When the Model Work Standards were first crafted more than two decades ago, they were built on the premise that quality child care jobs are the cornerstone of high-quality services for children and families. The intent of these standards is to make it possible for those who choose family child care as a career to reasonably and responsibly support…

The reauthorization of the U.S. Elementary and Secondary Education Act, referred to as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), emphasizes evidence-based initiatives while providing new flexibilities to states and districts with regard to the use of federal funds, including funds to promote effective school leadership. In response, state and…

This resource is part of a series of reports about challenges facing statewide science assessments and innovative solutions states are enacting to meet those challenges. Deciding to implement a system of assessments is a critical step toward ensuring that all students are getting the high-quality science education they need--but it is also…

The changing demands of the 21st century--and the students growing up in it--are generating fundamental challenges to historical assumptions about what education looks like. The challenge today is to provide a deeper level of personalized learning to each and every student so that all can achieve mastery of the Common Core standards and other…

One objective of the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) School Improvement Grants (SIG) and Race to the Top (RTT) program is to help states enhance their capacity to support the turnaround of low-performing schools. This capacity may be important, given how difficult it is to produce substantial and sustained achievement gains in low-performing…

Home visiting is one tool used to prevent child abuse and improve child well-being by providing education and services in families' homes through parent education and connection to community resources. This toolkit provides state policymakers and advocates with strategies for extending and expanding access to state- or federally-funded home…

The purpose of this paper is threefold: (1) to provide information to policymakers and government personnel who support and develop workforce development programming, policies and practices for youth, including those with learning disabilities (LD); (2) to provide a national view of the literacy and employment status of youth with LD who have low…

Described are the rationales for the Engineering Practices Introductory Course Sequence (EPICS) program at the Colorado School of Mines, and the McMaster Problem-Solving (MPS) program at McMaster University. The professional development model used in these programs is discussed. (CW)

Argues that environmental education in this information age requires a shift from a paradigm of "information technology" to a paradigm of "information critique." Provides a perspective on the form of this paradigm shift in the area of professional development. (TW)

A New Jersey school district uses the following criteria to evaluate an administrator's performance: (1) performance of specific job functions; (2) progress toward attainment of goals; (3) personal traits and professional attributes; (4) indicators of pupil progress; and (5) a professional improvement plan to remedy previous "needs…

Describes the Southwest Texas Program for Improving Basic Skills Instruction in the Secondary Schools. It promotes a thoughtful, inquiry-oriented dialog between a university and six participating schools that encourages teachers to become more effective decision-makers. (MD)

Conventional wisdom on the nature of leadership in higher education is challenged in this collection of 12 essays. They are divided into three sections: (1) The Context; (2) New Leaders and New Models; and (3) Strategies and Resources. Chapters and authors include: "Leaders and Their Development" (Madeleine F. Green); "Toward a New Leadership…

Many education agencies feel an enormous strain to meet the federal mandate that all teachers be highly qualified. State and local policies must be established that address effective ways to hire, train, support, and retain teachers who meet the standards specified in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. To help policymakers with the…

This collection of essays by child advocates explores three interconnected facets of the child care and education field: the broad sociocultural contexts influencing the development of young children and their families, the evolution of specific settings or programs where care and education occur, and the emerging consciousness of early childhood…

Innovations, Educational Testing Service (ETS's) corporate magazine, provides information on educational assessment for educators, school leaders, researchers and policymakers around the world. Each issue focuses on a particular theme in assessment. This issue explores the question, "What makes a great teacher?" Articles in this issue…