ICF International's white paper explores how implementation of social and emotional learning (SEL) has the potential to prepare students for workforce success and positively influence student engagement and academic performance while reducing dropout rates. Self-improvement and leadership development sections of bookstores are replete with texts…

In education, teacher experience is probably "the" key factor in personnel policies that affect current employees: it is a cornerstone of traditional single-salary schedules; it drives teacher transfer policies that prioritize seniority; and it is commonly considered a major source of inequity across schools and, therefore, a target for…

Several states had an assessment that they considered to be an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS) in place, or in development, when the April 2007 federal regulations on modified achievement standards were finalized. This article uses publicly available information collected by the National Center on…

This article presents the results from a research project on the host community impact of college students participating in university-sponsored international experiences. It finds that little reliable data is available on the impact that our students have on host communities. The article concludes that nondamaging international experiences…

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of instructional tools to support teachers' incorporation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Math experts have developed formative assessment lessons (FALs) that teachers can incorporate throughout the year's curriculum.…

Examines factors influencing removal of unsuitable teachers in 30 North Carolina school districts. Describes the proportions of teachers being removed from classrooms, the variables affecting teachers' involuntary separation, opinions regarding tenure, administrative competence, separation methods, and implications for policy and practice.…

Any complaint against a school employee regarding inappropriate physical punishment should be taken seriously by administrators and pursued vigorously by an investigating attorney. The standards (especially regarding probable cause and obtaining warrants) for investigating such allegations are less stringent than those imposed in criminal…

This North Carolina edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on…

The "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" examines what is arguably the single most powerful authority over the teaching profession: state government. This North Carolina edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the first of what will be an annual look at the status of state…

The North Carolina Division of School Planning conducted an educational survey of Cleveland County Schools. An architect and an engineer evaluated and rated each facility and site. The report of findings recommends reorganizing the merged school system into a K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 configuration, to improve instructional offerings for particular…

Legislative and programmatic efforts to improve teacher quality have become a major focus of state policymaking in recent years. States have employed numerous strategies in response to concerns about the preparation, quantity, and capacity of the teacher workforce. In this chapter, the authors introduce conceptual frameworks for understanding…

A Science Curriculum Study Committee was appointed in 1980 to thoroughly review and study the status of the North Carolina science program and to develop recommendations which, upon implementation, would significantly improve the quality of the total state K-12 science program. The committee was organized into three subcommittees with the…

A committee composed of students, parents, teachers, administrators, college/university persons, and representatives from business and industry carefully studied the mathematics curriculum in North Carolina public schools and formulated the recommendations contained in this report. It contains ideas, suggestions, and information resulting from…

This report is the result of an investigation of the schools of Beaufort County, North Carolina, at the request of the county board of education, for the purpose of studying the possibilities for centralizing the schools of the county and of recommending a definite plan of procedure for school consolidation. No complete investigation of the…