Education Cluster Flux: Creating a K-12 Interstate Policy Diffusion Framework Using Hierarchical and Consensus Clustering

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Abstract

This study presents an expanded framework for enhancing interstate policy diffusion in K-12 education by identifying clusters of similar states based on 26 educational, demographic, and economic variables from 2017-2018 to 2020-2021. Three approaches for producing composite data from the different academic years were developed to account for the temporal variations. Utilizing hierarchical clustering on principal components (HCPC) and consensus clustering, Interstate Policy Diffusion Maps (IPDMs) were produced for elementary school, middle school, and the full K-12 education levels. The findings aim to aid state policymakers in identifying effective reforms tailored to their unique educational contexts, fostering improved student outcomes by learning from peer states' successes. This framework addresses the need for data-driven approaches in state-level education policy diffusion.

Author

• Vinh Quang Tran, St. John's University