EdWorkingPapers Policy and Practice Series

The Impact of Cellphone Bans in Schools on Student Outcomes: Evidence from Florida

The rapid rise of student smartphone ownership, now reaching 88% among U.S. teens, has coincided with growing concern about both student well-being and academic performance. At the same time, 72% of public high school teachers say cellphones are a major classroom problem, and 83% of educators support all-day restrictions with limited exceptions. Supporters of cellphone bans argue that restricting device use helps students stay focused, reduces distractions, and improves mental health and academic performance. Opponents counter that such policies may strain student–teacher relationships, limit access to digital learning tools, and hinder communication during emergencies

Puzzling Over Declining Academic Achievement

Student Achievement Has Been Declining for More Than a Decade, And COVID Isn’t the Only Culprit

For years, educators and policymakers have pointed to the pandemic as the primary driver of falling test scores and widening achievement gaps. But a new national analysis reveals a more troubling reality: America’s academic decline began long before COVID-19.

School Enrollment Shifts Five Years After the Pandemic

Five years after the pandemic began, families aren’t just bouncing back, they’re making different choices. In Massachusetts and across the country, enrollment in public schools remains below pre-pandemic trends, with many families opting for private and homeschooling instead. While some communities have returned to public schools, others, especially higher-income and White and Asian families, have continued to leave. The biggest shift is a surprising and persistent drop in enrollment in middle school grades.

Does Expanding Access to High Quality Technical Education Induce Participation and Improve Outcomes?

New Study Shows Expanding High-Quality CTE in Regular High Schools Boosts Student Participation and Early Career Outcomes

Across the country, Career and Technical Education (CTE) is getting greater focus as a core part of the comprehensive high school experience. In fact, 83 percent of U.S. districts that offer CTE programs offer them in regular high schools, where students take career-focused courses alongside traditional graduation requirements. 

Increasing Applied STEM Curricular Opportunities in High School and Impacts on Early Post-Secondary Outcomes: The Effect of Project Lead the Way

Preparing students for STEM careers is essential to sustaining the nation’s economic growth and competitiveness. STEM fields already make up nearly a quarter of the U.S. workforce, about 37 million workers, and that share is projected to grow twice as fast as non-STEM jobs over the next decade. Yet industries like engineering and health sciences are facing serious worker shortages. Strengthening the STEM pipeline has become a shared challenge for schools, policymakers, and employers alike: how can we spark students’ interest and prepare more students for STEM careers?

The Effects of Universal School Vouchers on Private School Tuition and Enrollment: A National Analysis

The rapid spread of universal private school vouchers marks one of the most significant shifts in U.S. education policy in decades. As states increasingly adopt universal voucher programs, what will this mean for access, affordability, and the future of public education?

Who Wants to Be a Teacher in America?

This study shows the teacher pipeline through the same lens as other professions, and the contrasts are stark. Unlike nursing or social work, teaching struggles to attract students of color. Unlike law or engineering, it draws fewer high-achieving students who seem motivated by prestige and advancement. While the paper does not claim to identify the exact drivers of these patterns, it highlights important hypotheses, such as the possibility that low professional prestige may deter some talented students from entering teaching. In doing so, it reframes the teacher shortage not only as a question of supply, but also as an issue of status and opportunity, raising important questions about how to recruit, support, and elevate teaching to make it both accessible and appealing to the next generation.

Comparative Cost Analyses of Community College Student Success Initiatives

Community colleges serve as “engines of opportunity,” particularly for low-income, racially minoritized, and first-generation students. Yet, completion rates remain low: only ~30% of students graduate within 6 years, less than half the rate of public universities. A big reason is resources: community colleges spend far less per student than four-year schools, leaving them with limited capacity to support students. We know from research that certain strategies (like embedded tutoring, basic needs supports, and early alert systems) can help students and improve graduation rates. What we don’t usually know is what they actually cost. This study fills that gap with the first comparative cost analysis of six proven student success initiatives, breaking down annual spending, cost per student, funding sources, and budget trade-offs so leaders can make smarter, more informed investments.

Financial Aid For Future Educators: Assessing A Federal Grant's Impact On Students' Postsecondary Decisions

Schools across the U.S. face persistent challenges in attracting and retaining qualified teachers, especially in high-demand fields such as special education and secondary STEM. At the same time, enrollment in traditional teacher preparation programs (TPPs) has declined. Cost is a major barrier: teacher preparation students, who are disproportionately women and students of color, often face financial pressures that make it hard to persist, especially in the early years of college.

Neighborhood Effects on STEM Major Choice

STEM degrees are among the strongest pathways to economic mobility, yet access to them remains deeply unequal across lines of race, gender, income, and geography. Students from wealthier families and suburban communities are far more likely to pursue STEM majors, while low-income students and students of color remain underrepresented in these fields. 

This study adds new insight into why those disparities persist and what can be done about them. By following Texas students over time, the researchers show that neighborhood context itself matters: students who spend more of their middle and high school years in “STEM-rich” neighborhoods (places where peers frequently major in STEM and STEM professionals are visible in the community) are significantly more likely to choose STEM majors themselves.