In Maplewood Richmond Height, Missouri, the Teacher Home Visit Program has become a crucial component of the district's success. At the end of the first semester of the 2010-11 school year, discipline referrals were down 45 percent, and parent attendance at each school's first open house was up by almost 20 percent. Attendance is nudging up as…

In 2004, immigrant-rich Annandale High School in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., launched a focused effort to bring more parents of students from immigrant families into school leadership. Nearly half of the parents of Annandale High students are immigrants to the United States--and they come from more than 80 different countries.…

Evaluation of the school-based, collaborative inservice program implemented by 10 elementary schools in Jefferson County, Kentucky, indicates that ideal conditions are not essential to school improvement. Based on the effective schools research model, the project also provided evidence that local schools will adopt successful programs after pilot…

Drug Strategies' updated guide evaluates the 50 most popular U.S. prevention programs. Project ALERT scored high in overall quality, administrative ease, and rehearsal and role plays. Key components include age appropriateness, identification of social pressures, instruction in refusal skills, interactivity, normative education, family…

A coauthor of "Who Chooses, Who Loses?" (1996) argues that choice does little to desegregate schools or break down ethnic family enclaves. Choice schools are usually founded on publicly financed organizations. Choice appears to increase parental involvement without substantially improving student achievement. Choice schools need clear plans for…

Georgia's plan to reward overall school improvement requires staff of participating schools to demonstrate attainment of four challenging goals: academic achievement gains, resource development, educational programming, and client involvement. This pay-for-performance program helped one elementary school achieve 90 percent of its goals the first…

Development teams in Hawaii are using local emphasis, teacher training, and field support to create successful new curriculums. (Author)

By studying survey data from 1,000 teachers participating in a Title II workshop, researchers identified three structural features (form, duration, and collective participation) that set a proper context for professional development. Three core features of professional-development learning experience include content focus, active learning, and…

School systems can promote computer literacy among teachers by starting at the administrative level, making inservice comprehensive and long-term, providing concrete support, and offering opportunities for participation. (Author)

Reviews recent trends in the development and implementation of performance-based incentive programs for teachers and administrators. Looks at program control, administrator and teacher involvement, time frames used, criteria for career advancement, evaluation methods employed, effects of funding on implementation, and program evaluation. Considers…

After-school program participation is associated with higher grades and test scores, especially for low-income students. Programs come in three types: school-age childcare, youth development, and educational after-school programs. Few programs meet students' needs, due to inadequate funding, poorly trained leadership, transient staff,…