Two critical issues are of great concern in engineering education today: the increasingly broad requirements for 21st-century engineers and the lack of effective instructional approaches needed to produce students who meet the requirements. However, pedagogical approaches in engineering have remained relatively unchanged for the last 40 years and…

The purpose of this study was to investigate fifth-grade student achievement in Ohio public charter schools as compared to student achievement in traditional public schools, and to determine whether the performance of charter schools changed over time. Research questions asked 1) how does student achievement in Ohio's public charters compare to…

There is an abundance of research associated with the belief that factors such as educational expenditures, socioeconomic demographics, geographic location, district size and school funding have a relationship to student achievement. This study provides insight into the relationship between these factors and the effect it has on student academic…

Budget constraints, political will, narrowed curricula, and a continued emphasis on high-stakes testing in public schools have resulted in a continued loss of instruction in fine arts. Fine arts instruction is known to improve student achievement, but the contribution to achievement in the elementary schools after accounting for demographic…

The purpose of this descriptive study was to describe Missouri middle-level school principals' perceptions of their instructional leadership practices. The Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) by Philip Hallinger was used to define the measured leadership tasks (www.philiphallinger.com). There were a total of 77 middle-level…

This report details the status of charter school facilities in the state of Arkansas. In the Spring of 2013, the Arkansas Public School Resource Center, the Colorado League of Charter Schools, and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools worked to collect evidence that would accurately portray both the degree to which Arkansas open…

This research examined the leadership practices of rural primary school principals in the Otago province of New Zealand. Principals of large rural schools (with a role of 150 and above) and small rural schools (with a role of 60 or below) served as participants in an investigation to learn what about their practice creates and maintains effective…

This study examined accounting program assessment plans at 102 colleges and universities in the United States. The research focused on identifying assessment practices in undergraduate accounting programs by examining the skills and competencies assessed and determining the methods of assessment used. The study also investigated what course and/or…

This policy brief presents evidence that historically underserved students in Texas are less likely to be assigned to the most qualified and effective educators. Prior research and policy efforts have focused on teacher and principal sorting across schools in the same district, and districts' employee transfer provisions. Yet this study…

Expansion of the use of student test score data to measure teacher performance has fueled recent policy interest in using those data to measure the effects of school administrators as well. However, little research has considered the capacity of student performance data to uncover principal effects. Filling this gap, this article identifies…

Evaluators are frequently asked to assess the effectiveness of school programs implemented to improve academic achievement. School connectedness has been shown to be directly related to academic achievement (McNeely, Nonnemaker, & Blum, 2002) and is therefore of interest to evaluators. The construct of school connectedness has been shown to…

In the first comprehensive analysis of Illinois' statewide survey of school climate and learning conditions, this report finds systematic differences among schools in the degree to which students and teachers report strength in the five essential supports. Previous University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research (UChicago CCSR)…

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of South Carolina public school superintendents regarding individual and organizational attitudes toward innovation. Specific characteristics of South Carolina public school superintendents and public school districts, including enrollment, poverty level, school report card grades, age,…

Early studies on the prevalence of peer sexual harassment in schools have left little doubt that it is a serious problem, often with negative consequences. Research indicates that sexual harassment is a subjective and gendered phenomenon, and peer sexual harassment is further complicated by the developmental changes associated with adolescence.…

In an academic library, the use of online databases and electronic journals is becoming more prevalent. Such resources are being used to assist in distance education programs and online learning environments. Students in other states have access to the same information available to students who live close to campus. The use of these sources has…