Scholars widely agree that community-engaged learning can significantly improve the learning experience for students while simultaneously having a positive impact on the community. This paper explores student perceptions in online pre-professional undergraduate courses in the legal studies and human resources management fields in which…

Over the last decade, Denver Public Schools (DPS) became one of the fastest-improving large districts in the country--achieving significant improvement across all student subgroups. Unlike many city districts, DPS included charter and innovation schools as integral parts of their system and improvement strategy. DPS' journey demonstrates how much…

Six years ago the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) took the unprecedented step of launching an effort to study and scale high-quality, evidence-based academic, social, and emotional learning in eight of the largest and most complex school systems in the country: Anchorage, Austin, Chicago, Cleveland, Nashville,…

The Education Resource Strategies (ERS) School System 20/20 is a framework to guide district transformation so that every school succeeds for every student because of the system--not in spite of it. This summary presents highlights from a case study that uses the framework School System 20/20 to examine how Denver Public Schools is transforming…

Opportunity to learn reflects the quality of resources, school conditions, and curriculum necessary to enable students to achieve. It has long been recognized that such opportunities differ significantly for low-income students compared to their middle-income peers and contribute powerfully to education inequities across our country. This article…

Researchers have found that middle school students undergo developmental changes that require unique educational structures and support. As a result, experts have suggested a number of specific strategies for organizing middle schools in order to best meet students' needs. This Information Capsule summarizes middle school redesign initiatives that…

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), through its Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC), offers this set of combined resources that define and support ongoing teacher effectiveness to ensure students reach college and career ready standards. This document includes the "InTASC Model Core Teaching…

This study investigated how minority versus nonminority students performed on different measures of college progress, particularly as the two groups experienced the campus environment in different ways. The study also examined whether satisfaction with various aspects of the college environment affected student growth and development more in some…

We surveyed 374 parents and 82 teachers in the Juarez, Mexico schools regarding their views of what makes an effective elementary school. The survey was a Spanish translation of an instrument used by Johnson (1998). Although both parents and teachers supported most of the factors associated with effective schools, they emphasized different aspects…

Explores why women's colleges, and the education provided by them, are different than coeducational settings. The article explains how women's colleges provide students with value and respect and give them a sense of ownership. It also discusses why women's colleges excel at preparing students for the future. (GLR)

This document provides the direction for the development of middle grades (5-8) programs in all Vermont schools. A mission statement identifies the means through which the purpose of young-adolescent education can be achieved. Goals for students and a scenario depicting a responsive middle school follow. The next section outlines the conceptual…

This digest provides a review of the research literature on assessment of the effectiveness of higher education in producing graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary for well-educated citizens today. Major findings are grouped as answers or partial answers to the following nine questions: (1) "what are the critical competencies and…

This study examined the relationships among college students' perceptions of their personal (constructivist-based) learning environments, the extent to which they viewed selected teaching and learning activities as enhancing their personal learning, and their personal learning efficacy. A total of 2,190 students in 145 evening classes offered by…

This monograph reviews empirical studies on various aspects of higher education relating to the effectiveness of instruction in regard to four areas: curriculum, instruction, campus psychological climate, and academic advising. After an introduction, the first section describes the development of critical skills, how these skills develop, and the…

This collection of papers explores research on how increasing minority enrollment changes and enriches the educational process. The papers are: (1) "Student Diversity and Higher Learning" (Neil L. Rudenstine); (2) "A Policy Framework for Reconceptualizing the Legal Debate Concerning Affirmative Action in Higher Education"…