As schools across the country closed in March 2020 at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not clear how long in-person education would be disrupted. The abrupt transition to remote learning was particularly challenging for districts in rural communities, many of which have long lacked reliable access to high-speed internet and…

Redwood City School District (RCSD) has a long history of attending to the needs of its students and their families, and it has responded to this moment of crisis by setting a goal that by June 2024, every student will receive "appropriate social-emotional supports designed to meet their needs." The plan for achieving this goal includes…

This article describes the development and implementation of a pilot program to prepare teachers seeking New York state certification as school district administrators, by assigning them as administrative interns to a school district. The superintendent of a large urban school district and the director of a college program to prepare school…

This brief explores the costs of developing and implementing Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) in order to help Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grantees interested in adopting SLOs anticipate and understand the costs of implementing them in a district or school. The brief focuses on the costs involved with the initial design and implementation of an…

This first of two reports presents early findings from the National Evaluation of the Comprehensive Technical Assistance Centers (Comprehensive Centers), a federally funded program that provides technical assistance to states in connection with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. The law authorizing the Comprehensive Centers, the…

This guide is designed to help districts and schools evaluate reform efforts related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), including School Improvement Grants. It includes practical, how-to tips for conducting program evaluations, whether one takes a "do-it-yourself" approach or seeks outside assistance to evaluate reform…

Discusses the applicability of quality circles in schools. Examines elements of a successful quality circle program, the decision to have such a program, establishing quality circles, potential problems, and the use of quality circles in school districts. (CT)

The National Center for the Accelerated Schools Project at Stanford University has recognized that district-level change is necessary if changes at accelerated schools are to gain permanence and become widespread. The Center has therefore initiated a research and development project to design a set of models on which districts can reconstitute…

Discusses the conditions necessary for the development of an effective program of administrative staff development, and describes the critical features of such a program. (Author/SJL)

The purpose of this handbook is to help program subcommittees in completing the first phase of the self-study, which is referred to as establishing program intent. Establishing program intent is trying to put in writing what it is the program is supposed to do for the students it is funded to serve. It does not replace curriculum development;…

Typical educational alternatives for gifted students offered at the district or regional level are presented. Among the approaches described are special schools, magnet schools, summer programs, learning centers, and special classes. (MP)

The Tennessee legislature sponsored a study on the effects of class size (Project STAR). The design and measurement techniques of this study are discussed. The establishment of the basic elements of the design is examined, followed by the recruitment of schools and school systems to participate in the study. The process of setting up smaller…

The author describes how a New Brunswick board set up an early French immersion program. (Editor)

The PREPS (Program of Research and Evaluation for Public Schools) consortium in Mississippi is described. The article discusses the consortium's purpose, the role of university researchers, what kind of research is conducted, function of the PREPS staff, PREPS membership, the kinds of problems that PREPS addresses, and suggestions for developing…

Recommendations for developing comprehensive programs for gifted learners based on the Richardson Study focus on administration, the process of discovering talent, program features, staff development, teacher support, and evaluation. The Pyramid model of program options is presented, and program implementation by four school districts is…