Shifts in the education system to more student-centered learning will require state and local education agencies to rethink how they do their work. Current accountability systems focus on compliance with standards, as demonstrated in annual summative assessments. Mark Elgart explains that a new approach to accountability will offer more authentic…

The purpose of this work is to provide empirical evidence as to how state level Freedom of Information or Access to Information and data protection regulator bodies in Mexico carry out their training tasks. We use different theoretical assumptions, particularly those that refer to the idea of "training in the public sector" regarding two…

Midlevel leaders are key players in institutional change, yet many often feel disconnected from the framing and execution of academic strategy. Actively engaging midlevel leaders in the institutional strategic planning process creates an opportunity for professional development and accountability for the success of the strategic plan.

Integrating gifted education into a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) provides a systemic approach to addressing the academic and social-emotional needs of high-ability learners (HAL) and twice-exceptional (2E) students. This article examines one state's initiative to align gifted services with the existing MTSS framework through shared…

This book provides the busiest leaders with an accessible set of tools that can immediately be deployed to positively impact their school. Authors Ronald Williamson and Barbara R. Blackburn explore the COMPASS model--Culture; Ownership and Shared Vision; Managing Data; Professional Development; Advocacy; Shared Accountability; and Structures to…

From embracing diversity and inclusion to calling for an end to decision-making in the men's room, companies and organizations can take practical and systemic steps to increase women's leadership and further their advancement. "Filling the Pipeline: Advancing More Women into the C-Suite and on Corporate Boards" offers the following…

The complexities of adapting traditional educational courses to a virtual setting highlighted numerous inequalities within the current United States' K12 school system. Students in low socioeconomic communities have suffered a more significant academic slide in core competencies due to poor lesson integration, online learning fatigue, poor…

When done reliably and efficiently, measuring school climate can help improve schools' vital signs and help state boards of education realize their goals and objectives for the system as a whole. Moreover, because it is as consequential to schools as checking heart rates and blood pressure are to humans, schools should always use climate measures…

The article profiles a project addressing a central issue in reform-driven STEM education--the need to align educational experiences with real-world STEM. The interdisciplinary program aimed for authenticity by purposefully designing an authentic PBL project and incorporating STEM professionals as volunteer facilitators. These volunteers enhanced…

The researcher seeks to address the needed changes to superintendent evaluation by suggesting an integrated formative evaluation process that balances both the need for accountability and ongoing professional growth and support (Hallinger, Heck, & Murphy, 2014; Duke, 1990). The nuances of the superintendent and school board relationship…

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) educates over 71,000 students in pre-school through grade twelve and impacts the lives of thousands more through the Non-DoD School Program (NDSP) and Local Education Agency grants program. This annual report represents an essential tool for communication and accountability. The purpose of this…

Successful schools have a clearly defined vision for student success, usually measured by college and career readiness standards. They are able to articulate success indicators for student performance as well as success indicators for the staff performance needed to meet those student indicators. Successful schools are able to describe a theory of…

The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) administration identified the need for adequate and proactive advising programs to foster student success. This paper presents a review of "best practices" in advising to determine commonalities, provides a comparison with current VCCS advising practices, and offers recommendations that…

This brief summarizes the January and February 2018 Thought Leadership Forum presentations. January featured a content-based presentation by William Robinson from the University of Virginia on turnaround leadership competencies and February featured Hannah Peria and Elisabeth Peterson from the New Mexico Public Education Department profiling New…

A pedagogical model called student-led academic teaming takes a different approach to personalizing instruction and meeting the multifaceted needs of each student without increasing teacher fatigue and burnout. With student-led academic teaming, students take increased ownership and accountability for their own and their peers' learning, relieving…