Laboratories for Democracy: Research on State Education Agency Frameworks for Public Education Programs and Practices for the People—Creating Change with School-University Partnerships to Build SEA Sovereignty
With changes being implemented to the United States’ system of Federalism in the name of government efficiency per Executive Order 14158 “Establishing and Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency” (January 20, 2025) and the dismantlement of the Department of Education as stated in the March 20, 2025 Executive Order 14242 titled “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities,” State Education Agencies (SEAs) will need to provide their own answers to the new challenges for funding and legal compliance with already established programs that have been working to support educators and students.
In this special issue of PDS Partners: Bridging Research to Practice, researchers will explore SEA programming and projects that have created change at the local education agency (LEA) level, as well as how they will continue to implement and manage these initiatives at the state level outside of the previously centralized Department of Education.
This special issue will feature current research on identifying state-level programs and projects, assessing their implementation, and determining how SEAs can continue to provide and build such programs without the support and oversight of the federal government. Each state serves different populations of parents and students, has unique educational issues, and develops educational programming and projects to support their interpretation of the federal legal framework for laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). University researchers often partner with SEAs, local education agencies (LEAs, i.e. school districts), and local schools to study the efficacy of various laws, programs, special projects, teacher preparation programs, and professional development trainings. In response to recent cuts and halted guidance from the federal Department of Education, SEAs and local schools
List of Suggested Topics include, but aren’t limited to:
- Special Education Compliance
- Special Education Advocacy/Facilitation
- Schoolwide Inclusion Practices
- Diversity and Equity Programming
- Mental Health and Preventative Measures
- Alcohol and Drug Prevention/Rehabilitation
- Tier 1 Positive Behavioral Support Systems
- Crime Reduction Practices
- Parental Involvement Practices
For more details refer here
