There are two aspects to photography: one is the eye that sees and composes the photo, and the other is the technical part of the camera. Due to the advanced technology in today's cameras, it's possible to take fantastic pictures without ever knowing anything about technical photographic concepts like depth of field or shutter speed. What you do…

More states are thinking about their data systems and how to give decision-makers the information they need. As states work to create successful education and career pathways, they need transparent, well-structured and well-governed data systems. To learn more, our team conducted a 50-State Comparison on state longitudinal data systems to collect…

This forum guide was developed to meet the need for common, widely understood, standardized course codes. The purpose of this guide is to introduce the voluntary School Courses for the Exchange of Data (SCED) classification system, including information on the structure of SCED codes, the process for ensuring that SCED remains up to date and…

Trying to increase our happiness is not a new idea. "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" can be found in the Declaration of Independence, and well-known Yale professor Laurie Santos has a series of episodes in her podcast, "The Happiness Lab," called Happiness Lessons of the Ancients, where she explores happiness…

Conducting and publishing rigorous empirical research based on original data is essential for advancing and sustaining high-quality counseling practice. The purpose of this article is to provide a one-stop-shop for writing a rigorous quantitative Methods section in counseling and related fields. The importance of judiciously planning,…

When education leaders utilize survey results to inform their decisions, they are often left wondering if the "right" survey questions were asked. To help state and local leaders improve existing instruments or create better instruments for data collection, this quick reference guide highlights best practices in designing effective…

Social media is an increasingly important communications tool that can be used to effectively reach families, employers, policymakers, and other audiences that need to know about the value and promise of Career Technical Education (CTE). This guide from Advance CTE explains how to effectively use social media, explains how to integrate messages…

High-quality instructional materials (HQIM) can make a real difference in student learning. But purchasing HQIM is only the first step in the process of ensuring that students benefit. The Guide to the Implementation of HQIM synthesizes advice from practitioners and researchers about how to encourage solid execution of plans and realize the full…

Children's brains develop faster in the early years than at any other time in their lives. If you want to make the most of this pivotal period, there is no time to waste. With newly updated research, the second edition of this bestseller provides parents and educators with strategies for building a brain-compatible environment where young learners…

This second edition provides key information, updated program ideas, and practical tips that will help library workers feel more prepared to serve members of this prevalent population. Since the first edition of this landmark guide was published, there has been increased interest in services for library patrons on the autism spectrum; indeed, more…

The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), formerly known as the Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Survey, is a part of the U.S. Department of Education's (ED's) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) strategy for administering and enforcing civil rights laws in U.S. public school districts and schools, including Puerto Rico.The CRDC collects a…

"The Intelligent Donor's Guide to College Giving" is a signature ACTA publication designed to help higher education donors navigate the giving process. This third edition features stories behind gifts that are bringing intellectual diversity and academic rigor to campuses across the country as well as lessons from controversies over past…

Gain the skills you need to coach teachers in bilingual and dual-language classrooms. In this practical guide, you will discover a proven process for creating a fair and effective observation and feedback cycle to help support bilingual teachers in this important work. Author Alexandra Guilamo offers pertinent coaching theory and accessible…

This tool was developed to assist school leaders in observing specific research-based practices during literacy instruction in grade 4-12 classrooms and students' independent use or application of those practices. The tool aims to help school leaders conduct brief and frequent walkthroughs throughout the school year. The tool consists of three…

"Educating Gifted Students in Middle School: A Practical Guide" (3rd ed.) helps educators with the challenging task of understanding and meeting the needs of gifted students in middle school. This revised and updated third edition: (1) Provides a rationale and framework that middle schools can use to fill the service gap for gifted and…