Beginning in 2009, the United States (US) federal government spearheaded a nationwide teacher evaluation reform effort, encouraging states to change their process of evaluating teachers. School principals, the primary evaluators of teacher performance, act as middle leaders in the sense they must attempt to balance messages from federal, state,…

This qualitative research explores the effects of a gendered educational organization on female leaders at the district office and building leadership level. In explaining the theoretical framework of gendered organizational structures, the literature review describes how inequitable access to power within education produces excessive challenges…

The research study was conducted to analyze effect of an attendance support team in urban middle schools. The study utilized a six-month time window using students in three middle schools that accumulated five unexcused absences. The attendance support team was comprised of a school social worker, a family resource student support coordinator, a…

French immersion (FI) programs are becoming increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse as a result of growing migration to Canada. In the present mixed-methods study, I explore the perspectives and ideologies of teachers, principals, and central office staff in eight school divisions in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta with respect to…

Roaring Falls Unified School District (a pseudonym), an urban New Jersey district near NYC, was challenged by K-8 Multilingual Language Learners (MLLs) who lagged significantly behind general education students in English Language Arts (ELA). The District had roughly 12,000 students, of whom 93.0% were Hispanic, 26.2% were MLLs, and 32.0% were…

Dual language immersion program models represent a potentially effective way to serve growing numbers of English language learners (ELLs) in schools and districts. However, local challenges, such as interpersonal conflict, can impact the process of implementing dual language policies and programs, limiting the extent to which they are able to meet…

The Tennessee Achievement School District (ASD) was created in 2011 to rapidly turn around the lowest performing schools in the state by authorizing high performing charter management organizations to operate the schools. A lack of enough quality applicants, however, led the district to directly run a group of schools. This research investigates…

In response to the No Child Left Behind legislation (NCLB, 2001), there has been a dramatic shift in schools toward improving student outcomes in the areas of reading and math. NCLB mandates that states establish specified levels of achievement for all students in these content areas and holds them accountable yearly via state assessments…

In the past several decades, Boston has been a proving ground for new strategies such as mayoral control, charter schools, and expanded access to early childhood education. Located in a state known for rigorous standards and accountability, Boston Public Schools (BPS) has consistently ranked among the top-performing large public school districts…

Principals historically have needed to adapt to dramatic shifts that impact their schools, including significant policy changes at the state and federal levels. For example, the 2008 study recorded principals' reactions to No Child Left Behind (NCLB), signed into law in early 2002. NCLB substantially altered the landscape of education across the…

Inverness Research has conducted a "legacy study" focusing on a series of philanthropic investments aimed at improving science education in the San Francisco South Bay Area that extended for over 15 years. Roughly nine school districts enjoyed a steady stream of support for science education improvement that began with funding from the…

The foundation of positive interpersonal relationships is trust and such relationships are needed for professional collaboration and learning to take place. Building trust, then, must be important in order to meet organizational goals and impact student success. The purpose of this survey research was to examine the relationship among teachers'…

Every April, the staff of Stilwell Junior High School (West Des Moines, Iowa) spend a day analyzing student data together. Staff members consider standardized tests scores, look at item-by-item results and trends, and consider how groups are performing. They also look at social data, gathered from students about how the youth view their school…

This report integrates 2009-2010 AISD campus, central office, student climate survey and parent survey responses that address cultural competency in the district. Longitudinal data are provided when available.

A national conference of city supervisors of home economics was called by the U.S. Commissioner of Education, and attended by representatives from 20 States and the District of Columbia, plus one representative from New Zealand. The three-day conference was convened in Washington, D.C., to: (1) bring together supervisors, teachers of home…