In response to the global pressure that has led to an increased emphasis on international comparisons of student achievement since the 1980s, multiple federal reforms aimed at producing greater consistency in curricula have been initiated in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of a national curriculum and…

In this article, we introduce the term "vulnerability to achievement stressors," which refers to differentially low achievement when shifts in the educational environment "stress" or threaten the capacity of an individual or a group of individuals to make academic progress. We also introduce a methodological framework for…

The Early Childhood Directors Leadership Institute (ECDLI) project addressed a need for effective professional development with a series of Institutes using the Program Administration Scale (PAS), the Program Management Inventory (PMI), and the Plan-Do-Study-Act model, over a 3-year period. Each of the 100 participating program directors in the…

New teacher evaluation reform efforts in the United States hold principals accountable for improving teaching and learning. Yet little is known about how effective principals are at these instructional leadership tasks or how principals experience and adapt to the demands of teacher evaluation reform over time. In the current study, principals (n…

Professional learning for teachers has become a staple in today's education continuous improvement system. Federal programs such as the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Program (RTTT), Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, Elementary and Secondary Education Act and others have supported funds over the years to account for developing…

In this article, we introduce the term "vulnerability to achievement stressors," which refers to differentially low achievement when shifts in the educational environment "stress" or threaten the capacity of an individual or a group of individuals to make academic progress. We also introduce a methodological framework for…

Research across the decades has confirmed that effective school leadership is associated with better outcomes for students and schools. A high-quality school leader affects dozens of teachers and hundreds or thousands of students. It is a pivotal role. From 2011 to 2016, The Wallace Foundation, through its Principal Pipeline Initiative (PPI),…

This article contributes to the literature on school turnaround by examining the effect of the North Carolina Transformation (NCT) initiative, which was implemented in 75 low-performing schools after the state's efforts to turn around the lowest performing schools under Race to the Top ended, on student reading score growth in grades K-3. Reading…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2016 describes New Jersey's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies New Jersey will implement to address those challenges. The cross agency RTT-ELC team has continued to implement the eleven projects that the federal partners have…

Minnesota's vision for its Race to the Top -- Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) work was based in years of research showing the impact of high quality early childhood programs on children's school readiness and success in life. Minnesota's State plan was to increase access to high quality early learning development programs for children across…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2016 describes Vermont's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Vermont will implement to address those challenges. 2016 marked a year of substantial progress for Vermont's Early Learning Challenge (ELC) grant, particularly at the…

This report details the story of North Carolina's Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) Grant for the period of 2012-2016. It provides detailed reflections on the state's accomplishments over the grant period and shares the enhanced vision for the RTT-ELC in North Carolina. Specific details are provided about what has changed in the…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) final performance report for the year 2016 describes Rhode Island's vision for RTT-ELC, what has changed in Rhode Island and in early learning programs as a result of RTT-ELC, and the lessons learned in implementing a comprehensive reform agenda. The RTT-ELC grant offered Rhode Island the…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) final performance report for the year 2016 describes Delaware's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Delaware will implement to address those challenges. Delaware made significant progress throughout the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge in four identified…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2016 describes Colorado's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Colorado will implement to address those challenges. Guided by the vision of the Early Childhood Colorado Framework (their vision, goals, and priorities for a…