The Seal of Biliteracy (SoBL) is a language policy that has gained traction across the United States as stakeholders seek to recognize students' competencies in languages other than English. Despite its potential to enhance language proficiency and encourage participation in language education, the SoBL has been unevenly implemented, with…

The Investing in Innovation (i3) Fund was established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which called on the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to provide student achievement awards to local education agencies and nonprofits with a record of improving student achievement. ED set priorities for the program and specified them in…

In recent years, schools have been forced by rising costs and shrinking budgets to stretch their resources further than ever before in order to meet the educational needs of today's students. Energy costs continue to rise, placing unprecedented stress on limited funds. In fact, K-12 schools in the United States spend more than $8 billion every…

The Shaperville Academic Recognition Program is a district-wide program for the encouragement and recognition of academic excellence and an attempt to instill in students a natural respect for academic achievement. This article describes its development and implementation from conception to planned obsolescence due to successful reformation of…

A comprehensive school bus safety program designed and implemented in Euclid (Ohio) involves participation by students, drivers, parents, and the community. This article was originally submitted in application for, and the author received, a 1993 Pinnacle of Achievement Award from the Association of School Business Officials. (MLF)

Children's choice awards are intended to encourage children, primary age through teens, to read quality literature for enjoyment. The reasons for joining a children's choice program before deciding to participate are presented.

Since 1976 the U.S. Department of Education has helped fund 60 education policies by state legislatures. These competitive matching grants, or cost-sharing awards, have laid the groundwork for significant education reforms. This report seeks to advance information-sharing among state legislatures and between policy makers and researchers. The…

A New York State school district employed a management company to privatize the food-service program with the goal of enticing all students to eat lunch. Expertise in marketing, menu planning, and food-service operation turned the program around. Suggests questions to ask when selecting a management company. (MLF)

This book describes 119 award-winning projects from a program which established a national teachers' competition to select and disseminate superior teacher-planned and developed programs which use photography as an integral part of the K-12 school curriculum. All subject areas, grade levels, and states are represented in summaries of projects that…

Designed as a teacher's guide to stimulate student interest, creativity, and achievement, this teaching guide includes 132 projects which involve the use of photography as an instructional tool. The volume is divided into subject areas with grade levels ranging from kindergarten through higher education. Most projects are multidisciplinary, and…

Examines the long-time commitment and involvement of a university and a local chapter of Phi Delta Kappa to encourage and recognize character education in local schools. Describes a public awards ceremony and includes the criteria for the values and character recognition award. Provides a list of the winning schools. (MJP)

This document profiles five schools that were selected as winners of the "Fifth Annual Business Week Awards for Instructional Innovation: Schools in the Age of Technology": Bailey's Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences (Falls Church, Virginia); Hunterdon Central Regional High School (Flemington, New Jersey); John Muir Elementary School…