In early November 2013, the authors started talking about visiting the Hurley School, a dual-language school in Boston, Massachusetts. The Hurley School had spent considerable time transitioning to the Common Core State Standards on literacy, but little time addressing the shifts in math. They worried that math classes were no longer rigorous…

The Developmental Strategies for College Readiness and Success Resource Guide was produced by the Education Commission of the States and the Southern Regional Education Board for the "Countdown to 2015: Developmental Strategies to Advance Readiness in the Common Core Era" convening held April 21-23, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The…

One of the greatest challenges in education today is to adapt and respond to a linguistically and culturally diverse world, and to combat social disintegration and discrimination. Participatory and collaborative action research represents an empowering and emancipatory approach to this challenge because the "target groups" become…

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…

This book describes the steps and tools of Total Quality Management (TQM) and their use in the academic units of colleges and universities for Total Quality Improvement (TQI), illustrated by a case study from the School of Arts & Sciences at a state university. Section 1 explains how to: (1) identify problems contributing to non-value-added…

This directory includes information about schools that are working to improve student performance through the school-based management process "Onward to Excellence." Nearly 500 schools were sent an extensive questionnaire asking for detailed information about activities using "Onward to Excellence" and about results of that…

This directory contains information about schools that are working to improve student performance through the school-based management process "Onward to Excellence." Over 600 schools were sent questionnaires asking for detailed information about activities using "Onward to Excellence" and about results of that work. Data…

This book contains 17 papers, chosen from those presented within the last 2 years at the annual National Conference on Creating the Quality School, hosted by the Center for the Study of Small/Rural Schools at the University of Oklahoma. The papers are grouped into three sections: leadership for school improvement; classroom practices for school…

This text introduces the concepts of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and shows how they can be used in the classroom. A quality classroom is defined as one in which everyone in the class knows the objectives of the class and adopts a quality philosophy to continuously improve the work done to meet those objectives. The general principles and…

The format of this book addresses the most salient questions administrators, school board members, and community stakeholders need to ask to ensure academic and fiscal accountability, providing definitions, background information and the current research. Readers will be provided with sufficient knowledge to effectively question the financial…

Practicing classroom teachers (N=27) in a graduate class on elementary school administration identified major problems associated with gifted programs. Major concerns and recommendations for improvement dealt with instructional programs, disrupted routines, lack of communication/collaboration, and students' social and emotional development.…

This guide identifies ways of improving the program offerings by regular classroom teachers for students identified as gifted learners, through planned enrichment strategies. An introductory section outlines conditions prevalent in public schools that suggest the need for alternative strategies for the instruction of gifted learners, lists the…

This paper first compares Vermont's old Individualized Education Plan (IEP) which was designed primarily to insure legal compliance with the new family-centered IEP. It then describes the new IEP. Vermont's new family-centered IEP process emphasizes increased collaboration, reduced paperwork, and legal compliance. Three questions serve as a focus…

The 3-year qualitative study evaluated high-school special education programs and their contributions to the transition of youth with disabilities. This report focuses on: the current status of programs for transition from school to adult life; program gaps as seen by administrators and practitioners; and reported priorities for program…

These guidelines present best educational practices designed to assist school districts in providing quality programs for students with severe disabilities. The guidelines are intended to serve as a self-assessment tool for school districts. State-operated programs for Oregon students who are trainable mentally retarded are to use the guidelines…