This research project received funding through the 2023 Institute for Diversity Science Seed Grant Program
Principal Investigator: Mollie McQuillan, Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, UW–Madison
Abstract: In 2023, more state legislatures proposed anti-LGBTQ+ educational bills than any other time in U.S. history (Legislative Tracker, 2023). At the local level, it is unclear how many Wisconsin school boards have adopted protective or harmful educational policies concerning LGBTQ+ youth or how these district factors influence LGBTQ+ students’ school experiences and health. The proposed study has two overarching goals, to: 1) describe where, how many, and what policies Wisconsin school boards have adopted concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and other gender-expansive (LGBTQ+) students, and (2) examine the relationships between district, school, and student characteristics with the health, safety, well-being of LGBTQ+ students.
This longitudinal study uses four secondary data sources – the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data (CCD), Wisconsin District/School Report Cards, the American Community Survey, and Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey – and primary data collection of school board policy documents. Using factor analysis and structural equation modeling, we will describe which districts are likely to have protective or harmful policies for LGBTQ+ students. We will also use hierarchical linear modeling to examine relationships between these district policies and school characteristics with student school climate and health. Because few representative datasets that include sexual orientation and gender identity items, this study that connects a representative survey study with policy analysis offers a unique opportunity to inform policymakers and school practitioners on how to effectively support LGBTQ+ students.