ABSTRACT This study investigates determinants of academic achievement among Moroccan students using PISA 2018 data through multilevel modeling. Analyses reveal significant gender disparities and negative age-achievement associations, indicating grade progression difficulties. Self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation constitute robust performance predictors. Paternal education and household educational resources demonstrate substantial influence on student outcomes. Marked public-private sector disparities persist after socioeconomic controls, with private institutions exhibiting superior performance. School infrastructure quality correlates positively with achievement. Findings underscore persistent systemic inequalities within Morocco’s dual educational framework and demonstrate complex interrelationships among individual, familial, and institutional determinants. Results inform policy interventions targeting equitable resource distribution, gender parity, and public-private performance differentials.

ABSTRACT Self-regulated learning and self-efficacy are fundamental competencies for academic success, yet their development in homeschooling contexts remains understudied despite growing enrollment in home education. This systematic review synthesized research examining these critical learning competencies among homeschooled students. We identified 23 studies (6,312 participants) meeting inclusion criteria. Results revealed that homeschooled students generally reported moderate to high levels of self-regulated learning and self-efficacy. Comparative studies suggested possible advantages for homeschooled students in autonomy and academic self-efficacy, with broadly similar outcomes in other domains. However, the non-causal nature of the studies precludes conclusions on whether and how homeschooling influences these outcomes.

ABSTRACT Charter school authorizers serve as the gatekeepers of the sector – deciding which charter schools open and close. Despite their critical role in quality control, authorizers have been criticized for sidelining community-led visions for schooling. This paper explores how authorizers can transform from the gatekeepers of the charter sector to the gateways, creating pathways for the prioritization of communities’ interests and needs in charter schools. Through a review of existing literature and guidelines provided to authorizers from the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, this paper identifies both threats to and possibilities for equitable charter authorizing in practice and policy.

ABSTRACT We posit that two recent Supreme Court actions – one explicitly banning racial classifications in university admissions (SFFA, 2023), another to not review the Fourth Circuit’s upholding of “race-neutral” measures to increase racial diversity (Coalition for TJ, 2024) – reinforce a post-Bakke/Grutter trend of some selective schools using “holistic” individualized review to camouflage racial preferences. We further posit that, while Americans generally agree on the substantive end of racial equality, they diverge on the procedural means, specifically race-sensitive policies, open debate, and even legal compliance. The authors assess data and expert opinions on selective-school admissions, including after the 2023-24 admissions cycle. We conclude that liberal procedural norms of transparent, critical, and open debate help citizens reach a consensus on the best means to achieve racial equality.

ABSTRACT The relationship between charter sector expansion and student sorting is related to the types of charters that open, where they locate, and how they design their admission policies. Researchers may debate the merits of various segregation measures, student racial groupings, or charter typologies, but decisions about how to examine the data do not negate the fact that there are identifiable patterns in the locational decisions and demographics of different types of charters. While these patterns may be expected, closely examining them facilitates more policy-relevant conversations about the relationship between charters and student sorting in the face of persistent school segregation.

ABSTRACT I critique Yi and Phillips (2025) by offering alternative perspectives and interpretations to their conclusions.