The manner and method used to evaluate teachers has evolved over time. The methods employed often reflect the historical events and politics regarding education. Effective teachers versus a poor performing teacher can have implications on students' lifetime earnings (Hanushek, 2011). In the 2013-2014 academic year, Pennsylvania adopted the Teacher…

Data collection procedures using adapted Curriculum-Based Assessment (CBA) and Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) were developed for deaf and hard of hearing students. Results from statistical analyses through linear regression indicated that reading fluency scores using CBA and CBM materials adapted for deaf and hard of hearing students…

This manuscript presents findings from a study of the contributing factors and details of special education due process hearings in the United States that involved students with emotional and behavioral disorders. The study examined 101 due process hearings conducted over a three-year period in a five-state sample: California, Illinois,…

Strong and stable school leadership is critical for success in schools across the nation. The duties of the principal are many and varied. Principals, for example, can oversee instruction, purchase curricular materials and supplies, and provide professional learning and supports for teachers. Carrying out these duties effectively makes a…

Teachers have the greatest school-based effect on the achievement of any child in their classrooms, but highly effective principals can positively affect the achievement of every student in their schools. The difference between a highly effective principal and an average one is equal to two-to-seven months of extra learning per year for each child…

The intent of this study was to identify and examine the policies and practices of Pennsylvania School Boards, and identify what relationship these might have to patterns of district-level student performance. This study utilized a sequential mixed-methods approach in collecting data. First, quantitative data were secured using surveys sent to a…

School-based commercialism exists whenever a district enters into a relationship with a business that provides access to students or staff in exchange for fiscal or in-kind resources (i.e., goods or services). The practice includes business sponsorship of school activities (e.g., sporting events), exclusive agreements (e.g., pouring rights…

If reading fluency contributes to reading comprehension, then highly fluent readers should be expected to perform well in comprehension when reading materials are at their current grade level. The authors identified 171 elementary, middle, and secondary students who had been labeled by parents and teachers as strong readers and assessed as highly…

Comparison of student test scores between states, school districts, and even schools continues to be a popular measure of student achievement. However, these comparisons reveal little about the quality or effectiveness of educational programs, only the varying difficulty of educating different populations of students. This report uses U.S. Census…

This booklet briefly outlines the procedures to be followed by Pennsylvania school district administrators and state department of education officials in determining a school district's eligibility for state funds when the district operates its schools during a teacher strike. In order to qualify for state reimbursement, a school district must be…

A method for determining a school district's ranking of its educational goals, making use of board of education, administration, faculty, and community attitudes toward local needs, is outlined in this document. Written for use in Pennsylvania districts, the manual is designed to serve in conjunction with the state's Educational Quality Assessment…

This instrument is designed to help school administrators assess the level of implementation of the essential elements of the Instructional Support Teams (IST) process in Pennsylvania. The instrument is a rating sheet, or checklist, on which the presence and absence of components of the IST process are noted. The number of features in place is…

Results are reported for an evaluative study of a multidistrict innovation in Pennsylvania that instituted a teacher peer-coaching program across multiple school districts. The program, which promotes peer-coaching teams through workshops, flourished in schools where there was good staff development and high administrative support. (SLD)

This administrator's guide is designed to provide a systematic and objective means of evaluating an ongoing reading program. The procedures outlined recognize the important role of the administrator as the change-agent who initiates, encourages, supports, observes, and evaluates programs. The systems approach simplifies the Generic Planning…