Researchers and policymakers have written extensively about the lack of evidence for the use of suspension and expulsion in schools and the disproportionate impact among racial and ethnic minorities and children in special education. As a result, states across the country have passed legislation to reform school discipline practices, with varying…

The purpose of this study was a state-level investigation of school counselors' knowledge of their role in the implementation of service-learning policy using survey research methods. The respondents reported having little knowledge of the policy, not having implemented it statewide, and not having been trained in service-learning pedagogy. Based…

The Teacher Effectiveness and Accountability for the Children of New Jersey (TEACHNJ) Act was adopted by the New Jersey legislature in August 2012 with the intent to raise student achievement by improving the overall quality of instruction. As a result of this act, new teacher evaluation systems, known as ACHIEVE NJ, have been introduced in school…

This mixed methods study examined the relationship between school districts' principal evaluation practices and their impact on student achievement in mathematics and reading. School achievement data were collected from a sample of 41 campuses representing 27 Texas school districts. Data were also solicited from a convenience sample of campus…

Increasing college degree attainment for students from disadvantaged backgrounds is a prominent component of numerous state and federal legislation focused on higher education. In 1999, the National Science Foundation (NSF) instituted the "Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarships" (CSEMS) program; this initiative was designed to…

This study explores the question of how Boston Public Schools (BPS) can strengthen and support autonomy and accountability across its portfolio to promote innovation and expand access to equity and high performance. Some of the specific questions guiding this work are: (1) Should all schools within BPS operate within autonomous structures? (2) Is…

This qualitative study documented the variance of five different school districts and one consortium as they implemented Local Professional Development Committees (LPDCs). Two of the sites were pilot districts in the state of Ohio, which mandated that districts/consortiums create LPDCs effective in September 1998. The six different cases are…

This paper examines the relationship between policy, organizational type, and the utilization of extrinsic incentives. Charter school reform spread throughout the country in the 1990s, providing the unique opportunity to study over a thousand new public organizations and the innovative operational decisions they made. Traditional public schools…

Describes a mandatory assessment process for school counselors that was part of Mississippi's Education Reform Act of 1982. To investigate the influence of the assessment process on counselors' professional identity, counselors (N=65) throughout Mississippi were surveyed. Results are reported. (TE)

Increasing attention to mentoring in the teaching profession in recent years has been accompanied by a proliferation of programs, literature and expertise related to experienced teachers helping new teachers. To assess the extent to which there is a common set of functions performed by teacher mentors, a two-phase study of mentoring was…

In 1991, the superintendency was characterized by a high turnover rate and a shortage of qualified applicants willing to take the job. In addition, no two states had exactly the same certification standards for superintendents. This paper presents findings of a national survey that examined superintendent-certification requirements by state.…

A study examined state legislative and policy provisions for gifted students and state efforts to address the seven initiatives outlined in U.S. Department of Education's "National Excellence: A Case for Developing America's Talent." Findings indicate some progress in teacher preparation, enhanced curricular standards, and efforts to match world…

Illinois' school-reform act of 1985 authorized the development of an Administrators Academy for training principals to evaluate teachers and for training superintendents to evaluate principals. Renewal of school administrators' certification was contingent upon attendance. Some practitioners, educators, and state association directors began to…

This study was designed to see how six teachers, who had experience with educational change, dealt with particular curriculum mandated reforms in the province of Ontario (Canada). Teachers were asked to reflect and comment on their experiences implementing "The Common Curriculum, Policies and Outcomes, Grades 1 to 9, 1995," an initiative…

After a review of the recommendations of national reform reports in the 1980's concerning teacher education programs and legislation enacted and regulatory systems established in Mississippi to facilitate educational reform and ensure the quality of teacher education major courses, this paper describes a study of the American College Test that…