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…

The 50th anniversary of the creation of "Foxfire" magazine and the Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center merits the question of how that innovative program of teaching and learning influences education today. Despite its troubled history, the program continues to exist and won the 2015 Georgia Governor's Awards for the Arts and Humanities…

The Response to Intervention initiative is in danger of failing and being thrown on the ash heaps of countless education reform initiatives, but not because it is poorly structured, rather on account of poor implementation. Among the implementation mistakes are seven that can be watched for and avoided. (Contains 3 tables.)

Scholars from the American Institutes for Research analyzed findings from over 1,300 studies that potentially address the effect of professional development on student learning outcomes. The project was sponsored by the Regional Education Laboratory-Southwest (RELSW) and funded by the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of…

Detailed examination revealed no effective replication of the results of 47 representative studies of the effectiveness of compensatory education. While the studies indicated some advantages for participants, achievement gains were not significantly associated with either money spent or program characteristics. An extensive table displays the…

Findings from a study of Project Head Start prompt the authors to conclude that social research has little or no effect on social policy. Empirical evidence that Head Start does not have a lasting effect on participants' academic skills has in no way affected federal support for the program. (Author/WD)

Teacher quality is a central pillar of the No Child Left Behind Act for good reason. Without high-quality teachers, one cannot realize the goal of high achievement for all students. In turn, if preservice teachers do not receive the highest-quality teacher preparation, then one cannot meet the demand for high-quality teachers. Few would argue…

Describes deficiencies in the Ball-Bogatz evaluation of Sesame Street" and suggests that this program might increase rather than decrease the deficit for disadvantaged children. (JF)

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…

Examines the effectiveness of competency based teacher education (CBTE) programs in terms of student achievement, acquisition of teacher competencies, and reactions toward the program. In determining the effectiveness of CBTE, it is advisable to examine each program's components and to evaluate each program in terms of its outcomes. (Author/IRT)

Reviews the current state of knowledge about various (adult-volunteer) tutoring programs' effects on student achievement. Except for the Howard Street Tutoring Program and the School Volunteer Development Project (two very small programs), the programs reviewed present no unbiased evidence of effectiveness. Comparison groups are needed to…

Taking issue with the preceding article by Caruso and Detterman, the author contends that research can be one of many respected voices in the political process. According to him, recent research on the effects of early education has played a crucial role in policy decisions about Project Head Start. (Author/WD)

Slavin's research that "validated" his Success for All program's effectiveness drives the current push for schoolwide models and comprehensive reform. Other research shows achievement gains for K-1 students only. Concentrating knowledge generation in just a few groups stifles innovative thinking and limits development of alternative…

Research on compensatory education from 1965 to 1975 questioned whether such programs improved academic performance. Subsequent studies, however, have found compensatory education generally effective and have identified such components of successful basic skills instruction as greater time on task and more parental involvement. (PB)