Policy research established that it is possible to predict a student will drop out of school based on academic, attendance, behavior indicators. Little is known about the processes that put Early Warning Systems (EWS) in place. This case study of the Montana EWS describes the characteristics of a statewide implementation, the efficiency of the EWS…

In an era of increasing political and social divisiveness, school boards across the country face pressure to maintain effective governance amongst relentless pressure. Most school board members lack the experience to know how to effectively serve, thus, training is a necessary resource to ensure effective board governance and retain board members.…

While about three-fourths of all public school districts offer dual credit opportunities in Career Technical Education (CTE) courses, many programs face gaps in alignment between secondary and postsecondary CTE programs that lead to quality and equity inconsistencies in early postsecondary opportunities (EPSOs) across career pathways, ultimately…

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires states to have statewide accountability systems to help provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps. These systems must meet certain federal requirements, but states have some discretion in…

This analysis from NASBE details how the Utah State Board of Education helped school districts across the state ensure that teachers and leaders have the capacity and skills to deliver digital learning in the classroom. The piece also identifies important lessons for other states looking to implement a statewide program to promote digital learning.

In the 2017-18 school year, the California State Board of Education rolled out a new statewide system of support for local education agencies, with the goal of moving away from punitive accountability policies toward working alongside schools and districts to respond directly to local needs and contexts. Distilling lessons from prior research,…

In 2018, state leaders in Maine determined that their efforts to support children and their families were hampered by the lack of coordination among key stakeholders--early education and care providers, public school educators, and health and social services providers. Addressing these challenges would require new forms of collaboration both among…

Maine Department of Education (DOE) has long been committed to social-emotional learning and with the COVID-19 pandemic, it became even more of a priority, especially for marginalized groups. With the increased focus on supporting students' social and emotional health, the commissioner requested R1CC support for the Maine DOE Social-Emotional…

To date, most of the public narrative and pushback on new teacher evaluation systems has centered around their use for high-stakes personnel decisions such as pay, promotion, and dismissal, but these systems were always intended to promote and support improvements for all teachers--not just the superstars or laggards. Why is teacher development…

Governor Jerry Brown's January 2011 budget proposal suggests shifting responsibility and funding for many state programs from the state to the local level. Under this "realignment" of government authority, local governments--usually counties--would be given responsibility for providing the services in realigned programs, and the state…

School districts and states have begun to receive education funds doled out from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA, and many have a simple plan for the money--prevent teacher layoffs and restore current programs that were heading for the chopping block. This plan aligns with the legislation's intent to address the acute financial…

In the past few years, numerous states have initiated school improvement programs. These programs have included any or all of the following characteristics: (1) teacher and administrator certification and competency tests; (2) school-based planning; (3) staff development; (4) student assessment; (5) revised curricula and instructional strategies;…

Describes the use of "open scenes" to meet state-mandated educational goals, such as those in Kentucky's Education Reform Act. Discusses how open scenes can be an effective pedagogical technique to develop acting skills and help students meet the goals of current educational reform. Discusses the use of a GOTE sheet (goals, other,…

Since 1988, considerable state and school/district energies have been devoted to implementing Re:Learning in Pennsylvania. This paper summarizes Re:Learning activities in the school district of Lancaster, in particular, McCaskey High School, which was recognized for the scope and quality of its implementation efforts. Re:Learning is a national…

The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) criticizes state-mandated program-oriented budgeting as limited, laborious, inflexible, and more concerned with efficiency than with sound education. NJEA sets out its own guidelines on school budgeting, which favor the traditional line-item budget. (SJL)