Effective research in educational settings requires collaboration between researchers and school-based practitioners to codesign instruction and assessment, analyze findings to inform subsequent iterations, and make thoughtful revisions. This innovative reference and course text examines the theory and practice of design-based research (DBR), an…

This is the sixth in a series of six practitioner training modules developed as part of the Career & Technical Education (CTE) Research Network Lead. Designed for CTE practitioners and state agency staff, these modules are designed to strengthen the capacity to access, understand, and use CTE data and research as well as conduct one's own…

This guide for district and school leaders shows how to recognize opportunities to embed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) into planned policies or programs. Opportunistic RCTs can generate strong evidence for informing education decisions--with minimal added cost and disruption. The guide also outlines the key steps to conduct RCTs and responds…

Using data strategically to guide decisions and actions can have a positive effect on education practices and processes. This facilitation guide shows education data teams how to move beyond simply reporting data to applying data to direct strategic action. Using guiding questions, suggested activities, and activity forms, this guide provides…

The 1990 reauthorization of PL 94-142, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), emphasized the need for applied research in schools to prevent the development of emotional disturbance. Prevention research then led to mandates in IDEA 1997 that schools must develop positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) for children and youth…

Inverness Research is an independent national educational research group based in California. Its mission is to help projects assess the quality and efficacy of their efforts, and to help funders better understand the design of their initiatives and the value of their investments. Inverness Research has served by contract with CSTP (Center for…

This guide is designed to help districts and schools evaluate reform efforts related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), including School Improvement Grants. It includes practical, how-to tips for conducting program evaluations, whether one takes a "do-it-yourself" approach or seeks outside assistance to evaluate reform…

Educators at all school levels know that successful students--at all ability levels--have families who stay informed and involved in their children's education. Yet many middle level and high school teachers report that the only time they contact families is when students are in trouble. This disconnect between knowledge and behavior can be…

The cluster of studies that has come to be called the "effective schools research" is providing a reliable database on the basic differences between effective and noneffective schools. Researchers have identified three fundamental factors common to effective schools: (1) a belief in, and commitment to, student learning; (2) a sense of…

Monitoring school performance increasingly uses sophisticated analytical techniques. This document investigates whether one such method, hierarchical growth modeling, yields consistent school performance results when different metrics are used as the outcome variable. It is examined as to whether statistical and substantive inferences are altered…

The strategic goals and objectives set forth in the Department of Education?s FY 2002-2007 Strategic Performance Plan form the context for the broad outcomes the Department believes should characterize American education. The Department administers more than 150 programs in support of 6 goals and 26 related objectives. This FY 2006 Program…

Community colleges are designed to be open-door institutions, and they enroll a much wider variety of students than baccalaureate granting colleges. Community colleges have always played a crucial role in providing access to college. During the last decade, however, educators and policy makers have shifted their attention to the success of…

Reports on observations of the guidance and counseling services offered in nine schools in the San Francisco Unified School District, California. Provides a history of the development of these programs, discusses the role of the counselor, sets forth the expected tasks of the counselor while comparing these with the actual work being performed,…

Reviews 20th-century research on gifted students and on approaches to their education. Discusses recent federal and organizational initiatives and describes several current approaches to gifted education. Includes an extensive bibliography. (MCG)

The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of recent educational reform efforts in Washington State and to determine what educators believe to be the most important future areas of focus. In particular, the researchers wanted to determine whether school-wide improvement efforts (i.e. School Improvement Plans (SIPs), School Improvement…