Publications

Dueling Roles in Dual Language Education: Exploring Leader Identity Development in Dual Language Strands
Published in Educational Administration Quarterly (2023)
In collaboration with an external colleague, CEPR researcher Dr. Colleen Chesnut conducted an embedded single case study on Indiana school leadership in dual language immersion (DLI) strands, including interviews with over 80% of Indiana DLI strand principals at the time of data collection. Building on research in educational leadership, dual language leadership, and leader identity development, the study examined how principals of schools with DLI strands perceive and enact their leadership roles and identities. Findings and implications include:

• The DLI strand principals described their leadership through primarily instructional and distributed leadership dimensions, drawing upon their historic, epistemic, and political understandings of their roles.
• Principals of new DLI strands often have limited expertise related to DLI models and have not considered how their roles should accommodate leading “two schools in one."
• It is recommended that both practitioners and researchers in leadership preparation encourage school leaders’ deeper engagement in reflective work across the dimensions of leader identity development.

Equity Traps in the Deselection of English Learners in Dual Language Education: A Collective Case Study of School Principals
Published in NABE Journal of Research and Practice (2022)
In collaboration with an external colleague, CEPR researcher Dr. Colleen Chesnut used a collective case study approach to examine the equity discourses among one-way and two-way dual language immersion (DLI) principals in Indiana to define the ways in which DLI is understood and how that informs decision-making. Using the conceptual lens of “equity traps,” the researchers identified the overt and subtle mechanisms that propagate or constrain equity for historically marginalized groups, like English learners. Implications suggest the need for structural examination of the concrete and abstract ways in which equity is trapped within DLI programming, and a matrix is furnished to guide principals and DLI stakeholders in their preparation for DLI programming centered on equity.

Implementing Indiana’s New Dual Language Immersion Programs: Educator Perspectives
Research Brief (2018)
Researchers conducted interviews and focus groups with educators from six school districts that were implementing or planning for dual language immersion programs, known as DLI. Findings include:

• Teachers and administrators working in DLI programs have a broad understanding of their benefits but are eager to learn more.

• Challenges include recruiting highly qualified staff, finding time to plan lessons and acquiring learning materials, especially in the partner language.

• Educators are looking to state officials and policymakers for more structured support in the areas of standards and accountability.

• Certain types of professional development, such as visits to established DLI program, were seen as especially helpful in launching new programs.

“But I’m a Language Teacher!” Dual Immersion Teacher Identities in a Complex Policy Context
Published in Mid-Western Educational Researcher (2015)
CEPR researcher Dr. Colleen Chesnut completed this qualitative study examining dual immersion teachers’ identities as they engaged in policy implementation within their school, collaborating in professional learning communities (PLC) with one-way immersion teachers. Data derived from participant observation, interviews, and interpersonal process recall were analyzed through a theoretical lens blending communities of practice theories with theories on identity formation. Findings suggested that the requirement to collaborate across instructional contexts helped the dual immersion teachers to form strong and unique identities that sometimes conflicted with the requirements of their PLC work. The dual immersion teachers’ identities were shaped by their roles in the dual immersion program working with ELL students and by their work on PLC teams, and they often felt misunderstood by their colleagues who were not dual immersion teachers. This study has implications for leadership practice and policy research, suggesting that teachers’ identities can impact their engagement with school policies.

Examining the Cross-roads: School Segregation in Indiana
Data visualization & website (2017)
In partnership with the Civil Rights Project at University of California, Los Angeles, research on demographic shifts shows that Indiana schools on average remain largely segregated by race, ethnicity, and family income. The analysis and accompanying data visualization, unveiled on the 63rd anniversary of the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, demonstrate that the lack of integration (or racial and socioeconomic diversity) in Indiana schools largely reflects residential segregation.

State Education Policy Transparency Index
Data Visualization (2017)
An interactive tool, the Transparency Index allows you to examine several states' K-12 education policies in relation to four transparency categories: Budgets, Expenditures, Audits, and Academics.

New Jersey Charter School Impact Analysis
Study and Data Visualization (2017)
Using publicly available data from the New Jersey Department of Education and U.S. Department of Education, Researchers conducted a study comparing enrollment, grade promotion and disciplinary rates, and student achievement between traditional public schools and charter schools. Supported by data from the 2015/16 school year, this data visualization focuses on differences in charter school and traditional public school enrollment. The full report considers differences in disciplinary, expulsion, promotion rates, and achievement, as well as full details on methods. This study was commissioned by the New Jersey Education Association.

Analysis of Indiana Senate Bill 534 and House Bill 1591
Legislative Analysis (2017)
In conjunction with our ongoing research on school choice initiatives in Indiana and other states, researchers examined the Indiana Senate Bill 534, which would establish a parent-managed scholarship account program available to students meeting at least one of three special education categories, and House Bill 1591, which would establish a similar account program available to all students legally residing in Indiana. HB 1591 includes provisions unrelated to this account program; the following analysis only includes the relevant provisions. A copy of the report is also available here.

Follow the Money: A Comprehensive Review of the Funding Mechanisms of Voucher Programs in Six Cases
Research Briefs and Data Visualization (2016)
This comprehensive review is part of a three-part report, Follow the Money: A Detailed Analysis of the Funding Mechanisms of Voucher Programs in Six Cases. This review contains the cross-site analysis and findings of the funding mechanisms of voucher programs across five states (Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia. The complete report includes this cross-case review, data visualizations of enrollment and funding patterns, and detailed profiles of each individual case. This comprehensive review discusses the primary patterns in similarities and differences observed across cases; these patterns include impact on local revenue sources and state spending, student eligibility policies, enrollment count and categorical funding, and fiscal accountability.

Mapping the Growth of Statewide Voucher Programs in the United States
Policy Brief (2015)
Across statewide programs, states are expanding the number of vouchers available, in most cases either eliminating caps altogether or regularly increasing them each school year. Statewide program eligibility is expanding to include more middle-class families. The expansion of voucher eligibility to middle-income families has started happening in three ways: First, through allowing continued participation for current voucher students even if a family's income increases above the income cutoff, and second, through an increase in the income cutoff. The majority of statewide programs have one or both of these attributes at this point, or provide partial vouchers to families with higher incomes. Across statewide programs, accountability requirements for continued program participation are increasing, particularly around performance reporting. Accountability measures for voucher programs are in some ways mirroring or following accountability measures for public school systems. While specific requirements vary by state, the emphasis on reporting and transparency is unsurprising in the current accountability oriented policy climate. Findings from this research were presented at the 2015 Association for Education Finance & Policy Conference.

The Indiana Choice Scholarship Program: Legal Challenges, Program Expansion, and Participation
Policy Brief (2015)
Given the dramatic rise in statewide voucher programs in Indiana since 2011 and, in turn, the relevance of Indiana’s program in this national context, a policy brief outlining the Indiana Choice Scholarship provides detail on how Indiana students are now able to access Choice Scholarships via a variety of pathways. This research indicates that these new pathways have enabled participation in the program to increase. Furthermore, the changes in income eligibility requirements also appear to have increased participation in the program, as more students are receiving scholarships than in previous years. In effect, these changes make Indiana’s income eligibility requirements among the least restrictive of all statewide voucher programs, and most similar to those of neighboring state Ohio.

School Choice Issues in Indiana: Sifting through the Rhetoric
Policy Brief (2011)
The brief assesses the status of school choice laws and policies from across the nation, reviews the new options for school choice adopted in Indiana, and looks at their legal, fiscal, and policy ramifications.

Please contact CEPR@indiana.edu for PDF versions of these documents.

Database of Indiana School Referenda
Data Visualization (2018)
The Database features data visualizations that explore Indiana school referenda outcomes, requested tax increases, and vote shares by interacting with three tabs: 1) All Indiana School Referenda Outcomes, 2) General Fund Referenda, and 3) Construction Referenda.

Update on Indiana School District Referenda: Legislative Changes and Primary Election Outcomes of 2011
Policy Brief (2011)
An impact report of the 2011 results of local referenda and of changes made by the Indiana General Assembly governing school district referenda.

Update on Indiana School Referenda
Policy Brief (2010)
An impact report of the 2010 results of local referenda and of changes resulting from 2008’s Public Law 146 (which broadened circumstances when General Fund referenda can be pursued and created a construction referendum process).

School Referenda in Indiana
Policy Brief (2010)
This report closely examines the results of General Fund and construction referenda voted on in 14 Indiana school corporations during May 2010 primary elections. Perspectives from 14 superintendents who oversaw the 16 referenda are also presented.

The School Finance Team conducted several studies for the Indiana State Board of Education (SBoE) that were commissioned by the Indiana General Assembly and a study for the New Jersey Education Association. The purpose of the research was to better inform policymakers in on issues related to school funding and broader K–12 education policy. Relatedly, the research team created data visualizations on the following topics:

School Referenda: Indiana and Beyond
Data Visualization (2018)
To provide school administrators, policymakers, community members, and researchers with better research tools on Indiana school referenda data, researchers redesigned the Database of Indiana School Referenda. Through the database and its visualizations, researchers showed trends, or lack thereof, which can identify specific factors that contribute to the success of school referenda. At the time of its inception, the Database of Indiana School Referenda was the only resource to house basic data on all of Indiana’s school referenda. Data visualizations have been added to the database which make the data points more easily comparable. The database and accompanying visualizations are updated following each referenda.

New Jersey Charter School Fiscal Analysis
Financial Report (2017)
Using school aid data, as well as publicly available data from the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) and U.S. Department of Education, researchers conducted a study analyzing the fiscal impact of New Jersey’s charter schools on traditional public schools. Supported by data from the 2014/15 school year, the data visualization focuses on the amount transferred to charter schools by each traditional school district. The full report considers potential expenditure savings and the net impact on traditional districts; details on methods are also included. The study was commissioned by the New Jersey Education Association.

A Comparison of State-Funded Pre-K Programs: Lessons for Indiana
Technical Report & Data Visualization (2017)
In order to inform the Indiana State Board of Education’s decision-making on Indiana’s On My Way Pre-K Pilot program, researchers at Indiana University compiled existing data on ten states that have implemented pilot pre-K programs and subsequently expanded these programs beyond the pilot phase. For a detailed overview of the state programs including funding, enrollment, eligibility requirements, and quality measurements, please refer to the interactive data visualization. The technical report presents the results of this inquiry, including a review of research on pre-K programs, highlights, and trends across the states, individual state profiles, and recommendations for Indiana.

Equity Analyses of the 2015-2017 Indiana School Funding Form
Equity Analysis & Data Visualization (2017)
The visualization highlights findings from an equity analysis report prepared for the State Board of Education. The report and visualization review changes to Indiana school funding (distributed through tuition support), the effects of changes on equity, and enrollment between 2009 and 2017. Users may explore state trends as well as view details about specific school corporations (districts) with the visualization.

Indiana School Corporation Spending
Data Visualization (2016)
Researchers used General Fund expenditure data from the Indiana Department of Education to show how spending differs between school corporations over time. How much school corporations spend on instruction is thought to influence how well students perform on state assessments. The tool allows users to see statewide trends for Fiscal Years 2011-2015, spending patterns in individual school corporations, and see how school corporation spending adjusts to changes in revenue, as approximated by total spending.

Exploring Financial Equity Across Schools                                            
Data Visualization (2015)
The School Finance Team explored school finance equity via data visualization. The visualization examines equity in elementary school spending within U.S. school districts. The visualization shows the relationship between school spending per pupil and the percentage of students receiving free or reduced price lunch in each school district with at least three elementary schools.

Changes in Indiana School Funding (2015-2017 Biennium)
Data Visualization (2015)
The Indiana General Assembly approved significant changes to the state’s school funding formula as part of House Bill 1001, which establishes the state’s biennial budget. In a data visualization, the School Finance Team reviewed these changes. The visualization highlights both increases and decreases in state education funding for school corporations and charter schools. Further, it explains changes in calculations for Complexity Grant funding. The visualizations enable residents statewide to see how the approved changes impact their school corporation and to see how funding levels in the new formula compare between corporations and charter schools.

Indiana School Funding Formula: CEEP Explains the Complexity Grant
Data Visualization (2015)
In 2015 the Indiana General Assembly considered changes to Indiana’s school funding formula as part of its deliberations about the state’s biennial budget. The school funding formula determines the distribution of funds to each of the state’s 289 school corporations and public charter schools. Particular attention in both the House and Senate proposals was given to the complexity grant, which is the part of the state’s school funding formula that provides additional funding to school corporations to educate students from low-income families. These changes have implications for the equitable distribution of school funding as well as the amount of funding available to school corporations and charter schools to implement education services and reform strategies. The visualization displays how the changes proposed could affect each school corporation’s funding, how the complexity grant worked in the previous biennium and proposed changes. The visualization also provided opportunities for users to propose their own changes to the school funding formula to see how the changes would impact school corporations. The team also prepared a memo describing how performance-based funding for Indiana’s school corporations fits within the larger context of the state’s accountability system. The memo drew upon existing Indiana legal code and research regarding state accountability systems. The memo was completed in January 2015. Findings were presented at the 2015 Association for Education Finance & Policy Conference.

Is Indiana Ready for State-Funded Pre-K Programs? Revisited
Policy Brief (2013)
In 2006 researchers published a brief on the benefits of prekindergarten programs and encouraged state support of these programs in Indiana. As the state legislature and other Indiana leaders are now seriously discussing the possibility of some level of support for pre-K programs, this new brief by researchers and the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community updates the evidence about the academic gains and potential long-term social and economic benefits of early education programs.

Student Count Mechanisms for Funding Purposes
Policy Brief (2012)
This brief provides an overview of the student enrollment count mechanisms currently employed by states, reviews Indiana’s outgoing count mechanism, the Single Count Date, and compares it with the newly enacted Multiple Count Dates mechanism. The brief examines how other states use the Multiple Count Dates mechanism and highlights their varied experiences, to draw insights into how this new mechanism may impact Indiana school funding in the near future.

UNESCO Without U.S. Funding? Implications for Education Worldwide
Special Report (2012)
The United States withheld its contribution to the budget of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) after the international body voted to grant member state status to Palestine. Researchers published this impact report which presents the facts around the controversy, and includes the perspectives of four leaders in international education. 

Summary of State Surveys on Consolidated Purchasing and Shared Service Arrangements among School Corporations, Charter Schools, and Education Service Centers
Indiana Focus (2010)
In this brief, data from the IDOE report are summarized in two sections: 1) summary of the school corporation survey, and 2) summary of the ESC survey. When available, data from the IDOE report are also compared to data from previous surveys. Please contact CEPR@indiana.edu for a copy of this brief.

Revisiting School District Consolidation Issues
Policy Brief (2010)
This policy brief provides a concise summary of the research on school and school district consolidation and a synopsis of the consolidation legislation passed in other states, with an emphasis on Maine and Indiana. A summary of school district consolidation feasibility studies conducted in Indiana is also included. Please contact CEPR@indiana.edu for a copy of this brief.

Preparing Teacher Evaluators in Complex Environments: The Influence of Policy on Academic Drift in Educational Leadership Preparation
Published in A. Danzig & W. Black (Eds.), Who Controls the Preparation of Education Administrators? Research and Theory in Educational Administration Series (2019)
In 2011, the Indiana General Assembly passed Public Law 90, revising its focus on evaluating teacher performance and significantly altering the state’s policy on teacher evaluation. CEPR researchers conducted this research framed within the literatures on academic drift in professional training programs in higher education and nonsystem actors in policy implementation, exploring how educational leadership faculty at four Indiana universities perceived the changes to requirements for teacher evaluation and to what extent they updated their curricula for future school leaders in response to the law. Whereas academic drift has been studied in fields that tend to be influenced by traditional market forces, CEPR researchers applied the concept to leadership preparation for K-12 education, thus examining a field that is strongly influenced by public policy. Faculty must take into account both the labor market for administrators and the overall policy context for education. Findings revealed that, contrary to the previous literature on academic drift, pressures external to the academic incentive structure result in educational leadership curricula that responded both to the policy environment and to market-based demands for graduates. These patterns suggest additional questions for theorizing and empirical studies of academic drift in other fields heavily influenced by policy and/or market environments outside of academia.

University Faculty Perceptions of Teacher Evaluation in Indiana
Policy Brief (2015)
The 2011 change in teacher evaluation policy in Indiana has been studied in terms of implementation and perspectives of principals, teachers, and superintendents, but not from the perspective of leadership preparation faculty. School administrators are trained in evaluation principles and practices by higher education institutions; thus, focusing on the faculty members who teach preparation courses is needed in order to better understand the implementation of this policy. This study demonstrates how faculty perceive and integrate policy changes into their programs, which valuable information for school district and university-level professional development and for the evaluation community as a whole. Conference paper presentations related to this research include UCEA, 2015 and AERA, 2016. An issue brief was released in 2015.

Indiana’s Teacher Evaluation Legislation
Policy Brief (2013)
This brief (second in a two-part series) examines the implications and challenges for policy, higher education, and professional development with Indiana's new teacher evaluation legislation.

Overhauling Indiana Teacher Evaluation Systems: Examining Planning and Implementation Issues of School Districts
Policy Brief (2012)
This brief (first in a two-part series) examines the implementation of Senate Enrolled Act 001 across Indiana school districts. Included are results of a superintendent survey, features of quality evaluation plans, and essential elements of equitable, effective, and efficient evaluation plans.

Revamping the Teacher Evaluation Process
Policy Brief (2011)
This brief explores provisions for how teachers in Indiana must be evaluated in light of the education reform package passed in the 2011 Indiana General Assembly. The brief summarizes the new legislation, its direct changes to evaluation policies and practices, and highlights issues of consideration for school corporations when selecting an evaluation system. Please contact CEPR@indiana.edu for a copy of this brief.

Performance on International Assessments and Learning Time: A Snapshot of How the U.S. Compares to Other Education Systems on an International Scale
Policy Brief & Data Visualization (2016)
Drawing from two international measures, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) and Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), this brief provides a snapshot comparison of the United States to other education systems. Specifically, this brief addresses how the U.S. compares to other countries in overall performance on international assessments and highlights the discrepancies between the U.S. and other education systems in the use of learning time. An accompanying data visualization highlights the similarities and differences in academic performance and learning-time practices among TIMSS 2011 and PISA 2012 participants. The findings from this analysis presented at the Comparative and International Society meeting in 2016 inform future research on how countries and U.S. states use instructional time to improve performance on international and national assessments.

2013 NAEP: How Does Indiana Compare?
Policy Brief (2014)
Known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” NAEP is the U.S. Government assessment used since the late 1960s to measure student achievement in many subject areas, including mathematics, reading, science, and United States history. Researcher's policy brief discusses the results from several states and provides details of the 2013 Indiana results, followed by commentary on the extent to which state-level policies and priorities impacted those results.

Indiana’s TIMSS 2011 Performance: Outperforming Much of the World in Math and Science, But Issues Remain for Gender Achievement and High Performers
Policy Brief (2013)
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is a regularly administered, large-scale international education assessment. In 2011, Indiana participated in the latest round of 8th grade TIMSS assessments. This policy brief examines the most recent TIMSS results for Indiana students in order to compare Hoosier 8th graders with their global peers, looking at averages for the Top 10 performing countries, the U.S., and the world.

The Limits and Possibilities of International Large-Scale Assessments
Policy Brief (2011)
The brief answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the three most popular international assessments. Used to compare educational progress between countries, these assessments often influence major education policy decisions. The brief addresses how these three particular international assessments function and how they are relevant to American education. Please contact CEPR@indiana.edu for a copy of this brief.

International Higher Education: Feasibility and Impact Study (2016)
During the past decade, policymakers across the globe promoted a market-like approach to higher education. These macro political and economic policies have been geared toward increasing economic competitiveness. This line of research examines international higher education policies, the global and the local. Using a case study approach and resource dependency as our theoretical framework, we delve into how universities in the US and their competitors have altered policies to reflect changes in the economic environment. Findings were presented at the Midwestern Comparative and International Education Society (MCIES) meeting in 2014, the Comparative and International Education Society meeting in 2015 and at the Comparative and International Education Society meeting in 2016.

Please contact CEPR@indiana.edu for PDF versions of these documents.

The Impact of Advanced Placement Incentive Programs
Policy Brief (2010)
Incentive programs have been successful at increasing participation in AP; however, incentive programs frequently decrease student success rate, as the rigors associated with AP or its expansion catch many students, teachers, and schools unprepared. This policy brief explores the effectiveness of several incentive programs and the research currently being conducted on effective AP incentive programs, and offers recommendations for education leaders.

College Persistence and Completion Strategies: Opportunities for Scaling Up
Policy Brief (2010)
This brief examines national research on enhancing the participation and success of historically underrepresented college students, provides information on the effectiveness of current retention programs in postsecondary institutions, and identifies promising policies and strategies that merit further exploration.

College Admission Tests as Measures of High School Accountability
Special Report (2010)
This report focuses on the background, use, and primary issues related to the statewide application of college admission tests (i.e., high school learning standards, the use of admission tests, student achievement assessment) and provides recommendations for stakeholders regarding the use of admission tests to assess achievement and accountability.

The Evolution of Indiana’s School Accountability System
Policy Brief (2012)
The brief reviews the history of Indiana education reform efforts over the past 25 years, and includes a look at how these efforts may continue into the future.  School accountability has been, and continues to be, the focus of reform efforts at all levels of Indiana’s K–12 system. 

Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism in Indiana: The Impact on Student Achievement
Policy Brief (2012)
Research staff studied Indiana’s student attendance and absenteeism data to examine the impact of chronic absenteeism on student achievement. The brief summarizes analysis and conclusions and presents recommendations for policymakers to consider.

Mind the (Other) Gap: The Growing Excellence Gap in K-12 Education
Special Report (2010)
The report is a comprehensive study of student achievement test results from every state, and indicates that, at the current pace of achievement, improving gaps could take more than a century to close. Please contact CEPR@indina.edu for copies of primary and individual state profiles for all 50 states.

Please contact CEPR@indiana.edu for PDF versions of these documents.

Sexual Violence Prevention
Special Report (2012)
Sexual violence is a serious concern within Indiana as well as nationwide. The report reviews actions taken in Indiana and other states, and offers recommendations for researchers, school officials, and policymakers.

Childhood Obesity and Nutrition Issues in the United States: An Update on School-based Policies and Practices
Policy Brief (2012)
Following up on a 2005 brief, this brief examines research and statistics, reasons for the continuing increase in child obesity rates, and federal and state initiatives.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Promoting Prevention and Positive Interventions in School Settings
Policy Brief (2011)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) called for educators to include positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) within their school environments. This brief provides an update on Indiana’s PBIS efforts; explores strategies for schools to expand development and implementation; examines the national debate and Indiana’s policies on the use of physical restraints and seclusion; and discusses implications and recommendations for educational policy.

Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2009 Report
Indiana Focus (2010)
This “Focus on Indiana” report presents tables and figures from Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2009 which relate to Indiana and surrounding states. Nine sets of data from eight different indicators are presented with tables and figures organized by state and year.