Using mixed methods, this case study explored outcomes associated with the adoption and implementation of a community schools approach in four Title I schools using the Community Collaboration Model for School Improvement. Trends in school data demonstrate academic achievement improvements in three of the four schools. Absenteeism and the number…

The Tanzanian education sector from 1980s has not been performing well particularly on the side of quality and one of the main contributing factors is the economic crisis the country experienced from the early 1980s. At primary school level, for instance, some pupils complete the primary cycle without being able to read and write and lack basic…

The purpose of this study was to understand how schools address two specific criteria of the Schools to Watch® (STW) program: Social equity and developmental responsiveness. Descriptions of replicable practices, program/school characteristics, and initiatives created by each of the STW sites in Pennsylvania were analyzed. The data also includes…

Distributed leadership has been explored internationally as a leadership model that will promote and advance excellence in learning and teaching in higher education. This paper presents an assessment of how effectively distributed leadership was enabled at five Australian institutions implementing a collaborative teaching quality development…

Despite attention given to principal preparation program reform, little research exists explaining how candidates develop self-efficacy or how preparation programs contribute to self-efficacy development. Researchers used a mixed-methods study to examine principals' perceptions of program effectiveness, determine underlying constructs related to…

A mixed methods approach analysis examines the impact of incorporating diversity education focusing on sexual diversity at an independent, Roman Catholic university, a site where Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning/Queer (LGBTQ) individuals face discrimination, harassment, and homophobia. The analysis demonstrates the positive impact…

School improvement models are expanding to incorporate priorities around positive youth development, safe and supportive school climates, school mental health, and school-family community partnerships. A partnership was formed between researchers and district/school leaders to examine the 3-year adoption and implementation of 1 such exemplary…

The purpose of the mixed methods study was to develop and validate the CSIS-360, a 360-degree feedback assessment to measure competencies of school improvement specialists from multiple perspectives. The study consisted of eight practicing school improvement specialists from a variety of settings. The specialists nominated 23 constituents to…

In October 2010, WestEd's Strategic Literacy Initiative (SLI) won an i3 "Validation" grant to scale up and validate the Reading Apprenticeship (RA) model in three core secondary content area classes: U.S. history, biology, and English language arts. SLI's proposal stated two goals. Goal 1: To transform academic literacy teaching and…

This study addressed the extent to which coaching, as a specific type of professional development, impacted teacher behavior and instructional quality. Specifically, this study sought to determine the extent to which teachers understood and used Marzano's nine high-yield strategies as a result of their participation in six weeks of on-site…

States, school districts, and schools across the country are increasingly implementing multi-tier systems of support (MTSS) to improve outcomes for all students. Kansas is no exception. The Kansas MTSS is designed to improve outcomes for all students by instituting system-level change across the classroom, school, district, and state. Such…

Dewey (1933) provided the foundation for reflective practice in education with the notion that learning is not in the doing, but rather it is in the thinking about the doing that creates learning. Evidence is growing about the importance of reflection for improving teaching and learning practices to increase student achievement (York-Barr, et al.,…

This study examined the critical aspects of oversight that superintendents must employ to improve instruction. It was an analysis of superintendents as instructional leaders. In this study, we looked at four school district superintendents who have demonstrated instructionally effective school districts. The study was based on a three-year period,…

"Pathways to the Future: Nga Huarahi Arataki," the ten year strategic plan for early childhood education (ECE) in New Zealand, identified reviewing the delivery of professional development as one strategy for "promoting the effective delivery of 'Te Whariki'"(Ministry of Education, 2002, p. 15) within the overall goal of…

Principals are expected to use data to develop a clear vision, stimulate meaningful dialogue among stakeholders, create interventions for struggling students, and improve school programs. The purpose of this three-phase, sequential, mixed-methods study was to examine how principals use summative and formative assessment data to improve academic…