Starting in 2014-15, districts across the state of Tennessee must implement a Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI[superscript 2]) plan. RTI[superscript 2] is an instructional framework which provides ongoing monitoring of student performance and progress through the use of universal student screeners and interventions targeted at…

"Catalyst schools" were 28 elementary and secondary schools selected to participate in a pilot project begun in July 2014, which explored how best to support teacher professional learning through decentralization of decision making and implementation of the Learning School approach. The pilot project was the first phase in a statewide…

In 2014, a new General Education Development (GED) assessment will be implemented. The new, more rigorous test will be aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and will use a new test delivery model-computer-based testing (CBT) to replace the paper-and-pencil examination. These two changes have important implications for correctional…

Many schools have adopted schoolwide intervention blocks as a component of response-to-intervention (RTI) implementation to ensure that students who need intervention are receiving it. However, virtually no peer-reviewed guidance exists for helping teachers manage this time effectively. This article presents a blueprint for organizing intervention…

Difficulties in paying for college and in maintaining good academic performance are two major hurdles to college graduation for low-income students. In recent years, state and federal budgets for postsecondary education have been cut significantly, limiting the options policymakers, education leaders, and communities have to improve rates of…

Grounded in the best current knowledge, this book shows how to implement response to intervention (RTI) in middle and high school contexts. Detailed guidelines are presented for teaching reading comprehension, vocabulary, and other aspects of literacy across the content areas, and for providing effective interventions for students who require…

This article addresses the effects of 3-tiered comprehensive reading and behavior interventions on K-3 student outcomes in 7 urban elementary schools with a high prevalence of students considered difficult to teach. Specific features of each level of the implementation are described including screening and tier placement procedures, scheduling and…

The discussion that transpired in Fremont, Nebraska, over one academic year depicted faculty's struggles and growth as they wrestled with their school's significant change to block scheduling. Conversations demonstrate a staff moving from block-implementation stresses in the first quarter to a focus on teaching and learning in the fourth quarter.…

Provided to teachers are guidelines for structuring a school-age child care program and a list of appropriate activities for after-school care. Discussion covers attendance taking, transition times, group games, art activities, and staggered dismissal. Supplemental activities are suggested, and outlines of a typical school day with child care, and…

Based on his experience with the Copernican block scheduling plan used in British Columbia secondary schools, a principal identifies administrative challenges (abuse of tutorial time, uneven distribution of teacher-preparation time, teacher fatigue, pedagogical changes, and unrealistic expectations) and suggests ways to address them. Involving…

This guidebook is intended to help conference program planners in their jobs. The book is organized in four sections. Section One introduces the book, establishes reasons for having a conference, suggests alternative program models, and describes the coordinator's roles. Section Two describes the process of conference planning. Chapter 1 of this…

This document provides guidelines for developing and implementing a preschool program in urban schools. The program described, Bridges and Links, is an educational program for 4- and 5-year-olds that represents a cooperative effort between private preschool providers and the public schools of Ohio's Conneaut Area City School District. Sections of…

This manual details the events which led to the opening, in April, 1986, of the Cleveland (Ohio) Public Schools' Family Life After-School Program for urban latchkey children. Sections of the manual concern: (1) assessment of need; (2) resource inventory; (3) community input; (4) planning; (5) program design; (6) site selection; (7) program size;…

Provided are guidelines for developing and implementing a before- and after-school child care program for elementary school students in suburban areas. Guidelines are based on the experience of Ohio's Groveport-Madison Local School District. Contents concern: (1) the process of establishing need; (2) the process of laying the groundwork; (3) first…

This document, which is based on the findings of case studies of how four high schools from across the country have successfully implemented the schoolwide career academy model, presents recent developments and best practices in schoolwide career academies. The document consists of a brief introduction describing the case studies and one chapter…