The Comprehensive School Safety Initiative (CSSI) is a large-scale, integrated research effort designed to increase the safety of schools nationwide. It was initiated in 2014 at the request of Congress. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) administers the CSSI as a research grant program. Through the CSSI, the NIJ funds research-focused…

Objectives: A team of education researchers is leading a three-year project to develop and implement an online system for reporting and research on state student assessment policies across all states (Indicator 12). Theoretical Framework In the past five years as more rigorous standards have been adopted by many states, a key issue for state…

This report investigates factors that drive teachers to embrace or challenge the use of products and services designed to support improvements in practice. Key elements of the study include: (1) Technology-based resources studied include those designed for video observations, peer feedback and collaboration, online professional learning, and…

In 2011, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation extended grants to three educational organizations working to develop or enhance competency-based approaches in large, urbanized school systems. The grant initiative, called Project Mastery, funded the development of technology-enhanced tools, including curriculum materials and online learning…

In 2011, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation created the Project Mastery grant program to support competency-based education initiatives in large school systems that serve a high proportion of disadvantaged youth. Competency-based education meets students where they are academically, provides students with opportunities for choice, and awards…

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducts a variety of surveys on elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education. Recently an Integrated Sampling Team has been formed to explore the possible gains from a greater integration of these surveys and from new technology. The team will investigate the feasibility and desirability…

The Education Data Improvement Project of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is described. The conceptual framework that guided its implementation is presented. The Education Data Improvement Project was designed to promote and facilitate the reform and refinement of the Center for Education Statistics (CES) national elementary and…

The design and effects of a data-based approach to training school staff in the implementation of innovative programs are discussed. The rationale and design of the Data-Based Staff Development Program, which has been developed to train school staff to implement the programmatic and personnel changes required to effectively establish and maintain…

Describes the implementation of a computer application skills continuum developed by the Jefferson County (Kentucky) Public Schools to teach keyboarding, word processing, database, and spreadsheet skills to K-12 students. Discusses teacher inservice training, student assessment, first-year results, and future plans. Includes samples of grade 5 and…

In the Philadelphia Public Schools, a computer system called Data to Success has been created to assess student progress prior to end-of-year testing. The five-stage system allows a school to influence teacher decisions, identify student warning signs, and monitor important trend and analysis information throughout the school year. (MLH)

The public school system of Montgomery County, Maryland, established a database of more than 1,800 volunteer business and community resources in the areas of science and mathematics who are willing to share their expertise with students and teachers in 154 county schools. Through a grant, a monthly newsletter that highlights this sharing is…

An inhouse accounting program can increase the productivity and efficiency of the school business office. Discusses basic questions regarding software, hardware requirements, training, and obtaining staff support and cooperation. (MLF)

Preliminary findings of this research effort provide support for the hypothesis that existing databases maintained by federal agencies for administrative or monitoring purposes can serve as useful data sources in special education policy research. The research explored the relationships among a number of state-level special education, fiscal, and…

The first of a series designed to advise school staff on the use of computers in the curriculum, this booklet outlines several ways that computers can fit into the program of study in Vermont schools and suggests a method for schools to use in planning for their use. Emphasis is on computers as tools to help reach traditional educational goals.…

Information about innovative projects in education in Bahrain is presented in a series of program descriptions collected for the INNODATA Databank of the International Bureau of Education (Geneva), a program of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. The 36 programs are grouped into the following categories: (1)…