The Talent Development Middle School model was created to make a difference in struggling urban middle schools. The model is part of a trend in school improvement strategies whereby whole-school reform projects aim to improve performance and attendance outcomes for students through the use of major changes in both the organizational structure and…

A former principal of a nongraded elementary school discusses the nongraded, multiage philosophy, effects of multiage grouping, prevalent misconceptions, and suggestions from practice. Critics often mistakenly characterize multiage classrooms as homogeneous, unstructured, and team-taught; appropriate for kindergarten and primary children only;…

Peer tutoring has been used as an effective program for students with academic difficulties. This article provides information on the efficacy of considering behavioral function and structure and data addressing ecobehavioral variables to establish a productive learning environment. Infusing peer-tutoring programs with applied behavior analysis…

Summarizes the status of assessment reform, based on visits to 14 schools. Documents key characteristics of various performance assessments (portfolios, on-demand tasks, projects, exhibitions, and teachers' structured observations); determines which factors influence their development, implementation, and effectiveness; and analyzes interactions…

Project SHAPE is a two-year intervention and enrichment program for underachieving and educationally disadvantaged ninth and tenth grade students in Toledo, Ohio. Operating through teacher empowerment; curriculum development; structural organization; and student, parent, and community involvement, SHAPE's goals are developing an academically…

Fully 27 states grade or rank schools to force improved student performance; some states are instituting teacher-performance portfolios. Accountability is becoming a threat rather than a process for setting student-achievement targets. Principals should work on long-term cultural goals and short-term test-improvement strategies. (MLH)

This paper examines several conceptual frameworks that can inform elementary career intervention programming. Equity, social justice, and the development of intrinsic motivation are key concepts in the promotion of social action initiatives aimed at improving academic achievement and expanding future career options for all students. Early career…

Recent changes in federal policy and the proliferation of empirically based interventions (EBIs) designed to prevent problems and promote student academic and behavioral success have created an unprecedented opportunity for schools to expand their use of comprehensive strategies to meet the academic and behavioral health needs of all students. The…

When efforts to improve student learning fail, teachers often end up being blamed. Teachers were resistant to new ideas, say the leaders who were working with them. Rather than blame teachers and ask, "Why do teachers resist?" perhaps those who lead change should ask, "What can we do to makes it easier for teachers to implement new practices?" In…

Massachusetts is heralded nationally for being the first in the nation to enact a state policy to redesign and expand the learning day for all students to advance academic achievement, broaden enrichment opportunities, and improve instruction. The Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Initiative has gained momentum over the past several years due to the…

This executive summary presents findings from the Year 3 evaluation of Texas' state-level Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP, grant. GEAR UP grant requirements include an evaluation component designed to assess program effectiveness and to measure progress toward project goals. To this end, the evaluation…

During 2003-07, the Building Engagement and Attainment for Minority Students (BEAMS) project fostered data-based campus change initiatives at more than 100 four-year Historically Black, Hispanic-Serving, and Tribal colleges and universities to increase student engagement and learning. Each campus made a commitment to analyze the scope and…

The effectiveness of Tennessee EdTech Launch (TnETL), a statewide technology program designed to meet the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandate, was investigated in this matched treatment-control quasi-experimental study. The goal of the program was to provide full-time, on-site technology coaches to prepare teachers to create lessons that engage…

Passed in 1999, the Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA) established a results-based accountability system in California with specific performance targets for schools. The PSAA created a system of rewards and sanctions for meeting or not meeting those targets, and established assistance programs for low-performing schools. In 2001, the High…

Denver's groundbreaking campaign to introduce performance-based pay for teachers captured national and international attention and has paved the way for similar efforts elsewhere. In this book, Phil Gonring, Paul Teske, and Brad Jupp--among the key players in this successful come-from-behind campaign--offer the inside story of the ProComp…