In this study, we compare SpringBoard® (SB) schools that had continuously used the SB English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum for at least three years with comparable non-SB schools. For high schools, the outcomes examined were school-level AP® participation and performance for a) all AP subjects, b) ELA and social science AP subjects, and c) ELA…

The education policy and philanthropy communities to date have placed a premium on funding charter schools that have high concentrations of poverty and large numbers of minority students. This report asks: Might it make more sense for foundations and policymakers to embrace a variety of approaches, including efforts to demonstrate the feasibility…

Today's nationwide focus on college completion is central to both individual and societal success. For individuals, attaining a credential has become essential to earn a livable wage and support a family. In addition, as each person's educational attainment increases, so does his or her capacity to contribute to the economy, his or her community,…

The United States' lack of purposefulness in providing high-quality education to all young Americans, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, is literally wasting the future of many young people, including members of the fastest growing group. Poised by 2050 to constitute nearly one-third of the workforce, Latinos currently are the least…

Community schools are one of the most efficient and effective strategies to improve outcomes for students as well as families and communities. Community schools leverage public and private investments by generating additional financial resources from partners and other sources. This report looks at how community schools finance their work. It…

In 2005, the Canton City Schools (CCS), Stark College of Technology (SSCT), Canton Professional Educators Association (CPEA) and the Stark Education Partnership (SEP) came together to found Canton's Early College High School (CECHS). The goal of CECHS is to allow students an opportunity to earn both a diploma and an Associate Degree during their…

"Identifying Success in Schools and Programs for English Language Learners in Boston Public Schools," of which this report is one part, is a project commissioned by the Boston Public Schools as part of this process of change set in motion by the intervention of the state and the federal governments on behalf of Boston's English language…

As rural states nationwide struggle with cuts in education funding, declining enrollments and increased costs it becomes crucial to examine those schools that are successful in educating their students. These higher performing schools can then be used as models for education excellence throughout the state. Defining higher-performing is not an…

Results from numerous school- and teacher-effectiveness studies suggest that variation between classes is more significant than variation between schools, though evidence often seems contradictory. This article considers why different studies generate different findings, identifies key study design issues, and relates these observations to…

If an effective school is defined as a school that causes student improvement on a number of important educational outcomes, the problem of identifying effective schools becomes one of establishing legitimate predictions of student performance and comparing those predictions to actual student or school outcomes. In attempting to identify effective…

The evaluation of the New Century High Schools (NCHS) initiative examined operations and student outcomes in 75 schools from 2002-2003 through 2005-2006. This report, the final in a series of annual evaluation reports, presents data collected over those years, with a focus on school year 2005-2006. The NCHS initiative grew out of a program theory…

The New Century High Schools (NCHS) initiative so far has launched three rounds of new small high schools in New York City, working in collaboration with the Department of Education of the City of New York (DOE), the teachers' and principals' professional associations, and a consortium of funders led by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. New…

Increasingly, researchers, policymakers, school leaders, and concerned citizens are recognizing that high schools in the United States are in need of major reform. Current research shows that high schools are not preparing students for college, work, or life, and that they are leading to increased alienation among students. In a much-noted speech…

Drawing from both state and institutional data sources, this report provides personnel at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) with an in-depth analysis of assessment issues, offering both quantitative and qualitative information on assessment and student outcomes. Section 1 provides data on student transfer goal achievement, indicating that…

Discusses the efforts of the Career and Technical Education programs offered by the Illinois Community College System to provide people with the skills and training needed to compete successfully in the workforce of the future. Describes the acquisition of such skills and training to be increasingly crucial. Emphasizes that with increasing numbers…