Turning Points schools create a new culture built around the collaboration of all members of the school community. This collaborative culture requires structures that empower teachers and administrators to work together to make the most important decisions regarding the educational experiences of their students. The two primary components of this…

Colleges, like corporations, spend millions each year on information technology products and services to support academic programs and administrative services. A good deal of these dollars were not part of institutional budgets not long ago. In this context, textbook economics suggest that colleges and universities should be "more productive"…

This research brief summarizes a survey about the effectiveness of programs from Break the Cycle, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and fielding dating-violence prevention programs. The study evaluated "Ending Violence," a three-class-session prevention program. Developed by a Los Angeles-based nonprofit group called Break…

To accomplish desired results and to support more effective funding decisions, program planning, and policies, First 5 Ventura County adopted a results-based accountability (RBA) framework in its April 2000 strategic plan. This RBA framework uses regular, periodic and strategic data collection and analysis to inform a process of continuous…

Prospective secondary mathematics teachers continue to lack images of "reformed" teaching. This investigation studied prospective teachers' development of reform-oriented teaching through Micro-teaching Lesson Study [MLS], an experience based on Japanese lesson study (Stigler and Heibert, 1999). A qualitative analysis of various data sources…

Project PASS (Personal, Academic, Social Successes) is a goal-setting model that capitalizes on students' self-esteem and behavior and creates individual accountability for learning. The program was developed for a group of 15 at-risk eighth grade students in a school in the heart of urban Chicago. As part of Project PASS, students, parents,…

This report describes how an innovative curriculum promoted the civic development of high school students along with parents by stimulating news media attention and discussion in families. Evidence is based on a three-year evaluation of Kids Voting USA, an interactive, election-based curriculum. Political communication in the home increased the…

College of the Canyons, California, is the only public institution of higher learning in the Santa Clarita Valley, and serves a 367-square mile area. This publication addresses the issues of planning, long-range strategic goals, and decision-making as they pertain to the College. The College has identified the strategic goals areas for 1998-2001…

This survey, developed by the faculty, program administrators, and Institutional Research and Planning Department of Palomar College in California, addresses employer attitudes regarding their experiences with Palomar graduates. The survey items range from open-ended questions to requests for agreement with a particular statement. Palomar…

This study conducted a review of the literature related to the use of the Internet for general classroom teaching and, more specifically, for the teaching of social studies. The study first focused on three questions: what research is being conducted on defining best practice related to the use of the Internet, what is the impact of various types…

Many efforts to improve school quality by adding school resources have proven to be ineffective. This paper presents the results of two experiments conducted in Mumbai and Vadodara, India, designed to evaluate ways to improve the quality of education in urban slums. A remedial education program hired young women from the community to teach basic…

Each year, Montana students participate in testing as part of the state's assessment program. This past spring, students in grades 4, 8, and 10 took Montana Comprehensive Assessment System (MontCAS) tests in reading and mathematics. These tests serve as an important measure of student achievement for the state's accountability system. Results from…

Each year, Nevada students in grades 3, 4, 5, and 7 participate in testing as part of the Nevada assessment program. Students in grades 3 and 5 take the Nevada Criterion Referenced Assessment (Nevada CRT) while students in grades 4 and 7 take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). These tests serve as an important measure of student achievement for…

Each year, Pennsylvania students participate in testing as part of the Pennsylvania assessment program. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 take tests in reading and math while those in grades 6, 9 and 11 are assessed in writing. These tests serve as an important measure of student achievement for the state's accountability system. Results from these…

Each year, South Carolina students participate in testing as part of the South Carolina assessment program. Students in grades 3 through 8 take the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests (PACT) in English/Language Arts and Mathematics. Students in grade 10 take the High School Assessment Program (HSAP) in English/Language Arts and mathematics. These…