In an effort to improve high school graduation and college enrollment rates among students who are Black, Latino, or experiencing poverty, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation established the Networks for School Improvement (NSI) initiative and awarded five-year grants to intermediary organizations to develop networks of school teams that work…

This study discusses the effectiveness of a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program spanning grades six through eight in a traditional, urban school district located in Northeastern Ohio. The history and expressed need for STEM education within post-steel producing and economically depressed regions are discussed. Important…

This case study examines the research process used to assess the intermediate effects of a community-based college preparation program in a fast growth, high needs exurban school district in Texas. Because it was not possible to randomly assign participants to treatment or control conditions, a nonexperimental design using propensity score…

This study discusses the effectiveness of a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program spanning grades six through eight in a traditional, urban school district located in Northeastern Ohio. The history and expressed need for STEM education within post-steel producing and economically depressed regions are discussed. Important…

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…

Faced with significant budget challenges, many districts cannot afford to hire an outside consultant to conduct a formal evaluation of their gifted programs. As an interim solution, districts may wish to conduct their own in-house program evaluation. "Gifted Program Evaluation: A Handbook for Administrators and Coordinators" is designed to assist…

What if every high school graduate of a given school district could go to college for free--not just those with good grades or financial need, but all of them? And what if this promise was guaranteed for decades? What kind of transformation might ensue, not just in the lives of the students themselves but in the communities that surround them?…

This volume builds on Fortune and Tedick's 2008 Pathways to Multilingualism: Evolving Perspectives on Immersion Education and showcases the practice and promise of immersion education through in-depth investigations of program design, implementation practices, and policies in one-way, two-way and indigenous programs. Contributors present new…

When charter schools first arrived on the American educational scene, few observers suspected that within two decades thousands of these schools would be established, serving almost a million and a half children across forty states. The widespread popularity of these schools, and of the charter movement itself, speaks to the unique and chronic…

This book is a synthesis of work done and expansion of the handouts, reports, graphs, charts, and communiques related to the work in approximately 130 school districts developing standards-based accountability systems for compensatory education. It serves as a guide to evaluating compensatory education programs and using multiple measures to…

This book is designed as a basic guide to the development of effective school public relations programs. The author provides guidelines for setting up effective communication strategies and presents ideas for spreading good news as well as for dealing with problems. One chapter focuses specifically on the difficult communication problems presented…

This book promotes professional development through the use of mentoring and provides guidance to educational planners and school administrators who wish to adopt, develop, design, implement, and evaluate inservice teacher education programs to train mentors. The first part of the guide presents: information for planning and implementing a…

This evaluation instrument is designed for systematic data collection to assess the effectiveness of media programs at school and/or district levels. The instrument may provide internal and external evaluators with information for program improvement, program planning, or accreditation. It is suggested that such an instrument should be used as…

This book examines the audit and accountability environment of public education. It provides the reader with an assessment of the current status and future potential of audits of State and local education agencies (SEAs/LEAs) and makes suggestions and recommendations for both auditors and educators. An in-depth review of the development of…

This book presents reviews of programs for elementary and secondary schools that are widely available and have some evidence of effectiveness in terms of student achievement. It also discusses district-level strategies for introducing proven programs. The comprehensive and objective evidence offered will help school and district administrators…