Research Report: Potential Implications of Florida’s Expansion of Required Reporting of School Incidents to Law Enforcement
This research report examines a recent policy change in Florida that substantially alters the required reporting of school incidents to law enforcement. The analysis projects the impact of this policy on law enforcement involvement in schools.In particular, the analysis calculates the number of school incidents reported to law enforcement in Florida prior to the policy change and estimates the number of incidents, types of incidents, and variation across counties in reporting of incidents to law enforcement that would have occurred had the policy change been in place at the time. The results demonstrate the potential for reports of school incidents to law enforcement to increase by over 43,000 reports, more than doubling the prior year. Increased reporting is projected to vary by school district and incidents, with fights, physical attacks, and threats increasing substantially. This report discusses the implications of this policy change on the criminalization of students, administrative burden on teachers and law enforcement, and data reporting/quality. Implications for policymakers are provided to help balance safety and unintended consequences.
Florida’s Education in Focus: Navigating the 2024 K-12 Legislative Landscape
Florida's Education in Focus: Navigating the 2024 K-12 Legislative Landscape Katharine T. Harris-Walls & Tiffany S. TanUF Education Policy Research Center Policy Brief In an effort to promote understanding and transparency regarding the 2024 K-12 education...
Multilingual Learners Reclassification and Science Learning Policy Brief
Multilingual learners (MLs) – students who are learning English alongside another language – are a growing population in the United States. Many of these students receive formal English learner (EL) services at school. This policy brief highlights findings from a recently published study that examined the relationship between reclassification out of EL services and subsequent science achievement for ML students. Analysis of nationally representative data shows that MLs who are reclassified out of ML services continue to perform on par to similarly situated students who were not reclassified, suggesting that reclassification is neither harming nor promoting their subsequent science achievement. This suggests that educators’ decisions around the timing of reclassification may be appropriate for most students, though the study finds some evidence that there are differential relationships depending on MLs’ prior educational settings and achievement levels. The brief concludes with recommendations for educators, policymakers, and researchers interested in promoting successful trajectories of science learning for MLs.
Discipline and Infraction Data – A National Review
The public availability of school discipline and infraction data provides opportunities for researchers, policy analysts, and the public to examine the disciplinary practices and behavioral contexts of schools. In a forthcoming publication, Center Director Dr. F....