Effective instructional coaching won't happen across a district without a well-specified coaching program and a reliable way to guide coaches. Fortunately, there are innovations from research and development efforts that can help districts put into practice the best ideas about instructional coaching. Andrew Wayne and Jane Coggshall describe how…

Outlines some of the findings and recommendations included in two recent reports on art education programs. Negative reactions to the reports are included. (IRT)

Offers a brief report on the National Assessment of Educational Progress conference on minimum competency testing. Among the reports was one asserting a logical relationship between student competency testing and teacher competency testing, and one noting that no research evidence shows that mandated student competency testing programs are…

Provides a set of seven practical guidelines for determining whether a new educational program will work in a particular school or school district. For example, the program has been carefully investigated to make certain it fits the needs and culture of the school. (PKP)

Presents a self-assessment quiz to use in determining if your school's program for gifted students is adequate. (IRT)

Explores the quiet demise of the Kalamazoo (Michigan) Public Schools' effort to institute a comprehensive evaluation system for teachers and administrators that was complemented by a merit pay plan. Reasons for the program's failure may include hasty planning and implementation and an overwhelming amount of paper work. (Author/WD)

Describes a study of the structure, development, activities, and accomplishments of the community councils in Region One of the Detroit (Michigan) public school system. Lists nine factors that contributed to the success of these councils. (Author/WD)

Content and performance standards can underlie high-quality assessments that provide useful information about how students and schools are doing. These data should be used to inform teaching decisions, trigger special supports for students' learning, and evaluate school practices, rather than simply allocating mechanistically determined rewards…

The data show that South Dakota teachers believe that past inservice education has generally been ineffective, have definite ideas about how inservice education should be redesigned, are willing to participate in planning and designing future inservice activities, and support inservice education as a way of improving their instructional skills.…

Examines the statewide testing programs of North Carolina and Alaska, showing how the legislative goals, objectives, and expectations for these tests are seldom met. Such testing programs cannot realistically serve both accountability and achievement monitoring functions. (12 references) (MLH)

Although seriously needing clarification and cleanup, California's charter legislation is demonstrating its capacity as an educational policy power tool. The legislation favors strong elements of the existing system, including dedicated, forward-thinking staff, boards, and union leaders. Weak elements--micromanaging boards, unsupportive central…

Taking students seriously is the key to the student evaluator model. Aided by an experienced evaluation facilitator, students design and carry out evaluations of specific programs in which they are involved. For a project to succeed, those in charge must place their trust in the students and help create a climate of acceptance for the project. Two…

The former director of the national Teacher Center Project outlines nine of the most widely recognized problems in the development of teacher centers across the U.S. He concludes that the centers have given teachers a sense of greater control over their inservice education. (Author/WD)

Evaluates the performance of federal block grants in health, law enforcement, peoplepower training, community development, and Social Security programs, to help forecast the effects of such grants in education. Finds that block grants did not improve local control, accountability, citizen participation, efficiency, targeting of funds, or program…

Summarizes findings of a five-year study of eight schools participating in the Coalition of Essential Schools/Education of the States Re:Learning project. Most schools appeared to lack consensus about the need for fundamental changes in school structure or teaching practices; changes began slowly, with individual or small-group efforts that…