In this paper, we argue that teachers have an opportunity to take on leadership roles in technology-rich schools and districts. Based on data collected during a year-long project to investigate award-winning schools and districts, we used observations, interviews and focus groups, and document analysis to glean lessons learned from leaders and…

According to the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, a "promising practice is any technique used that has a positive impact on students and has some data to support the claims made." Sources of this data range from experimental research to district- or state-level data analysis, but they must provide…

In this paper we analyze the relationship between charter school authorizers and student achievement. We perform this analysis using a 10-year panel dataset from Minnesota, a state that permits four distinct types of authorizers--local school boards, postsecondary institutions, nonprofit organizations, and the Minnesota Department of Education.…

This article reviews findings from the authors' studies of recovery high schools (RHS), including a 1995 program evaluation of a school in New Mexico (Moberg & Thaler, 1995), a 2006-09 descriptive study of 17 recovery high schools (Moberg & Finch, 2008), and presents early findings from a current study of the effectiveness of recovery high…

The purpose of this research was to understand ways exemplary award winning secondary school leaders have transformed their schools for twenty-first-century education and student achievement. This article presents three diverse case studies and identifies ways that each school's leader and leadership team reconfigured its culture and expectations,…

To achieve truly learner-centered instruction and assessment, Reigeluth (1994) and Reigeluth and Karnopp (2013) pointed out the importance of schools providing a caring environment. They indicated that such an environment could be ensured with better interaction and relationships among students and teachers in a small learning community. How can a…

The purpose of this article is to describe lessons learned from studying the leadership in eight award-winning secondary schools and districts that were recognized for successfully leveraging technology as part of their efforts for school improvement. Data were collected through observations, interviews, and document analysis in schools and…

Early education has been a growing priority for the Obama administration, and its competitive funding is spurring innovation in this field around the country. In 2013, early education journalist Paul Nyhan, author of this report, conducted case studies of four competitive grant programs that are triggering changes in early education: "Race to…

In an era of increased accountability and challenging times for public finance, charter schools built on decentralization, grassroots accountability, and market forces may provide, in the spirit of "educational laboratories," lessons for increasing student achievement more efficiently through diverse and innovative management,…

Applied Master's Degree and doctoral programs have been criticized widely for their lack of relevance, rigor and quality. New graduate degree programs have responded to these criticisms by implementing innovative academic policies, program curriculum, and student services. A case study of the Metropolitan State University Doctor of Business…

The National Environmental Education and Training Foundation (NEETF) commissioned the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) to prepare this report in order to provide the education community and the American public with information about successful environment-based education programs in the nation's schools. The report…

Research on school effectiveness continues to indicate that those aspects of schooling that are closest to the student, namely teaching, instruction, and curriculum, have the greatest impact on student learning (see Gamoran, Nystrand, Berends, & LePore, (1995). Furthermore, the available evidence suggests that schools that cultivate particular…

A random sample of over 13,000 students participating in 4 of Minnesota's school choice programs during the 1989-90 school year were surveyed in 4 areas: (1) background and family participation; (2) reasons for participating and decision making; (3) sources for program information; and (4) satisfaction/expectations. The survey was performed to…

Goals and implementation of the Minnesota Educational Effectiveness Program (MEEP), a school-based improvement program, are presented in this document. The program's mission is to enhance learning and instruction through planned change based upon research facilitated by staff development. The first section examines program components, specifically…

An inventory consisting of 25 Likert-type statements assessed the perceptions of 62 urban and 66 rural Minnesota elementary teachers concerning educational practices that enhance or prohibit success in their schools. Urban teachers were more positive than rural teachers about factors contributing to success in their respective schools, differing…