High-quality assessments are crucial to many aspects of the educational process. They can help policymakers monitor long-term educational trends, assist state educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) in allocating resources and professional development opportunities, provide insights to teachers about how well students…

In 2021, California committed to providing universal prekindergarten (UPK) for all 4-year-olds and expanding access for income-eligible 3-year-olds by 2025-2026. California UPK includes several early learning programs, including transitional kindergarten (TK), the California State Preschool Program (CSPP), Head Start, and locally funded early…

The core practice of professional scientists is inquiry, often referred to as research. If educators are to prepare students for a role in the professional scientific and technological community, exposing them to inquiry-based learning is essential. Despite this, inquiry-based teaching and learning (IBTL) remains relatively rare, possibly due to…

As required by Minnesota 2015 Special Session Law, House File 1, Article 6, Section 8, the commissioner of Education must research existing one device to one student (1:1) device programs in Minnesota and across the country to determine best practices for Minnesota schools implementing 1:1 device programs. The commissioner must develop and publish…

Social and emotional learning (SEL) provides a foundation for healthy development. It is the process children, youth, and adults go through to develop the skills to engage with others, manage their emotions, show empathy, handle stress, resolve stress, set goals, and make responsible decisions to succeed in work and life. School climate is a…

The reauthorization of the U.S. Elementary and Secondary Education Act, referred to as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), emphasizes evidence-based initiatives while providing new flexibilities to states and districts with regard to the use of federal funds, including funds to promote effective school leadership. In response, state and…

During the past few years, more than 30 states have enacted legislation to change the way teachers are evaluated. The new laws require the annual evaluation of teachers; typically, multiple evaluations during the school year are required for new teachers. They also require the use of multiple measures to determine a teacher's effectiveness and tie…

This Special Issues Brief from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) offers insight into three human capital management policies that are critical for career and technical education (CTE) teachers: certification, performance evaluation, and professional development. CTE teachers are uniquely positioned to improve college and career…

One objective of the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) School Improvement Grants (SIG) and Race to the Top (RTT) program is to help states enhance their capacity to support the turnaround of low-performing schools. This capacity may be important, given how difficult it is to produce substantial and sustained achievement gains in low-performing…

This document contains key questions to consider when evaluating virtual charter school proposals.The insert is designed to help authorizers evaluate school quality and capacity in light of the distinctive attributes of virtual schooling. These questions address major functional areas as well essential questions that authorizers should ask of…

Since the "National Science Education Standards" were published in 1996, it has become apparent that the standards did not provide sufficient guidance on the key topics needed for implementation. Assessment was identified as a topic requiring more detail and guidance, as well as scientific inquiry, technology in the science curriculum,…

Five recent studies included in this annotated bibliography highlight the diverse facets of an effective principal evaluation system. A technical report by Jerry W. Valentine and Michael L. Bowman includes a clinical instrument for assessing teachers' perception of principals' effectiveness. In a second report, Daniel L. Duke and Richard J.…

Outlines four steps to follow in doing a full superintendent evaluation: (1) set clear goals for the superintendent, (2) follow up on the goals, (3) get other administrators' views of the superintendent, and (4) present the findings to the superintendent. Includes examples of questions to ask. (MD)

A New Jersey school district uses the following criteria to evaluate an administrator's performance: (1) performance of specific job functions; (2) progress toward attainment of goals; (3) personal traits and professional attributes; (4) indicators of pupil progress; and (5) a professional improvement plan to remedy previous "needs…

The purpose of the Evaluation Unit is to facilitate educational accountability by providing information to the District of Columbia Public Schools; to fulfill the requirements of the Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) of 1981; and to give technical assistance in evaluation to project coordinators. For each project that was…