In the current education landscape, pressures are ever increasing on educational policy and practice to use research to guide improvement. In recent years, federal programs, such as No Child Left Behind, Reading First, and Race to the Top, have all provided strong incentives for the use of research in decision-making. Research-practice…

"School Budget Hold'em" is a game designed to help school districts rethink their budgeting process. It evolved out of Education Resource Strategies' (ERS) experience working with large urban districts around the country. "School Budget Hold'em" offers a completely new approach--one that can turn the budgeting process into a long-term visioning…

Malcolm Gladwell, in his book "Outliers," describes how studies of expertise consistently show that 10,000 hours of practice in a discipline is required for true mastery. This is problematic for those who become independent school trustees--bringing with them a passion for their school and for education in general, but not much else. Many…

For those who must import oil to maintain their economies and quality of life, any disruption in the delivery of imported oil is a highly threatening prospect. How would U.S. policymakers react to such a threat in the contemporary era? We examine the potential policymaking roles and impacts of bureaucratic actors operating at the intersection of…

The issue of professional development is receiving increased attention, as educators and policy makers are realizing the centrality of teachers to school reform and improvement. This paper describes research on book clubs as a mechanism for professional development and discusses how different study group configurations (i.e., preservice teacher…

As states work to meet the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) requirement to follow individuals through the P-20 pipeline and into the workforce by 2011, their progress will be expedited and supported by using the following processes to guide the development and implementation of their cross-agency data sharing efforts: (1) Prioritize,…

This report presents stories of six teachers who believe in the power and promise of immigrant students and English language learners. Their stories begin to help readers understand the assets these groups of students bring to classrooms, the challenges they--both students and teachers--face, and the role that teachers and schools play in their…

Representative democracy relies on the informed trust of the citizens. School board members serve their communities at a crucial place, governing large sums of money and the future of the community's children. Without the informed trust of the citizens, this enterprise will fail. Trust may be lost directly, or through inattention to detail. One of…

As think tanks have become more numerous, visible, and seemingly influential, scholars have begun to pay more attention to them--analyzing their characteristics, their modes of operation, and their roles in policymaking. This "Policy Insight" builds on this work and examines the role of think tanks in civil society, with an emphasis on…

Local school systems, Local Education Agencies [LEAs], and universities, Institutions of Higher Education [IHEs], work together in a variety of ways in the initial preparation and ongoing professional development of teachers, although it is difficult to ascertain the number of LEA/IHE partnerships. These relationships typically allow for a…

Harmonious working relationships among school board members can result when members strive for cooperation rather than unanimity, engage in frank discussion, treat others with respect, identify someone who can promote compromise, involve the superintendent, and consider improving organizational communication and functioning by hiring consultants,…

Six models for setting priorities are presented in a workbook format with exercises for evaluating or practicing five techniques. In the San Mateo model one sets priorities, clarifies priority purpose, lists items, determines criteria, lists items and criteria on a rating sheet, studies all information on items, rates each item, tallies results,…

Instead of a cast of characters, not unlike those of the television show "Seinfeld," school boards should be an ensemble. When a board collaborates in a trusting, positive atmosphere of mutual respect, these qualities are ultimately reflected in the classroom. Lists six questions that can help difficult boards find ways to work together. (MLF)

The "management of crisis," as opposed to crisis management," requires prior planning. Boards of education that habitually practice courtesy and have some knowledge of group dynamics do not create controversy by their own actions and will have fewer controversial meetings to manage. Policymakers should know ahead of time what issues are likely to…

A "devil's advocacy" approach is proposed for the management of higher education conflict and ultimate improvement in the quality of decisions. Research supporting the value of active questioning of a preferred plan or strategy is summarized and its application is described. (DB)