Boosting literacy among school-age children remains a national priority. Nearly one third of students in the United States have not developed the foundational reading skills needed to succeed academically, with students living in poverty, students with disabilities, and English learners especially at risk. Starting in 2010, Congress invested more…

This is the third paper on the topic of outcomes-based funding written by Dennis Jones for Complete College America. The first paper, "Performance Funding: From Idea to Action" (ED535356), proposed a set of design and implementation principles to help states develop and implement their own outcomes-based funding models. The second paper,…

This report examines common strategies used by six Montana schools that had high student passing rates in online credit recovery courses offered by the Montana Digital Academy (MTDA) in the 2013/14 school year. The study is based on analysis of interviews conducted with school-based facilitators who oversee the implementation of the online MTDA…

Response to intervention (RTI) is a framework for providing interventions and services at increasing levels of intensity until students succeed. The framework helps teachers and schools provide instruction and interventions matched to student needs, monitor progress frequently to guide decisions about changes in instruction or goals, and apply…

This report describes the study undertaken to implement a legislative resolution in Montana. Part 1 reports the subcommittee's decision to make an evaluation of the state's existing job training programs the primary object of its study. Public comment on the study's purpose, heard by the subcommittee at its first meeting, is summarized in this…

Montana, a predominantly rural state, with a unique blend of geography and history, low population density, and cultural diversity represents the challenges for program development and implementation across remote areas. The paper discusses two statewide multidisciplinary geriatric education programs for health professionals offered by the…

This report discusses the outcomes of the Partnerships for Rural Resource Teams Project, a project designed to build upon the foundation of services for children and youth with deaf-blindness in Montana. Grounded in a framework that draws upon the principles of collaborative teamwork, contextually-based technical assistance, family involvement,…

A rapid feedback evaluation of state- and local-level implementation of the Career Education Incentive Act (PL 95-207) was conducted. (This act established K-12 and postsecondary career exploration as national priorities.) Site visits were made in nine states (Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Ohio, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana,…

The purpose of this study was to examine exemplary communication efforts of 12 selected outstanding schools in the United States. The methodology employed was case study methodology supplemented by interviews with key educational administrators. The results show unusual and outstanding ways that schools communicate with parents and the public, as…