The challenge of producing the systemic changes that are needed to boost educational attainment and economic competitiveness across the country falls heavily on entities that coordinate public postsecondary institutions. Coordination of postsecondary education, whether of a single system of institutions or across an entire state, requires…

This is the final report in Casey's "Closing the Achievement Gap" series that highlights stories, results, and lessons learned from more than a decade of education investing. This publication presents an overview of the Foundation's support to four organizations, each of which targeted technical assistance to a specific audience. It summarizes…

Information technology (IT) is regarded globally as a voracious consumer of energy. According to a 2007 research paper issued by the United Kingdom's Global Action Plan, IT accounts for 10 percent of the electrical usage in the U.K. In the United States, Stanford University estimates that IT accounts for 15 percent of its overall electrical use.…

Few researchers support the belief that a school superintendent can drive improvements in student achievement. The Science and Mathematics Achievement Required for Tomorrow (SMART) Consortium was formed in northeast Ohio in 1998 with the belief that superintendents can have a measurable effect on student learning. The goal of this collaboration…

This brief introduces "Community Colleges Broadening Horizons through Service Learning," the American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC's) fifth national Learn and Serve America grant project and describes its grantee college programs. The goals of this grant project are to build on established foundations to integrate service…

Every year, the Improving Teacher Quality State Grants Program issues a Request for Proposals (RFP) to award funds provided annually from the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. In recent years, each RFP has focused on a specific objective tied to state priorities in teacher quality. Six grants were awarded in 2008: (1) Bell Gardens Science…

Researchers in the Boston University Department of Environmental Health conducted a case study of the Boston Schoolyard Initiative, a project that provides funds and technical support to community groups dedicated to renovating schoolyards in Boston. Researchers described the process by which the Boston Schoolyard Initiative came into being and…

This annual performance report describes accomplishments achieved in Colorado through funding from the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. Four sections focus on four categories of initiatives. Section I addresses enhancement of services to students through the basic state grant under Title II, Part A. Vocational education opportunities are…

This document contains task force findings and recommendations regarding development of a statewide plan for facilitating education and employment transitions (EET) of youths and adults throughout Minnesota. Chapter 1 presents a rationale for a statewide EET system in the context of the employment/earnings patterns of Minnesota youths and adults,…

Each year numerous research studies are conducted on problems in or related to school and college personnel services. Since many of these studies go unpublished, the results are all but lost to a large segment of people concerned with the improvement and operation of the services. The U.S. Office of Education was requested by the National…

Throughout the world, the demand for higher education is increasing exponentially, pushed forward by the realities of a global economy and accompanied by pressure to open up opportunities for prospective students from all backgrounds. The importance of a knowledgeable, highly skilled population has become clear and many countries have made great…

A community school is a place and a set of partnerships connecting a school, the families of students, and the surrounding community. A community school is distinguished by an integrated focus on academics, youth development, family support, health and social services, and community development. The community school strategy is central to efforts…

The Idaho Math Initiative has been developed to help raise student achievement in mathematics across all K-12 grades, focusing on three main areas: teacher education, student achievement, and public awareness. This report describes the initial phase of the Math Initiative, including: (1) Assessment; (2) Intervention; (3) Standards; (4) Curriculum;…

This handbook analyzes current problems related to the health, early child care and education, and availability of resources and supports for children, youth, and families in Pennsylvania; discusses current efforts to address these problems; and suggests short- and long-term objectives for state activities. Part 1, "Child Health,"…

Evaluation was made of the first year of a project to expand and improve existing career education program components in Great Falls (Montana) public schools using Experience Based Career Education (EBCE). Six major goals in developing procedures leading to full implementation of EBCE strategies addressed were data based implementation,…