The 1998 High Schools That Work (HSTW) Assessment report contains good news for HSTW sites in the Appalachian Regional Commission area and provides information on specific practices that need improvement. This research brief summarizes the report's findings. Based on 196 schools in 9 Appalachian states, the report shows that school, district, and…

This case study examines the impact Quest made at Xavier Senior High School, a large secondary public school located in a northern Virginia suburb. Approximately 62 percent of the student body are identified as white, while the remainder are African-American (20 percent), Hispanic (10 percent), and Asian/Pacific Islander (5 percent). A variety of…

This study examined reasons for the success of eight high-performing California elementary schools with high numbers of impoverished students. Interviews with principal focused on teaching methods, curriculum, content standards, test scores, teacher professional development, safety, discipline, local decision making, parent involvement, emergency…

This brief defines school capacity as the presence of characteristics needed to support the development of a thriving learning community. The literature on school improvement suggests that a school's capacity for improvement can be supported by coherent structures, constructive teacher and leadership practices, and positive staff perceptions of…

This annual report highlights information on school performance and improvement in Hawaii's public schools. The report profiles noteworthy academic events, trends, and outcomes at two organizational levels: state and complex. Featured are tables, figures, and narrative sections related to demographic, financial, and educational performance. …

The New Century High Schools (NCHS) initiative so far has launched three rounds of new small high schools in New York City, working in collaboration with the Department of Education of the City of New York (DOE), the teachers' and principals' professional associations, and a consortium of funders led by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. New…

This research brief uses data collected by the Center for Policy Research on the Impact of General and Special Education Reform to highlight issues surrounding the inclusion and exclusion of students with disabilities in state accountability systems. The brief discusses the background of standards-based reform, traditional general education…

The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) provides a wealth of information about factors that influence academic performance and social development of students. The focus of this content overview is the research issues addressed by the NELS:88 second followup in 1992. In 1988, by surveying nearly 25,000 eighth graders, their…

A study examined the experiences of students, teachers, and principals involved in the day-to-day teaching of early elementary reading in four of the 12 Texas "Spotlight Schools" (schools that emphasize early elementary reading and are useful in helping all children to read). Data were collected during four-day site visits to each…

Community colleges are often seen as failing institutions due to their low graduation rates. However, a more appropriate assessment instrument may show that these colleges are more successful at fulfilling their missions than the public believes. Because students' motives for attending community colleges are many and varied, a more flexible…

In fall 1997, Westchester Community College (WCC) in New York conducted a survey of 970 students who graduated in summer or fall of 1996 or spring of 1997 to determine their educational and work-related outcomes. The study provides information about these graduates in three ways. First, it profiles their demographic, educational, and work-related…

In December 2000, the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) began working with low-performing districts and schools as part of a 5-year research and development effort to create and refine a systemic model for improving student achievement in reading or mathematics. SEDL hypothesized that as districts and schools increase their…

This paper reviews a cross-section of research on implementing Education for All, a goal and timeline established by the United Nations for educating all children. It examines how education policies in developing countries affect educational conditions and outcomes, comparing the merits of alternative education policies using five criteria:…

The Blue Ribbon Schools (BRS) program was designed in 1982 with three purposes in mind: to identify and recognize outstanding schools; to provide schools a tool and criteria for self-assessment and improvement; and to facilitate the sharing of best practices among schools. This book presents profiles and best practices of 12 elementary, 2 middle,…

This white paper highlights provisions of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), signed into law by President Clinton in 1998, and presents the resulting opportunities for The Alabama College System to broaden its role as a partner in redefining and advancing the state's workforce development system for the 21st century. The foreword points out the…