In education, practitioners are increasingly looking for strategies to bring data and evidence into decisionmaking and to roll out programs in intentional ways that allow for ongoing improvement. This toolkit acts as a guide to improvement strategies for teams of practitioners at colleges, providing them with the knowledge and tools they need to…

This is the fifth report from an evaluation of the Principal Pipeline Initiative (PPI), in which six large urban school districts have received support for strengthening novice principals' capabilities through specific strategies. Data for the evaluation were collected from late 2011 through spring 2015, using interviews with district…

This document is intended to serve as a practical guide for implementing a teacher-student data link (TSDL) that supports a range of uses at the local, regional, and state levels. The guide addresses the considerations for linking teacher and student data from multiple perspectives, including governance, policies, data components, business rules,…

Graduates of the Mesa Public Schools Advanced Placement (A/P) program were surveyed to determine: (1) their attitudes toward their experience in the program; (2) college credits received for their A/P classes; and (3) their suggestions for A/P program improvement. A/P courses, offered within the regular curriculum, have grown significantly since…

Noncustodial fathers have an essential role to play--both financially and emotionally--in the lives of their children. However, of the 11 million noncustodial fathers in the US, two thirds do not pay any formal child support. Many of these fathers are poor themselves and face multiple barriers, including low education levels, limited work…

This evaluation report examines high school programs for high ability students in Orange County, Florida. The evaluation study used interviews, surveys, and a review of records. It was found that: (1) all high schools have developed a course of study for high ability students, including Advanced Placement, honors, and four magnet programs; (2) all…

The Arizona Vocational Education Act of 1982 established countywide planning councils composed of representatives of secondary schools, community colleges, proprietary schools, employment and training, government, business and industry to coordinate the vocational education planning process. This progress report reviews the councils'…

The Bilingual Vocational Instructor Training (BVIT) project at California State University at Long Beach was established to teach instructors to communicate with limited English speakers in specialized skill areas. An evaluation of the program was conducted after its third year of operation to assess the placement of graduates and the…

Intended to assist staff members at vocational-technical schools in developing an internship program, this guide includes explanations of the Internship Project at Petit Jean Vocational Technical School (Arkansas) and sample forms. Prefaced materials include a time line for implementation of internship, and diagrams of an integrated…

This instrument is designed to help school administrators assess the level of implementation of the essential elements of the Instructional Support Teams (IST) process in Pennsylvania. The instrument is a rating sheet, or checklist, on which the presence and absence of components of the IST process are noted. The number of features in place is…

Interviews, record reviews, student follow-up, achievement tests, survey instruments, and observation were used to gather data for the 1986/87 evaluation of the Topeka (Kansas) Educable Mentally Handicapped (EMH) Program. Strengths of the program were identified and included: a dedicated, well-trained staff; a good special education/regular…

An independent audit of the San Diego (California) special education department was commissioned to examine: (1) whether programs exceed mandates of federal and state law, (2) whether the district has maximized funding sources in reporting programs and costs; and (3) whether alternative service delivery models or community interagency…

This guide for school district administrators answers question about Even Start, a new, special family-centered compensatory education program funded under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 that combines adult literacy, parent education, and early childhood education. The following issues about program design are…

The resource manual is intended to help Florida school districts provide services to gifted students. Rules and regulations are cited along with recommended procedures for the following program areas: definitions, eligibility criteria, screening, referral, evaluation, determinaton of eligibility and placement, provision of an educational plan,…

The manual outlines Michigan's procedures in providing special education services to students with emotional impairments. The first section depicts the special education process, beginning with pre-referral intervention strategies and referral and proceeding to evaluation, the individualized educational planning committee (IEPC) meeting, delivery…