States have different reasoning, timelines, and governing agencies that determine why and when academic standards are revised. A state review of academic standards involves many steps--a process that can take months or years. This guide provides a checklist for state education leaders to consider when developing the various components of an…

This paper explores how the charter school sector evaluates the success of specialized education programs in order that the Nature School can learn from these best practices and develop its own framework. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with five evaluation experts and eight diverse charter school authorizers overseeing a significant…

This study's purpose is to extend our understanding of school leadership for student learning by identifying high-leverage teacher evaluation practices that improve teaching. A partnership with a state education agency administered a teacher questionnaire regarding evaluation practices multiple times in one semester, then linked teacher responses…

This article describes the development of an instrument for examining schools as institutions where teaching practices and school structures provide opportunities and support for student imagination, creativity, and innovation, as well as initial comparisons using the instrument, using a sample of n = 5020 students and n = 268 teachers (n = 161…

Research demonstrates a clear link between implementing proactive classroom management practices and positive student outcomes. Thus, it is important to examine how teachers are prepared to enact such practices. In this qualitative study, the authors draw on interviews with 35 special education faculty members at 32 institutions of higher…

Research-practice-partnerships (RPPs) have arisen as a potentially powerful mechanism for school improvement; however, there is little work how to evaluate RPPs. This study investigates how four RPPs are addressing impact by (a) document analysis of metrics (N = 123) being used to assess partnerships, and (b) interviews exploring how network leads…

Nowadays, several institutions and universities have employed Flipped and Blended Learning models in the educational context. Consequently, these models advance correctly in the classrooms; students become more able to build their knowledge and develop their skills with technological innovation that could be compared with studies based on…

Context has been recognized to exert a significant influence on language policy and planning (e.g., Cross, 2009; Gorsuch, 2000; Köksal & Sahin, 2012) as well as on teachers' decisions in the field of English language teaching and assessment (e.g., Fulmer et al., 2015; Shulman & Shulman, 2004). However, research on the interface among…

In the years since the 2015 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) placed a 1.0% cap for states on participation in the alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS), states have worked hard to navigate the new restrictions on participation in…

Standards 3 and 5 for the SHAPE America National Standards for K-12 Physical Education address the importance of maintaining a health-enhancing level of physical activity and valuing physical activity. A number of helpful tools, including Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire and The Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES)…

Learning Forward's Professional Learning State and District Planner is a guide to help state, district, and school leaders implement professional learning to support high-quality curriculum and instructional materials. Grounded in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) definition of high-quality professional learning as intensive, data-driven,…

Districts nationwide have increased the frequency of teacher evaluations. Yet, we know little about the role of evaluator feedback for teacher improvement. Using unique classroom observation-level data, we use evaluator ratings and teacher self-assessments of teacher performance to rigorously examine (positive and negative) feedback valence from…

This study compared K-12 teachers' assessment beliefs and practices in relation to their years of teaching experience. The data for this study was collected from 87 public school teachers. The findings suggest that as the teachers' years of experience increases, the value they place in assessment increases as well.

Increasingly content area projects and programs at the K-12 level, such as in mathematics, involve a programmatic component or project emphasis on developing "teacher leadership". However, there is no consistent definition or framework for this construct and even fewer validated tools for measuring it. This paper describes our efforts in…

The purpose of this study was to explore the operations of a sample of university-based reading clinics in order to better understand their functions and practices and to inform the planning for the authors' own clinic. This study was carried out in two phases. In Phase I, the authors conducted Internet searches and contacted knowledgeable…