This article reports on the perceptions and experiences of general elementary educators as they engage in a school reform process that requires them to learn and implement an arts infused curriculum intended to raise student achievement on standardized tests in non-arts subjects. This qualitative study reveals not only how one arts-based school…

This research brief highlights two schools' efforts to improve the achievement of their students using the SIOP Model. These schools, one elementary and one secondary, have seen significant improvement in the performance of their English learners through the use of the SIOP Model of instruction, an approach that addresses both academic language…

This report explores the extent to which states (and several large cities) are positioned to provide high quality preschool education on a large scale. States and cities that are already doing so or that could do so with modest improvements offer opportunities for advocacy to advance access to high quality early education as well as for rigorous…

This interim progress report provides a look at Turnaround Arts schools in their first year, including: (1) a summary of the evaluation design and research questions; (2) a preliminary description of strategies used to introduce the arts in Turnaround Arts schools; and (3) a summary of school reform indicators and student achievement data at…

The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) was contracted to undertake a three-year external evaluation of the Artful Learning program, an arts-based school improvement model developed from the work and philosophy of the late composer Leonard Bernstein.…

Research, while limited, finds that service learning positively affects participants as to social development, academic achievement, civic awareness, and career exploration. High-quality programs maximize student outcomes. The difference between service learning and community service is linkage to standards and specific curriculum content. Key…

A study examined the performance of the High Schools That Work (HSTW) initiative in 1996 and 1998, based on data from the HSTW Assessments. Analyses found support for the hypothesis that HSTW is the cause of school improvement, although other non-measured factors may also influence these schools, and showed that between 1996-98 HSTW schools…

Drawn from the experiences of the Cornell Youth and Work Program, a 4-year demonstration project that adapted elements of European apprenticeship in the United States and emphasized opportunities for youth to learn at work, this guide is written for people in workplaces and schools who plan, direct, or evaluate work-based learning opportunities…

This manual is a support document that supplements other Career & Technology Studies (CTS) documents, including the "Career and Technology Studies Program of Studies" and the "Guide to Standards and Implementation" for each strand. Appendixes support each section and may be photocopied or adapted. Section A describes CTS…

This publication summarizes presentations and discussions from a conference that addressed specific issues in the National Assessment of Vocational Education and in the 1990 Perkins Act that mandated the assessment. Introductory materials include a summary of consensus issues from the conference (David Boesel), welcoming remarks (Bruno Manno), and…

This collection of 22 papers is organized by the five conference topics. "Part 1: Effects of the Perkins Act on Policy and Practice" contains five papers: "Federal Legislation as Rorschach Test: Methodological Issues in Assessing the Effects of the 1990 Perkins Act on States and Localities" (Grubb); "Effects of the 1990…

Foremost among efforts over the last decade to improve the work-related skills required of all young people to meet the demands of American's workplaces was the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills Commission (SCANS). Integral to SCANS were its three-part foundation (basic skills, thinking skills, and personal qualities) and these…

Independent evaluators examined the progress of the Berrien County Intermediate School District in Berrien County, Michigan, in implementing Michigan's Career Preparation System. The evaluation established that the district has provided the leadership, training, resources, and continued support to implement a systemwide school-to-career reform…

Federal funding from the School to Work Opportunities Act (STOWA) has ended. There is no doubt that state policy to advance activities started under STOWA will be a major factor in the sustainability of School to Work. Already some states have taken the initiative for bringing higher standards to education by offering incentives for businesses to…

This document provides a framework for academic and career/technical teachers who want to raise students' achievement through real-life projects reflecting the rigorous academic and technical standards needed for further learning in the workplace and postsecondary education. The document begins with definitions of the six A's of project-based…