The recent Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to identify and turn around their lowest performing schools, but it breaks somewhat from prior policies by granting states significant autonomy over how they identify and turn around these schools. This mixed-methods study, which draws on administrative, qualitative, and survey data,…

We studied how six high-performing, high-poverty schools in one large Massachusetts city implemented the state's new teacher evaluation policy. The sample includes traditional, turnaround, restart, and charter schools, each of which had received the state's highest accountability rating. We sought to learn how these successful schools approached…

Presents the concept of instructional program coherence and explains why school improvement frameworks that incorporate instructional program coherence are more likely to advance student achievement than multiple unrelated efforts. Presents some evidence that Chicago, Illinois, elementary schools with stronger instructional program coherence make…

The evaluation of the reading programs in the Eugene, Oregon, public schools is described. Emphasis is placed on the eclectic approach to reading in the district prior to the evaluation and on the effect of using staff members as evaluators in their own district. (CTM)

A multilevel analysis strategy developed by Leigh Burstein termed slopes-as-outcomes provides a means to address questions concerning equity in educational research. This potential strategy for studying differences in program implementation relates to differences in program effectiveness across sites. (SLD)

The study examines relationships among variations in the implementation of participative decision making, instructional improvement, and student learning in 1 school district of about 3,300 students over 5 years. Findings support the conclusion that teacher participation in decision making is related to instructional improvement and better student…

This article discusses implementation of the California Department of Education's accountability program, its structure and function, selection of performance indicators, and recognition of schools. A survey of school officials found strong support for the concept of accountability, but weak agreement on the specifics to implement it. (Author/JAZ)

Two approaches to math instruction were compared in the fifth grade of the Jordan (Utah) School District. For middle- to lower-socioeconomic-status (SES) pupils, the Goal-Based Educational Management System Proficiency Mathematics approach was substantially more cost-effective. For high-SES pupils, a more traditional text-oriented approach was…

Implementation of schoolwide projects in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) illustrates some of the conceptual problems associated with the Hawkins Stafford accountability amendments to the Chapter 1 supplementary education program. Unintended negative consequences are discussed, and recommendations are made to overcome these problems, including the…

This article presents findings from a 4-year study of 13 culturally and linguistically diverse elementary schools implementing comprehensive school reform (CSR) models. The study focused on: (a) the actions at the state and district levels that facilitated or inhibited reform implementation; (b) the adaptability of the various reforms in…