When schools, families, and communities collaborate and share responsibility for students' education, more students succeed in school. Based on 30 years of research and fieldwork, the fourth edition of the bestseller "School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action," presents tools and guidelines to help develop more…

A career academy is a small learning community within a high school, which selects a subset of students and teachers for a two-, three-, or four-year period. Students enter through a voluntary process; they must apply and be accepted, with parental knowledge and support. A career academy involves teachers from different subjects working together…

Transmountain Early College High School (TMECHS) opened in August 2008, created by a partnership between the El Paso Community College (EPCC) and the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD), and supported in its conceptualization, start-up, and first few years operation by grant funding and guidance from the Texas High School Project (THSP)…

A few school administrators in Clovis, California, began a quest to introduce online high school courses in their school district, believing it might cost less to teach classes online than it would to teach students face to face in a classroom. They figured instead of having one teacher fielding a load of 150 students per course, an online course…

In recent years, policymakers have begun to emphasize the goal that all students graduate from high school college- and career-ready (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, National Conference of State Legislatures, National Association of State Boards of Education, & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2008). Research…

As Internet technology encroached on the public school classroom about a decade ago, Kim Ross, superintendent of the Houston School District in Houston, Minnesota, saw an opportunity. At first, he and his administrative team simply wanted to offer students in the district of 1,300 access to more classes via the web than what a district that size…

This policy analysis project is designed at uncovering specific standards that can be utilized by a school district in developing and evaluating their Type II Alternative Schools to ensure high levels of student success within their programs. While there is a substantive body of research in alternative education, there are no universally accepted…

Alternative high schools have an important place in our educational system, since exellence in education must mean more than improving the abilities of those who are succeeding in our present school environment. A list of suggestions (nine "dos" and four "don'ts") are offered for consideration before establishing such a school. (MCG)

In April 2008, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) contracted with the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) to facilitate a series of regional workshops and provide technical assistance to strengthen efforts to improve college readiness for all students. This final report summarizes these activities…

Presents guidelines for planning, developing, and revising a high school writing laboratory program. (RL)

SOME OF THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN BUSINESS EDUCATION IN THE SMALL SCHOOL WITH AN ENROLLMENT OF 350 OR LESS, ARE EXPLORED. SUGGESTIONS ARE BASED ON OBSERVATIONS OF PRACTICES IN SELECTED SMALL SCHOOLS, AN EXAMINATION OF THE LITERATURE IN THE FIELD, AND CONFERENCES WITH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS, AND BUSINESSMEN. GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING…

If professional learning communities offer opportunities for improving the teaching and learning process, then developing strong professional development school (PDS) partnerships establish an appropriate framework for that purpose. PDS partnerships, however, can be less than effective without proper planning and discussion about the aims of those…

This practicum reports on the conceptualization, development, testing, and implementation of the guidelines, procedures, and a model for alternative programs for earning graduation credit. New requirements for graduation were adopted by the Maryland State Department of Education in November, 1974, but the development of specific policies and…

THE PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT IS TO ASSIST EDUCATORS IN PLANNING AND DEVELOPING PILOT PROGRAMS FOR TRAINING WORKERS IN THE AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS. IT INCLUDES (1) THE PHILOSOPHY AND CRITERIA FOR DEVELOPING PILOT PROGRAMS IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION, (2) A DESCRIPTION OF SUCH A PROGRAM AT REIDLAND HIGH SCHOOL, (3) A DISCUSSION OF LEGISLATION…

The Hollywood High School mentoring program was developed as part of its career academy to serve students coming home to empty houses. The program provides each qualified student with a caring adult from the community, introduces students to the workplace, and provides cultural and educational activities. Most students surveyed improved their work…