US School Districts Research Articles

The micropolitical landscape of publicly discoverable policies for generative AI in large US school districts

ABSTRACT While the use of generative AI (genAI) in K12 schools is increasing, it is poorly understood from a policy perspective. There are significant tensions in technology integration in education between public interests for social good and pressure from educational technology companies to view schools as markets. This study examined genAI policy efforts in the 50 largest US school districts by student enrolment in fall 2023 and spring 2024. A content analysis of documents from districts, states and media sources revealed micropolitical, rather than top-down, activities where districts were attempting policy making about genAI in varied ways and at varied paces. Educational technology vendors seemed to be opening space for substantial influence in policy decisions simultaneously. Understandings about these micropolitical activities of policy making have the potential to support shared decision-making and co-responsibility as important opportunities for disrupting current dynamics of influence on educational policy making in US schools.

Combining Instrumental Variable Estimators for a Panel Data Model with Factors

We address the estimation of factor-augmented panel data models using observed measurements to proxy for unobserved factors or loadings and explore the use of internal instruments to address the resulting endogeneity. The main challenge consists in that economic theory rarely provides insights into which measurements to choose as proxies when several are available. To overcome this problem, we propose a new class of estimators that are linear combinations of instrumental variable estimators and establish large sample results. We also show that an optimal weighting scheme exists, leading to efficiency gains relative to an instrumental variable estimator. Simulations show that the proposed approach performs better than existing methods. We illustrate the new method using data on test scores across US school districts.

A framework of justice-centered leadership practice: a qualitative, multidistrict study

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify key school leadership practices that center social justice and are evidenced across multiple school and district contexts.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative, multidistrict research design is used within this study. Sampled across seven US school districts, 24 school leaders were interviewed about their justice-centered school leadership practices within and outside of their school buildings.FindingsParticipants engaged in five key domains of justice-centered practice, which included 13 practice areas and 28 sub-practices. These domains include (1) creating an inclusive and caring environment, (2) promoting equitable opportunity to learn, (3) strengthening staff capacity for justice, (4) positioning families as partners in education and (5) building and extending community capacity and resources.Originality/valueThis study incorporates empirical data across diverse contexts and investigates actions relevant to diverse students and multiple justice-centered leadership approaches. By doing so, this study unearths a spectrum of justice-centered school leadership practices, presenting these in one of the few empirically grounded frameworks available in the literature. This framework provides an accessible, comprehensive and actionable starting place for practitioners hoping to lead in socially just ways and for preparation programs who will support these leaders.

Book bans in political context: Evidence from US schools.

In the 2021-2022 school year, more books were banned in US school districts than in any previous year. Book banning and other forms of information censorship have serious implications for democratic processes, and censorship has become a central theme of partisan political rhetoric in the United States. However, there is little empirical work on the exact content, predictors of, and repercussions of this rise in book bans. Using a comprehensive dataset of 2,532 bans that occurred during the 2021-2022 school year from PEN America, combined with county-level administrative data, multiple book-level digital trace datasets, restricted-use book sales data, and a new crowd-sourced dataset of author demographic information, we find that (i) banned books are disproportionately written by people of color and feature characters of color, both fictional and historical, in children's books; (ii) right-leaning counties that have become less conservative over time are more likely to ban books than neighboring counties; and (iii) national and state levels of interest in books are largely unaffected after they are banned. Together, these results suggest that rather than serving primarily as a censorship tactic, book banning in this recent US context, targeted at low-interest children's books featuring diverse characters, is more similar to symbolic political action to galvanize shrinking voting blocs.

The Association Between Social Determinants of Health, Risk Factors, Job Performance, and Health Care Costs in an Employed Population.

The aim of the study is to compare employees of a US school district based on their social determinants of health (SDoH). Methods: Employees ( N = 5006) were categorized into low-, medium-, or high-need SDoH tiers. Of them, n = 2469 also participated in a health risk appraisal in 2019. Subjects' average health care costs, health risk factors, and self-rated job performance were compared by SDoH tier and race. Results: Significant differences were observed among the SDoH comparison groups regarding age, gender, race, and marital status. SDoH was associated with health care costs, number of health risk factors, and self-rated job performance differently for Black and White employees. Conclusions: SDoH are complex and multifaceted. Black employees in the high-need SDoH group had higher average health care costs, lower self-rated job performance, and more average health risk factors than subjects in the lower need tiers.

School Bus Rebate Program and Student Educational Performance Test Scores

Students who ride older school buses are often exposed to high levels of exhaust during their commutes, which may adversely affect health and school attendance. As a result, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded millions of dollars to school districts to replace older, highly polluting school buses with newer, cleaner buses. To leverage the EPA's randomized allocation of funding under the 2012-2016 School Bus Rebate Programs to estimate the association between replacing old, highly polluting buses and changes in district-average standardized test scores. This study examined changes in reading and language arts (RLA) and math test scores among US school district applicants to the EPA's 2012-2016 national School Bus Rebate Programs 1 year before and after each lottery by selection status. Data analysis was conducted from January 15 to July 30, 2023. Selection to receive EPA funding to replace older school buses with newer, cleaner alternatives. School district changes in RLA and math test scores among students in grades 3 through 8 before and after the EPA funding lotteries by selection status were measured using an intention-to-treat approach. This study included 1941 school district applicants to the 2012-2106 EPA School Bus Rebate Programs. These districts had a mean (SD) of 14.6 (33.7) schools per district, 8755 (23 776) students per district, and 41.3% (20.2%) of students with free lunch eligibility. Among the applicants, 209 districts (11%) were selected for the clean bus funding. District-average student test scores did not improve among selected districts overall. In secondary analyses, however, districts replacing the oldest, highest polluting buses (ie, pre-1990) experienced significantly greater improvements in district-average test scores in the year after the lottery for RLA and math (SD improvement in test scores, 0.062 [95% CI, 0.050-0.074] and 0.025 [95% CI, 0.011-0.039], respectively) compared with districts without replacements. In this study, the EPA funding was not associated with student test scores overall, but in secondary analyses, the replacement of the oldest school buses was associated with improved educational performance. These findings support prioritizing clean bus replacement of the oldest buses as an actionable way for improving students' educational performance.

Data Analytics for Societal Challenges: Examining Student Participation in the National School Lunch Program

ABSTRACT Rising child hunger rates in the United States underscore the critical role of school meals in providing reliable food access for many children. This study investigates factors shaping student participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), aiming to support UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 of Zero Hunger amidst the COVID-19 aftermath. While the NSLP promotes student health, participation gaps persist, necessitating targeted interventions. Leveraging data analytics, this research examines socioeconomic and school-specific variables to uncover participation patterns. Focused on a major US school district, the study aims to identify factors influencing middle and high school student meal participation, offering actionable insights for decision-makers. Key findings emphasize the pivotal role of free and reduced-price meal eligibility as the most influential factor for student participation, with other factors such as meal quality, transaction frequency, operating cycle, cuisine, and weather playing a secondary role.

Strategies of youth engagement in health promotion: listening sessions, task force participation, surveys and other strategies.

Youth engagement is often purported as a critical dimension of health promotion for young people, but the strategies used to facilitate this engagement are seldom evaluated or studied. This study explored the strategies used to engage youth in a strategic planning process to develop comprehensive health and wellness plans in 28 US school districts. Participating school districts conducted listening sessions, administered anonymous surveys, included youth on a district task force, and employed other strategies to engage youth. Following this initiative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives from all school districts (n = 34) to enumerate the use of these strategies across districts and understand their perspectives related to the effectiveness and importance of these strategies for engaging youth in health promotion. The most prevalent strategy used by districts was listening sessions (27 districts; 564 youth), followed by including youth on the task force (19 districts; 39 youth), anonymous surveys (18 districts; 1988 youth) and other methods (5 districts). Interviewees clarified the benefits and challenges of each strategy and provided commentary on youth engagement for health promotion. The results stress the importance of building trusting relationships with youth, using multiple strategies to engage youth, and embodying an equity mindset throughout the development and implementation of youth engagement efforts.

A Comparison of Dual Credit Stratification by Provider Type in a US School District: Does Higher Education Provider Type Influence Dual Credit Program Access and Opportunity for Students?

A Comparison of Dual Credit Stratification by Provider Type in a US School District: Does Higher Education Provider Type Influence Dual Credit Program Access and Opportunity for Students?

Pandemic Schooling Mode and Student Test Scores: Evidence from US School Districts

We estimate the impact of district-level schooling mode (in-person versus hybrid or virtual learning) in the 2020–2021 school year on students’ pass rates on standardized tests in grades 3–8 across 11 states. Pass rates declined from 2019 to 2021: an average of 12.8 percentage points in math and 6.8 in English language arts (ELA). Focusing on within-state, within–commuting zone variation in schooling mode, we estimate that districts with full in-person learning had significantly smaller declines (13.4 pp in math, 8.3 in ELA). The value to in-person learning was larger for districts with larger populations of Black students. (JEL H75, I12, I18, I21, I28, J15)

Exploring the impacts of the Rebel mascot: insights gained from school-based helping professionals

ABSTRACT School mascots, including the Confederate Rebel, have come under scrutiny with calls to adopt more inclusive and representative symbols for all school stakeholders. Using qualitative methodology, we interviewed six school-based helping professionals in a southeastern US school district to examine their perceptions and experiences with the educational, personal, social, and community impacts associated with the Rebel school mascot. Four unique themes were identified from the participants and will be discussed along with implications and future research.

“Research shows”: Authoritative discourse in dual language bilingual education across two school districts

In this article, we synthesize ethnographic data from two studies in US school districts that were implementing dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs in order to remediate the standardized test scores of students from Spanish‐speaking families. While educators in both districts commonly cited “the research” to justify DLBE implementation, our ethnographic exploration of local research discourse highlights some ideological contradictions within DLBE that are often obscured by advocacy imperatives.

Effectiveness of a Brief Engagement, Problem-Solving, and Triage Strategy for High School Students: Results of a Randomized Study

Schools offer an advantageous setting for the prevention, early identification, and treatment of mental health problems for youth. However, school mental health (SMH) services are typically not based on evidence for effectiveness, nor are they efficiently delivered, with SMH practitioners (SMHPs) able to only treat a small number of students in need. The current study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, efficiency, and outcomes of a four-session assessment, engagement, problem-solving, and triage strategy for SMHPs that aimed to improve efficiency while being based on elements of evidence-based care. The study, conducted in 15 US school districts in three states, used stratified random assignment to assign 49 high schools and their participating SMHP(s) to either the Brief Intervention for School Clinicians (BRISC; N = 259 students) or services as usual (SAU; N = 198 students). SMHPs implemented BRISC elements with adequate to excellent fidelity and reported the strategy was feasible and well-aligned with presenting problems. Students assigned to BRISC reported significantly greater engagement in SMH at 2 months and completion of SMH treatment by 6 months. BRISC-assigned SMHPs reported significantly greater treatment completion after four sessions (53.4%) compared to SAU (15.4%). Students in the BRISC condition also reported significantly greater reduction in problem severity as evaluated by the Youth Top Problems Assessment. No differences were found for anxiety or depression symptoms or overall functioning. Results indicate that BRISC is a feasible early intervention and triage strategy that may aid in more efficient provision of SMH services with no compromise to SMH effectiveness.

Social Network Influences on Adolescent E-cigarette Use

Background: Determine if individual adolescent vaping is associated with the vaping behavior of their school-based friendships; whether that association stems from peer influence or peer selection; and whether it varies by age. Methods: Two wave longitudinal survey of 1,208 students in one Midwestern US school district. Students were asked if they ever vaped and to name their seven closest friends within the school district. A roster of all eligible students was pre-loaded into the survey to facilitate network data collection. Terms for network exposure, the proportion of vaping friends; and selection, the number of new friends who vape, were created. Logistic regression and Stochastic Actor Oriented Models were used to test both influence and selection effects. Results: A cross-sectional logistic regression model indicated that friend vaping was associated with individual vaping (AOR = 4.96, p < 0.01); and lagged logistic models indicated that increased friend vaping was associated with individual vaping initiation (AOR = 1.72, p < 0.05). Selecting new friends who vape was also associated with becoming a vaper (AOR = 1.25, p < 0.01). Both influence and selection were present for those less than 14 years old. Conclusions: This is the first study to use social network analysis to show that adolescents who vape or initiate vaping are more likely to do so if their friends vape, and/or they make new friends who vape. Prevention and cessation programs should address the role of friend influence and selection on e-cigarette use; particularly at younger ages.

The Utility of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in Predicting Mental Disorders in the Project to Learn About Youth-Mental Health.

We examined the predictive utility of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BASC-2-BESS) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in identifying students with a mental disorder. Data were collected in a two-stage study over 34 months with kindergarten-12th grade (K-12) students (aged 5-19 years) in four U.S. school districts. In Stage 1, teachers completed the BASC-2-BESS and the SDQ. In Stage 2, parents of 1,054 children completed a structured diagnostic interview to determine presence of a mental disorder. Results suggest that teacher versions of the BASC-2-BESS and SDQ have modest utility in identifying children meeting criteria for a mental disorder based on parent report. Area Under the Curve (AUC) statistics representing prediction of any externalizing disorder (.73 for both measures) were higher than the AUCs predicting any internalizing disorder (.58 for both measures). Findings can inform the use of teacher report in mental health screening, specifically the selection of measures when implementing screening procedures.

Classified Staff and the Implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports: A Case Study

Guided by normalization process theory, our qualitative case study explored classified staff members’ perceptions of their role in the implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in schools within a large urban US school district. Analysis reveals that classified staff members’ gleaned knowledge of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) and their role in implementation haphazardly through the trickle-down of secondhand, informal information from certified staff (administrators and teachers). This practice limited staff members’ understanding of roles, tasks, and responsibilities in implementation (individual specification) and the shared understanding of PBIS (communal specification). To the extent that classified staff members were internalizing PBIS practices (e.g., positive reinforcement for meeting behavior expectations), informants described their use as commonsensical but not due to any formal training opportunities provided to them. District and school leaders triangulated this finding, describing classified staff members as integral to PBIS implementation but providing no explicit, purposeful, and consistent plans to include them. In terms of policy and practice implications, we recommend that schools and districts implementing PBIS or any other school- or district-wide initiative be inclusive and strategic, involving classified staff in their exploration of possible initiatives, decision-making, planning, training, and evaluation. Educational leaders who opt to exclude classified staff members formally in their districts and schools’ collective efforts to implement school-wide initiatives do not fully leverage valuable human resources.

Heterosexist Bullying Victimization and Perpetration and Substance Use Among Heterosexual Adolescents.

Although heterosexist bullying mainly affects sexual minority adolescents, heterosexual adolescents may also be targets. Research is needed to understand the impact of heterosexist bullying victimization on heterosexual adolescents' behavioral health. Moreover, there is a dearth of research examining the negative consequences of perpetrating heterosexist bullying among heterosexual adolescents. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between heterosexist bullying victimization and perpetration and substance use in a racially diverse sample of heterosexual adolescents. A probability sample of middle and high school heterosexual students (N = 2,337; aged 11-19; 52.7% female; 35.9% Black or African American and 31.9% White) using random cluster methods was obtained from a southeastern US school district. Multiple logistic regression models were used to test the relationships between experiencing and perpetrating heterosexist bullying and substance use while accounting for sociodemographics. Of the participants, 7.1% reported heterosexist bullying victimization and 7.8% reported perpetration of heterosexist bullying. Of those engaging in heterosexist bullying, 29.5% also experienced it as a victim. Perpetrating heterosexist bullying was associated with greater odds of recent and lifetime alcohol, cigarette, e-cigarette, cannabis, and prescription drug use. Heterosexist bullying victimization was only associated with recent and lifetime cigarette use and lifetime e-cigarette use. The results demonstrate the negative correlates of heterosexist bullying victimization and perpetration on heterosexual adolescents' substance use. The findings underscore the need to address sexual stigma, such as heterosexist bullying, among not only adolescents experiencing it but also its perpetrators to help reduce substance use among all adolescents.

115 Interactive data displays for rapid responses to COVID-19 response in K-12 schools

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: A UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) science team partnered with the second largest US school district, with over 500,000 K-12 students, to design and implement a statistical process control dashboard to guide COVID-19 response, including mitigation and vaccination outreach. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: District data for students, teachers, and staff are updated daily and include COVID-19 test results, counts of quarantine after positive tests, and COVID-19 vaccination rates. Displays used a new hybrid Shewhart control chart to detect changes in test positivity rates and distinguish meaningful signals from noise (random day-to-day variation). The dashboard uses the Shiny and plotly packages in R to display interactive graphs of each data stream (cases, tests, and vaccinations) charted at multiple levels (districtwide, subdistricts, schools). Displays of variation over time show policy impacts and inequities. Selected displays use municipal COVID-19 data to complement district data. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The district has used the displays to assess the impact of their COVID-19 response and to identify variation in close to real-time to suggest areas with need for additional resources for mitigation or vaccination. The CTSI team has continued to edit and add displays in response to the district’s changing operational needs and questions. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The UCLA CTSI team developed and implemented a robust data visualization dashboard to monitor COVID-19 case rates and plan vaccination outreach efforts. Control charts enabled the district to distinguish noise from signal, thereby rapidly identifying when specific parts of the district needed targeted support to achieve equity goals.

The Impact of Audited Financial Statements on Local Governments: Evidence from US School Districts

The Impact of Audited Financial Statements on Local Governments: Evidence from US School Districts

The Impact of Knowledge-Building Curricula on Reading Achievement: Closing the Poverty Gap

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of knowledge-building curricula on closing the opportunity gap between students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds compared to more affluent peers. Data consisted of fourth through eighth-grade students’ reading achievement levels on state- wide summative reading assessments from 2015 to 2019 attending US school districts implementing, and not implementing, knowledge-building curricula. Of the school districts implementing knowledge-building curricula, four separate knowledge-building curricula were analyzed among six experimental districts. We found statistically significant differences in the frequencies of students performing at varying proficiency levels between districts that implemented a knowledge-building curriculum versus districts that did not. A greater frequency of students than expected who were attending school districts implementing a knowledge-building curriculum was performing at higher proficiency levels compared to matched controls in twenty-two of twenty-seven comparisons. Overall, our study found that there is evidence to the claim that exposure to knowledge-building curricula closes the opportunity gap in reading achievement for students residing in economically disadvantaged environments.