In this article we discuss the experience of the Institute Ilíberis, a public high school in a small town in Granada, Spain, that has been engaged in innovative ways of teaching. Located in Atarfe, one of the few rural Spanish municipalities with expanding, rather than shrinking demographics, in the last 2 decades the Institute Ilíberis has…

A mainstay in NCLB and the Obama administration education plan is turning around low-performing schools. This study utilized surveys and interviews with school leaders from four turnaround urban high schools in Texas to understand student outcomes before and after school restructuring and reconstitution. Although some organizational changes were…

This paper offers lessons learned about what it takes to successfully leverage technology for school improvement based on a cross-case analysis of eight award-winning secondary schools/districts around the United States. The researchers analyzed data from 150 interviews, 30 focus groups, and more than 300 hours of observation in 150 classrooms,…

This study examines the CAB [Cooperativeness, Accountability, and Boundlessness] model of high performing schools by developing case studies of two Portland, Oregon area schools. In pursuing this purpose, this study answers the following three research questions: 1) To what extent is the common correlate cooperativeness demonstrated or absent in…

In January 2010, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) identified Central Falls High School (CFHS) as one of the state's persistently lowest-achieving schools. The Central Falls School District (CFSD) and the Central Falls Teachers Union (CFTU) considered the transformation model but could not come to an agreement initially around…

This resource document has been updated to help schools in their school improvement efforts. This second edition of the resource maintains the nine characteristics and definitions from the original 2003 document. It adds information from about 120 new research and professional references, as well as relevant Washington Office of Superintendent of…

From classroom teachers to researchers, education professionals have raised questions about how best to assist students who face the significant dual challenge of acquiring the content knowledge necessary for academic success and simultaneously developing their English language competency. This document addresses these questions by looking at key…

The following paper culminates a year of research conducted by researchers at E[superscript 3] Alliance and Texas State University and sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The following reports on promising practices observed and reported at Manor New Tech High School (MNTH), a Texas Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (T-STEM)…

This paper introduces the idea of the perceived curriculum from the student's viewpoint. Based on this, students' perception of opportunity to learn is measured and a process indicator developed for use in school effectiveness research and school evaluation. The Essential Skills of the New Zealand Curriculum are used as the foundation for the…

As one of the largest school districts in the country, Dallas faces unique challenges in improving education and has developed a system for ranking schools based on achievement outcomes. This paper presents findings of a study that compared groups of effective and ineffective Dallas public schools in order to identify factors for success. Data…

The Texas Successful Schools Study examined the educational practices, school characteristics, and educator characteristics that contributed to the success of seven high-performing elementary schools with high proportions of limited-English-proficient (LEP) and economically disadvantaged students. This technical manual further elaborates the…

This document reports findings of a study that evaluated the implementation model developed for Project SHAL, an "effective schools" reform model. Implemented in 1980 in Area I of the St. Louis Public School District (Missouri), Project SHAL is an acronym for the four original participating schools--Stowe, Hempstead, Arlington, and…

This report details the findings of two surveys designed to investigate the deployment and impact of support staff who have achieved higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) status in England and to assess the impact or effect they are having in schools, along with interview data collected from nine case-study schools. The study sought to: (1)…

A study examined the relationship between the degree of a principal's instructional leadership and student achievement. Methodology involved regression analysis of the Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP) scores of over 7,400 eighth-graders in 104 schools in Mississippi. Questionnaires were also mailed to 104 principals, yielding a response rate…

This study identified common characteristics in six "good" secondary schools in the rural Appalachian regions of Kentucky and Tennessee. Three schools from each state were selected for study based on nominations by Chief State School Officers and local superintendents and ratings based on statistical information about the schools. Two…