The Wisconsin Department for Public Instruction (DPI) is required to submit this report to the Legislature regarding the status of existing charter schools, the number of petitions for new charter schools, and the action taken by school boards and the DPI on petitions for new charter schools. This report offers the results of the charter school…

The Wisconsin Department for Public Instruction (DPI) is required to submit this report to the Legislature regarding the status of existing charter schools, the number of petitions for new charter schools, and the action taken by school boards and the DPI on petitions for new charter schools. This report offers the results of the charter school…

The K-8 Early Implementers Initiative has found that careful planning is critical. With thin planning, unexpected detours or dead ends are likely. However, with solid planning, districts are more likely to achieve their implementation goals and may discover some express lanes for their implementation journey. This evaluation report documents…

The Wisconsin Department for Public Instruction (DPI) is required to submit this report to the Legislature regarding the status of existing charter schools, the number of petitions for new charter schools, and the action taken by school boards and the DPI on petitions for new charter schools. This report offers the results of new charter school…

The purpose of this report is to provide formative and summative feedback to the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) regarding evidence of implementation and impact for the Interventions for Reading Difficulties Pilot Program. The report, while addressing the effects of the Interventions for Reading Difficulties Pilot Program, is also designed to…

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…

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…

Based on a case study of a large northwestern suburban school district's initial attempts to establish policy for school use of computers, this report addresses such general questions as how school districts develop policies for instructional and administrative uses of computers, how school policy formation committees function, and how their…

The state plan outlines aspects of special education in Kansas. The initial section provides background information and outlines the needs in teaching positions (both professional and paraprofessional) and in the numbers of students receiving special education. The second section addresses the following state department operations: administration…

Currently, all California community college districts are required by state and federal legislation to maintain at least one vocational education local advisory council. The degree of effectiveness and utilization of these councils varies greatly from district to district, as does the frequency of meetings and number of councils within a district.…

Ohio's Model Competency-Based Science Program is designed to provide direction for school districts in developing local competency-based science education programs. This guidebook provides direction for those responsible for developing district science programs. Section 1 is an introduction to competency-based education that covers the spirit and…

Career ladders have been proposed as one way to address problems rural and small schools have in recruiting academically able and talented teachers, recognizing them once they start teaching, and retaining them in the teaching role. While there are differences in career ladder plans, there are also some common features, e.g., predetermined…

This guidebook presents information to help school district fiscal policy teams develop a long-range financial planning process. Following an introduction on how to use the guide, section 1 provides a rationale and basic guidelines for establishing a financial planning process, with a focus on defining goals and participant roles. Section 2 offers…

This manual is intended to aid communities and school districts in the development of school-age child care programs. Section I, "Program Initiation," describes first steps in starting a school-age child care program. These include development of community awareness, needs assessment, program design, and program promotion. The broad issues are…

Research for Better Schools studied regional educational service agencies (RESA's) to learn how they contribute to school improvement activities. This report outlines the variety of training and assistance services that RESA's provide to local school districts. Identifying two important conditions in the delivery of these services--trust and the…