Background/Context: Although the importance of facilitating transfer from community colleges to 4-year institutions is almost universally accepted, there is little consensus on how to measure transfer success or evaluate policies aimed at assisting students in making this educational transition. Despite the increasing attention on transfer in…

Presents a synthesis of what is known about Title I schoolwide programs, focusing on characteristics of schools and districts implementing schoolwide programs, programmatic and organizational characteristics of the programs, and evidence of program effectiveness. Cautions in interpreting the evaluation findings are presented, and educational…

This report seeks to address critical issues such as these by synthesising the evidence on innovations in more market-driven education systems. The analysis draws on data from over 20 OECD and non-OECD countries, including both developed nations that seek to move beyond established systems of state-run schools, and developing nations where formal…

Background/Context: The analysis contained in this article was commissioned by the Social Science Research Council's Transitions to College project. Although the historical context and contemporary issues associated with English learners (ELs) and undocumented immigrant students are in many ways distinct, the project team strongly believed that…

This article reviews research on the achievement outcomes of alternative approaches for struggling readers in grades K-5: One-to-one tutoring, small group tutorials, classroom instructional process approaches, and computer-assisted instruction. Study inclusion criteria included use of randomized or well-matched control groups, study duration of at…

This report identifies and synthesizes what is known about specific program features for children and youth aged 6-17 that might be manipulated or regulated-components such as staff wages, group size, activities, and theoretical approach that make up the "how" of program implementation. The authors have culled information from the limited extant…

This paper provides a summary of the knowledge base on serving students with special needs through inclusive education approaches, and it discusses the implications for restructuring regular and special education practices for school-based implementation of inclusive education. The first section is an introduction to some of the basic assumptions…

A meta-analysis of 51 studies of computer-based instruction shows: a rise in student test scores; student attitudes toward the subject that are slightly more favorable; student attitudes toward computers that are strikingly more positive; and savings from 39 percent to 88 percent in student learning time. (MLF)

School nurses work in an educational setting. Due to budget cuts, different goals, and confusion between educators and nurses regarding the school nurse role, school nurses are being asked to demonstrate their effectiveness and justify their presence in elementary and secondary schools. Although school nursing was first initiated 100 years ago, a…

Because research synthesis enables one to determine either the overall effectiveness of a particular treatment or the relative effectiveness of different types of treatments, it is becoming increasingly popular as a tool in program evaluation. Numerous methodological problems arise, however, when research synthesis is applied to studies conducted…

The 1988 Hawkins-Stafford Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Amendments to Chapter 1 (now Title I) have enabled broad expansion of Title I schoolwide projects. The regulatory changes provide funding to entire schools, rather than targeting services to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged subpopulations. This paper reviews what is…

Schools and districts are adopting out-of-school-time (OST) programs such as after-school programs and summer schools to supplement the education of low-achieving students. However, research has painted a mixed picture of their effectiveness. To clarify OST impacts, this synthesis examined research on OST programs for assisting at-risk students in…

This article reviews research on the achievement outcomes of mathematics programs for middle and high schools. Study inclusion requirements included use of a randomized or matched control group, a study duration of at least twelve weeks, and equality at pretest. There were 102 qualifying studies, 28 of which used random assignment to treatments.…

With millions of dollars being invested in adult rural leadership development, it is essential that research be conducted to determine the effectiveness of this investment. Such research can validate the investment and provide guidance for future programming. However, an extensive review of literature in Cambridge Scientific Abstracts yielded only…

Introduction: This article critiques the questions asked and methods used in research syntheses in continuing education (CE) in the health professions, summarizes the findings of the syntheses, and makes recommendations for future CE research and practice. Methods: We identified 1.5 research syntheses published after 1993 in which primary CE…