NFER conducted an independent evaluation of the Inspect and Improve (I&I) pilot project in Eastern Uganda. I&I is a school inspections and improvement programme implemented by Promoting Equality in African Schools (PEAS) in partnership with Uganda's Directorate of Education Standards (DES), under the Ministry of Education and Sports…

The Charter Schools Program (CSP) is a key lever that the federal government uses to ensure charter schools provide more students access to excellent public schools. As the U.S. Department of Education studies the program, a new National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) brief, "U.S. Department of Education's CSP: Investing in…

In 2014, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation began funding three projects that together comprise the Grassroots Portfolio: Civic and Family Engagement, Community Organizing, and Amplifying Student Voice and Leadership. This work was part of the Public Understanding and Demand component of NMEF's grantmaking strategy. Following a Foundation-wide…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides guidance and expectations to state education agencies. We examined the intersection of improvement science and ESSA through a qualitative analysis of the state guidance documents. Utilizing six principles of improvement as a conceptual framework, we identified three themes: improvement as an outcome;…

Even after thirty years, assessment within higher education continues to remain a demand among accrediting bodies and the public, but the role of assessment has been less transformational than envisioned. While literature includes various barriers to assessment, there is a gap around building a culture of assessment within higher education. This…

The purpose of this study was to examine how educators working within a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework make sense of data, how they use data for instructional decision-making, and how the data use cultures at the district and school levels influence this data use. The study was designed with a theoretical framework informed by…

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to determine what factors contribute to the sustained success of schools after they have undergone the turnaround process and moved into the longer process of school transformation by identifying the relationship between principal leadership style and organizational structures that were implemented in…

Schools have undergone a multitude of reform in recent decades, most based on American educational accountability structures and policies. School improvement efforts have taken on a variety of forms. Despite the intensified pressure for improvement, there has not been an increase in our nation's student achievement. In fact, racial inequities in…

This paper presents the use of the time-on-task analysis (TOTA) diagnostic model as an instrument to improve the efficient management of allocated academic time in schools and focuses on the descriptive analytics produced by the TOTA model. The model aims to analyse how time is spent during the school day to enable school leaders, managers, and…

Build collective teacher efficacy and students' mathematical thinking using the Mathematics in a PLC at Work™ lesson-design process. This second edition of the popular "Mathematics Instruction and Tasks" book guides preK-12 teacher teams in ensuring improved mathematics achievement. Gain new and enhanced understanding of…

School inspections are a key component of the accountability system in many education systems, including England. The judgments and reports produced through these inspections are widely used by parents when they are choosing a school for their children. But should they be? This paper presents new evidence on this issue. We illustrate how parents…

The Seminary to Early Ministry (SEM) Study is a mixed-method, prospective study designed to provide high-quality empirical data on student formation in theological education. The study will use a series of surveys and in-depth interviews to track three cohorts of divinity school students from matriculation into the early years of their careers. As…

Teachers need comprehensive support to improve students' literacy. This Policy Update shares how state boards of education can provide this holistic support to improve through: (1) better teacher preparation standards in early literacy; (2) professional development guidance; (3) high-quality literacy coaches and other support professionals; and…

SEERNet is a network of Digital Learning Platforms, researchers, and practitioners with the vision to leverage DLPs as research infrastructure, enabling researchers to ask and answer important questions about learning in ways that are grounded in realistic, widespread use of learning technologies. A first wave of work established the foundation…

Researchers used Lewin's Three-Step Model as the theoretical framework in determining effective leadership for change in Alabama Science of Reading Spotlight Schools by grouping the themes into the phases of Unfreezing, Moving, and Refreezing. This qualitative descriptive study used interview and focus group data to research the experiences of K-3…