Following a model for an extended-day kindergarten program that had been in operation in select schools for nearly 20 years, a southeastern Virginia school division expanded the Extended-Day Kindergarten (EDK) Program with an additional 40 classes in 39 schools during the 2006-2007 school year. The EDK Program supplemented the traditional half-day…

Recruiting quality teachers is a top priority for school districts across the country. However, recent research demonstrates that an even greater challenge facing schools is retaining newly recruited teachers, particularly in urban school settings. This article analyzes the effects of two key components of many formal induction programs--mentoring…

The Accelerated Reader program from Renaissance Learning Inc. is a popular program implemented in elementary and middle schools across the country that encourages students to read and monitors their progress in the program. Despite its widespread use and popularity, there have been some questions about the program's effectiveness at increasing…

To provide a safer learning environment in Broward County (Florida) Public Schools, secondary school students have become involved in a crime- and drug-prevention program called Youth Crime Watch. Structured as a school-based extracurricular activity, this program provides a forum for discussing drug and crime prevention, establishing…

Student Service and Philanthropy Project, a three-year demonstration program, was established by Surdna Foundation in cooperation with New York City Public Schools during the 1991-92 school year. Given a chance to govern and administer minifoundations committed to public service, students might realize they can be a force for positive social…

Evaluates a cooperative program established between police and the Akron Public Schools. Since 1991-92, the program has utilized off-duty police officers who become familiar with students, remove nonstudents from school buildings, intervene in criminal violations, and make classroom presentations. A schoolwide survey showed that police cooperation…

Examines perceptions of principals, teachers, elementary students, and parents of the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program for fifth graders begun in Dade County (Florida) Schools in 1988-89. Compares ninth-grade program graduates' drug use with that of a comparable group of non-DARE students. DARE and non-DARE students exhibit no…

To address the district's pregnant-student dropout problem, the Memphis City Schools initiated the Adolescent Parenting Program (APP), in cooperation with several community agencies. The program provides comprehensive services and an incentive program to ensure students' progress toward graduation. According to this program evaluation, the APP has…

Evaluates a computerized reading management and enrichment program's effects on college-bound ninth graders attending Cherryville Junior-Senior High School, in Gaston County, North Carolina. When total reading scores were compared on third-, sixth-, and eighth-grade California Achievement Tests, the Cherryville students (five-year program…

Summarizes a third-year evaluation of the Houston Independent School District's Beating the Odds (BTO) program, initiated in the 1988-89 school year. Designed for at-risk secondary students, BTO provides in-school counseling and guidance, community outreach and family case management, and specialized teacher training. The program helped curb the…

Presents guiding questions developed by the U.S. Department of Education's Technology Planning Task Force. Questions revolve around creating a vision of learning, using technology to support the mission, developing a supportive infrastructure, understanding the plan's context, garnering public support, and implementing and evaluating the plan.…

The School-Based Mental Health Program's goals are to identify at-risk children, reduce ineffective functioning of at-risk children, provide social service interventions, increase effective parenting skills, help families access community resources, and support mental health education. The program was designed to develop a comprehensive,…

In the 2004-05 school year, at a time of nationwide debate regarding the rigor of the high school diploma and the value of school-to-work programs, Chesapeake Public Schools (CPS) conducted an evaluation of the preparation of their students for the job market. The results of the evaluation did not substantiate widespread concern that the high…

Describes a districtwide conflict-resolution program implemented in all New York City high schools during 1992-93. The program tries to empower students and staff by teaching them how to resolve conflicts nonviolently and use conflict as a vehicle for personal growth. During the first year, schools made substantial progress in handling…

Aware of increasing poverty among his students, a Virginia principal enlisted a retired teacher's assistance to provide direct support for underachieving students' families. After developing trust and rapport with identified families, the home-school consultant visited families to establish mutual goals, ranging from obtaining medical care, food,…