An IEP is an Individualized Education Program. When a child is identified with a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) a child has a right to a Free, Appropriate, Public Education (FAPE). For a child to receive FAPE there has to be an IEP developed in order for the child to progress in the general education…

This paper explores treatment effects in three different contexts: an extended school year pilot program in an urban school district, a library summer reading program serving twenty-one urban school districts, and states passing the Equal Rights Amendment during the 1970s and 1980s. Estimates generated using two years of intervention data along…

This booklet has been developed in hopes that it may aid in keeping communication open and focused between families and schools. Building communication between parents and the school staff through letters offers a way of keeping records of ideas, concerns, and suggestions. This booklet provides general guidelines to writing letters as well as…

This article clarifies what extended school year (ESY) is and who is eligible for it. It also describes, how it looks different for individual students, where and when it can be provided, and how to determine whether students are eligible. To illustrate common challenges in determining ESY, vignettes are provided based on four students' cases.…

Some children with disabilities may not receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) unless they receive needed services during time periods when other children, whether they have a disability or not, normally would not be served. As part of the individualized education program (IEP) process, a multidisciplinary team must determine if a…

Extended school year (ESY) is a summer program available for students with disabilities who meet specific qualifying criteria. Teachers are often hesitant to accept the position of the ESY teacher due to the ambiguities and demands of the position. The purpose of this article is to briefly share the impetus and focus of ESY and give special…

Based on current research and preliminary results provided by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) regarding the West Virginia Early Learning Longitudinal Study, the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) Office of Early & Elementary has reviewed the NIEER and other forms of data to make a concerted action plan.…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides states with tools to strengthen accountability and ensure high-quality educational opportunities for all students, including those served in alternative schools and programs. The American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) conducted a review of 38 ESSA state plans to better understand how states are…

Daily Behavior Report Cards (DBRCs) have shown to be a successful intervention for improving classroom behavior for students considered to display challenging behaviors. DBRCs have been used for students with emotional/ behavioral disorder in an effort to improve academic and social outcomes. Few studies have examined the use of DBRCs for students…

The Hawai'i State Department of Education is excited to provide a comprehensive menu of engaging summer learning opportunities for students in the upcoming summer months. This summer, offerings will span all grade levels, from a transition program for incoming kindergartners to paid summer internships for our graduating seniors. Schools have…

This report examines the implementation of Summer 305, an enhanced summer program which operated from June 14 through August 5 during the summer of 2021 at 179 sites in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS). Eighteen program offerings were provided in a variety of physical and virtual delivery modes. Summer 305 was comprised of a suite of…

West Virginia is committed to ensuring all children have the opportunity to engage in high-quality early learning experiences. As a result, a wealth of data exists to support the continuation of services. The data available to the field has resulted in the development of the West Virginia Early Learning Spotlight Report. This annual report is…

For more than 30 years, Education Commission of the States has tracked instructional time and frequently receives requests for information about policies and trends. In this Education Trends report, Education Commission of the States addresses some of the more frequent questions, including the impact of instructional time on achievement, variation…

West Virginia is committed to ensuring all children have the opportunity to engage in high-quality early learning experiences. As a result, a wealth of data exists to support the continuation of services. The data available to the field has resulted in the development of the West Virginia Early Learning Spotlight Report. This annual report is…

For this study, we examined the constructs of time, student groupings, and professional staffing in schools and determined their significance in whether or not schools made Adequate Yearly Progress or were required mandatory improvement. We conducted a logistical regression analysis using a national data set, the School and Staffing Survey…