Over the last several years, a growing number of cities have invested in early care and education for 3- and 4-year-old children, known as "preschool." This paper aims to aid cities in planning preschool programs by outlining a range of factors to consider. We largely do not make recommendations, but rather try to identify a range of…

We describe a project to restructure the way Applied Calculus is taught at our university to improve student success rates. Eliminating large lecture sections, re-evaluating the needs and expectations of our students, developing uniform course delivery and grading systems, incorporating active learning teaching methods, and focusing on conceptual…

This report summarizes Austin Independent School District elementary principals' comments from a December 2017 discussion about the process for choosing bilingual and English as a second language programs for their schools in the 2018-2019 school year.

Online programs are often viewed as a cost-efficient strategy for increasing revenue for shrinking university budgets but this may not be an accurate assessment. Responsibility Centered Management (RCM) is a budgeting model that is purported to increase efficient delivery of academic programs. As RCM budgeting models have been embraced, many…

This guide is designed to facilitate self-studies of planning and implementation of state-required summer reading camp programs for grade 3 students who scored at the lowest level on the state reading assessment. It provides a template for data collection and guiding questions for discussion that may improve instruction and increase the number of…

"Working Together and Making A Difference: Virginia Western Community College and Goodwill Industries of the Valleys Partnership Case Study Report" is a report aimed at informing community college and workforce leaders of best practices for launching and expanding partnerships to serve students more effectively. Co-published by AspenWSI…

After getting her master's degree from UCLA, Nancy Wills dreamed of starting a school-based guitar program so she could teach students to make music on the instrument she'd loved since she was a kid growing up outside of Yosemite, California. She had a strong belief that guitar was perfect for schools, ideal for individualized playing but also…

Research shows low-income students suffer disproportionate learning loss over the summer and because those losses accumulate over time, they contribute substantially to the achievement gap between low- and higher-income children. The Wallace Foundation is funding a five-year demonstration project to examine whether summer learning programs can…

NCHEMS (National Center for Higher Education Management Systems) has worked with the National Association of Systems heads (NASH)--with support from the Lumina Foundation for Education--to develop (1) empirically-based access regions for postsecondary institutions based on student enrollment patterns and (2) access, transition, and completion…

According to a recent estimate, out of more than four million children between 4 and 6 years of age, less than half a million are enrolled in kindergartens. This condition may be attributed in general to a lack of knowledge of the practical, ethical, and social value of kindergarten education; to the expense of installing a system whose advantages…

During the past five years the authors built a sizeable online program in the Psychology Department at the University of Minnesota Duluth. During that time they learned a great deal about how to administer such a program. Their experience also led to a proposal for creating an infrastructure to support online programming in a traditional…

This article describes a successful four-year student recruitment effort initiated by Florida State University's teacher preparation program in visual disabilities. The article discusses a survey to determine the target population, use of current students to attract new ones, harnessing of campus resources, and obtaining funds for recruitment…

In an era of rapidly changing demands from students, taxpayers, and legislative leaders, the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTC System) embarked on the development of a new online college to increase student access and save resources. The eTech College of Wisconsin represents a unique venture that requires collaboration and that shares…

This document outlines long-range plans for Virginia's Head Start program. The first section provides an introduction to the Head Start program, including a program description and information on eligibility, funding, and children served. Next, Virginia's Head Start program is covered, including a program description and information on…

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,…