Advise TX programming, established in the 2011-12 school year, is a collaboration between the College Advising Corps and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) intended to increase students' college enrollment rates. This annual report, required by the General Appropriations Act, House Bill 1, Article III, Rider 44, 88th Texas…

The Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative (MBLC) is a demonstration project taking place in 47 schools across Washington to help decision makers understand what quality mastery-based (or competency-based) learning looks like, how long it takes to implement, and what resources are necessary. The schools receive funding, coaching, and professional…

Effective state policy for new teacher mentoring stipulates program elements that increase the likelihood that district programming will be implemented and, thus, defines for districts what is important about mentoring support. Although most state policies do not differentiate programs for novice special education teachers, there are particular…

Many mentoring policies do not differentiate between novice special education teachers and their general education counterparts. Although novice special education teachers may benefit in part from general induction practices, their experience is limited when there is little attention given to their unique instructional needs. Policymakers can…

The authority to open and establish a charter school should be granted only to applicants that have a sound plan for, and demonstrate the capacity to operate, a quality, high-functioning public charter school. This policy guide discusses the following: (1) Background on the Charter School Application Process; (2) Key Considerations for…

It is a difficult time for policymakers, business leaders, and education leaders to think about ways to increase the numbers of students graduating from high school prepared for college and the work force when their focus is on reducing budgets. But now is the best time to plan for the future. Now is the time to explore programs that may bear…

Local school systems, Local Education Agencies [LEAs], and universities, Institutions of Higher Education [IHEs], work together in a variety of ways in the initial preparation and ongoing professional development of teachers, although it is difficult to ascertain the number of LEA/IHE partnerships. These relationships typically allow for a…

Since devolution in the UK in 1999, many aspects of social policy in Wales have been developed to respond more distinctively to the needs and requirements of those who live and work in Wales. In education and life-long learning, the Welsh Assembly Government has set out intended policy developments for the first ten years of devolved government in…

In order to achieve the expectations for children's learning stipulated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, greater attention needs to be given to child care policy and funding. This report details a study examining strategies in seven states that have integrated early education program standards in child care, by directly tying standards to…

This report presents results of a process analysis that describes and documents Job Corps services and operations. Chapter one provides overviews of Job Corps, the national Job Corps study, and the process analysis. Chapter two describes the administrative structure of Job Corps and presents data on the geographic distribution and characteristics…