As Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW), a regional public university in northeast Indiana, completed the spring 2020 semester fully remote due to COVID-19, university leadership had to determine if there was a path to safely reopening campus and maintaining a low-risk environment for in-person instruction and work for the 2020-21 academic year. To…

Walsh University's process of seeking more effective assessment practices has identified an overarching theme of university-wide continuous improvement resulting in several initiatives. The categories of these initiatives can be described as new formats in leadership, unique and collaborative improvements across campus, strategies in alignment…

States continue to work to implement statewide accountability systems; publicly report extensive information on State and local report cards, as required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA); and provide additional resources to schools designated for support and improvement. These systems are vital for improving outcomes…

Most program evaluation efforts concentrate on assessments of "program implementation" and "program outcomes." However, another area of programs that has not received sufficient attention in the literature is evaluating the plan of the program. Since the quality of the plan and planning process can influence program…

At the beginning of the 21st century, higher education began to concentrate on leveling the playing field around admission. While this work is still unfolding, in the second decade of the last century, attention also began to be paid to identifying strategies that would improve student success and completion for all students, but especially for…

Great organizations have a clear sense of what they want to accomplish and how they are going to get there. For state boards of education, this vision and roadmap are typically articulated in a strategic plan. The best plans are living documents that guide state board actions or multiple years; lesser plans gather dust. What separates the two? The…

"The Regulatory Sandbox in Education" (S.B. 191, 2022) allows a school to implement an innovative education program and apply to the State Board of Education for a temporary waiver of state board rule to support an innovative education program. Under this program, local agencies approve proposed plans which are then reported to the State…

The before and after of a professional learning event is as important as the event itself, says Fred Ende, author of "Professional Development That Sticks" (ASCD Arias, 2016). Here, he introduces the TAR Method (Think, Act, Review) to help give these phases their due.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic institutions led to rapid shifts from person-to-person services to fully online services in the spring of 2020. These shifts presented unique challenges for graduate practicums and internships--experiences that bolster students' job-preparedness before graduation. An internship at the Louisiana State…

This program memorandum conveys to States the Biden-Harris Administration's priorities, State Plan requirements, submission process, and deadline for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Unified and Combined State Plans (State Plans) for Program Years (PYs) 2024 through 2027, consistent with WIOA Sections 102 and 103.

It is important classroom teachers have efficient tools to support student demonstration of expected classroom behaviors as contextually inappropriate behavior can impede learning. This is of particular importance in secondary settings given overreliance on punitive strategies (e.g., suspension). Interdependent group contingencies have been shown…

The Minnesota Multi-tiered System of Support (MnMTSS) Roadmap describes a process for districts to evaluate their current levels of implementation, plan for continuous improvement towards optimum operation, and monitor systemic fidelity and implementation progress. The MnMTSS Roadmap includes self-evaluation tools which measure the implementation…

Educator preparation programs (EPPs) have an opportunity to leverage and strengthen existing district partnerships to lead the way in co-designing teacher Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs), including the launch, operation, and continuous improvement of programs. At the very minimum, EPPs should be at the table as states, districts, and…

While the demands of teaching continue to escalate, teacher development has changed relatively little over time, leaving many of today's teachers feeling underprepared, overwhelmed, or demoralized with few opportunities to make real change. Teacher leadership holds promise for both addressing challenges within schools and empowering teachers.…

Digital transformation--which goes well beyond adopting new technology--requires a comprehensive approach that addresses organizational change, strategic alignment, and employee engagement. The Region 14 Comprehensive Center (R14CC) and its partners are at the forefront of this transformation for state education agencies (SEAs). The goal is to…