The implementation of gifted programmes in the 1970s provided a way for school divisions to circumvent many of the aims of desegregated schooling as called for in "Brown v. Board of Education." This study examines the implementation of one such system in a Southern school district that saw schools close rather than integrate in the years…

In 2013, VA became the first state to mandate the use of threat assessment teams in its K-12 public schools. We provide an account of the development and adaptation of threat assessment as a school safety practice and research on the Virginia Student Threat Assessment Guidelines in VA schools. We describe the state law and the question of whether…

School principals are charged with complex responsibilities that can include developing a school vision and culture, supporting teacher effectiveness, managing challenges and crises, communicating with the greater community, and more. However, recent research and surveys of school administrators indicate that principal preparation programs do not…

School principals are charged with complex responsibilities that can include developing a school vision and culture, supporting teacher effectiveness, managing challenges and crises, communicating with the greater community, and more. However, recent research and surveys of school administrators indicate that principal preparation programs do not…

Physical education is critical to addressing childhood obesity, yet many school-based programs do not meet established quality standards and teachers are called upon to change. Little is known about how change is initiated and its associated internal and external factors. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate physical education…

The purpose of this research was to determine the future critical issues and problems facing the K-12 technology and engineering education profession in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This study was based on the Wicklein nationwide studies (1993a, 2005). Even though this study did not exactly replicate the Wicklein studies--since it was limited to…

The state of Virginia approach to the development and implementation of competency-based instruction in industrial arts programs is outlined. Development of various activities is described: position paper, curriculum research project, and industrial arts catalogs research project. Figures illustrate the details of each area. (CT)

Multiyear study of a small school district in Virginia finds that portfolios enhance the accountability and professional development purposes of teacher evaluation. While finding portfolios to be fair and accurate measures of teacher performance, teachers and administrators expressed concern about the time required to develop them. (Contains 3…

This report provides background information to the Virginia Board of Education and the Virginia Department of Education for implementation of a policy which makes major program changes at Virginia's two Schools for the Deaf and the Blind in Hampton and Staunton. The information covers a history of the schools, current school programs and services,…

This report presents a description of the Virgina Beginning Teacher Assistance Program (BTAP), its background and rationale, development, major program assumptions, and major program activities. The Virginia BTAP has three major components: teacher assessment, teacher assistance, and program management. The development and implementation of each…

This publication is part of a series of tools and resources on financing and sustaining youth programming. These tools and resources are intended to help policymakers, program developers, and community leaders develop innovative strategies for implementing, financing, and sustaining effective programs and policies. This strategy brief presents a…

This publication is designed as a resource guide for classroom teachers, special education teachers, and administrators in the state of Virginia in fulfilling state and national mandates for the physical education of handicapped children. Introductory discussion centers around (1) the term "handicapped" and the disabling conditions…

The term "higher education" should be redefined to give all grade levels and subjects equal educational value. This effort should involve the Appalachian Teachers' Network, which consists of a group of teachers from all grade levels working to make Appalachian Studies an integral part of education. At Radford University (Virginia) the…

Prepared as part of a comprehensive study of reading in Virginia, this booklet contains standards identified by educators that must be exhibited by reading programs in order for them to be classified as "excellent." The ten standards are organized around four components: the learner and learning environment, organizing and managing a…

The Appalachian Math Science Partnership (AMSP) is a project within NSF's (National Science Foundation's) Math Science Partnerships (MSP) initiative. Funded at $23 million over five years, the AMSP involved 51 school districts and nine higher education institutions in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. The AMSP faced two significant challenges in…