and Suggestions

Resource Document

Maria Coady and Kathy Escamilla

January 1, 2001

Navigating the Politics of Detracking

Resource Document

Kevin G. Welner

January 1, 2000

New Directions in American Educational History: Problems and Prospects

Resource Document

Ruben Donato and Marvin Lazerson

January 1, 2000

Sustaining Research-Based Practices in Reading: A Three-Year Follow-Up

Resource Document

M. E. Arguelles, M. T. Hughes, Janette K. Klingner, and S. Vaughn

January 1, 1999

Teaching Reading Comprehension Through Collaborative Strategic Reading Intervention

Resource Document

S. Vaughn and Janette K. Klingner

January 1, 1999

Collaborative Strategic Reading During Social Studies in Heterogeneous Fourth-Grade Classrooms

Resource Document

J. S. Schumm, S. Vaughn, and Janette K. Klingner

January 1, 1998

Inclusion or Pull-Out: Which Do Students Prefer?

Resource Document

Janette K. Klingner, J. W. Forgan, P. Cohen, S. Vaughn, and J. S. Schumm

January 1, 1998

Outcomes for Students With and Without Learning Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms

Resource Document

S. Vaughn, J. S. Schumm, B. Elbaum, M. T. Hughes, and Janette K. Klingner

January 1, 1998

On the Success of Failure: A Rejoinder to Alexander

Resource Document

Mary Lee Smith

January 1, 1998

A Collaborative Effort to Enhance Reading and Writing Instruction in Inclusion Classrooms

Resource Document

Janette K. Klingner, S. Vaughn, M. T. Hughes, and J. S. Schumm

January 1, 1998

Reciprocal Teaching of Reading Comprehension Strategies for Students with Learning Disabilities Who Use English as a Second La

Resource Document

Janette K. Klingner and S. Vaughn

January 1, 1996

Students' Views of Instructional Practices: Implications for Inclusion

Resource Document

Janette K. Klingner, S. Vaughn, L. Saumell, and J. S. Schumm

January 1, 1995

Commentary: What Policymakers Who Mandate Tests Should Know About the New Psychology of Intellectual Ability and Learning

Resource Document

Lorrie Shepard

January 1, 1992

What Doesn't Work: Explaining Policies of Retention in Early Grades

Resource Document

Mary Lee Smith and Lorrie Shepard

January 1, 1987

The New Push for Excellence: Widening the Schism Between Regular and Special Education

Resource Document

Lorrie Shepard

January 1, 1987

Characteristics of Pupils Identified as Learning Disabled

Resource Document

Mary Lee Smith

January 1, 1983

Specialists' Use of Tests and Clinical Judgment in the Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities

Resource Document

W. A. Davis

January 1, 1983

An Evaluation of the Identification of Learning Disabled Students in Colorado

Resource Document

Mary Lee Smith

January 1, 1983