Utilizing longitudinal data from the national Schools to Watch (STW) program, this paper examines school demographic characteristics and teacher ratings of the implementation of STW criteria in STW schools and schools that have applied but have not yet been designated as a STW. The STW program was established by the National Forum to Accelerate…

School wellness policy is a requirement for all public schools within the United States participating in the National School Lunch Program, under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The legislation provides a set of content requirements for local school districts to use in creating their policy. The legislation recognizes the unique needs…

In December 2015, President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced No Child Left Behind (NCLB), as the nation's major law governing public schools. ESSA retains the requirement that states test all students in reading and math in grades three through eight and once in high school, as well as the requirement that…

The presence of challenging and violent behaviors that pose risks to the overall safety and the educational learning experience in the public education setting have been on the rise in recent years. Traditional reactive, coercive, and punitive measures to address these behaviors have been futile. Congress responded to the national increase in…

The purpose of this study was to build on the previous work of articulation practices of Virginia's public school divisions and community colleges participating in dual enrollment partnerships, and to understand the role of the community college in initiating, developing, and implementing dual enrollment programs. The primary focus involved…

As thousands of communities--especially in the South--became booming gateways for immigrant families during the 1990s and the early years of the new century, public schools struggled with the unfamiliar task of serving the large numbers of English-learners arriving in their classrooms. Instructional programs were built from scratch. Districts had…

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) alternative educational options. The WCPSS options are similar to those in other North Carolina districts. WCPSS student outcomes based on state assessments and federal standards are also equivalent or higher than other districts, although the capacity for WCPSS…

This study focused on current practices of character education in Virginia secondary schools and intended to establish baseline data. The research was conducted in two phases and used a mixed methodology. Of the 621 secondary schools in Virginia, a combination of 243 urban and county schools were randomly selected to participate in Phase One of…

This is a case study of the implementation of 8 VAC 20-542-530(2), a state policy governing the internship component of Virginia principal preparation programs. The purpose of the study was to examine the implementation of the policy and its effectiveness for changing professional practice in Virginia. States hold the responsibility for…

Examining the implementation efforts associated with NCLB mandates and policies can help educational leaders frame their associated school responses and actions to better meet the challenges set forth by the federal legislation in meeting the needs of their local student populations. This study addressed the question, "How are middle school…

In order to prepare outstanding teachers, it is essential to provide opportunities for teacher candidates to use the theory learned in the college classroom in a "real physical education class." It is difficult to accomplish this when the university has so many physical education teacher education (PETE) majors that they overwhelm a…

Virginia's Public Education Network (PEN) was one of the first statewide public school Internet systems. PEN began as a regional pilot that led to the establishment of a regional prototype, Teacher-LINK. Teacher-LINK in turn became the basis for the statewide K-12 Internet system. Topics include PEN's educational content, Internet services, and…

To fulfill an agreement with the 1992 General Assembly, the Virginia Department of Education conducted a study during the fall and winter of 1992-93 of school divisions' implementation of their Family Life Education (FLE) programs. The program was to provide comprehensive, age-appropriate, and sequential instruction in 10 specified content areas…

This monograph, a supplement to "A Guide for Planning and Developing Guidance and Counseling Programs in Virginia's Public Schools," is designed to emphasize the importance of career guidance and counseling in the public schools of Virginia, and to provide specific direction for implementing a comprehensive program in kindergarten…

Guidelines for the development and implementation of a public school uniform policy are presented in this document. Written during spring 1991 in response to Virginia House Bill 1206, which directed the state board of education to develop model policy guidelines by January 1, 1992, the suggestions serve as a practical guide for planning,…