Data are only useful if people are able to access, understand and use them. Without access to the right information, stakeholders are forced to make decisions based on anecdote, experience or instinct. For information to be useful, it must be timely, readily available, and easy to understand. This brief highlights the importance of implementing…

This essay reviews and comments on "Evidence-Based Reading Practices for Response to Intervention," edited by Diane Haager, Janette Klingner, and Sharon Vaughn, one of the earliest books published on an initiative in the United States to provide instructional support for students who experience difficulties with literacy and learning…

Great work can be accomplished with little budgets and big dreams and desires for increased student achievement. The focus of the Queens University of Charlotte and Myers Park Traditional School (MPTS) partnership was excellent teacher development that centered on learning as a community of teachers (both pre-service and in-service). What they…

Do school boards have a role in student achievement? Recent research suggests that they do. This article identifies 12 board of education leadership practices associated with higher levels of student achievement: creating a vision, using data, setting goals, monitoring progress and taking corrective action, creating awareness and urgency, engaging…

Gannon University, located in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania, created a middle level teacher preparation curriculum focused on sustainability. After reviewing the literature about learning, teacher preparation, and barriers to campus greening, the article describes how Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) was integrated into the middle level…

Serving as a new principal is not only demanding, it can also be a lonely job. But successful leadership doesn't happen in a vacuum, and principals need to know from their peers best practices about everything from focusing on instruction to planning fire drills. With this in mind, "Principal" magazine created a virtual roundtable--between…

Researchers have long lamented the lack of research regarding the preparation of school leaders. In response, we offer lessons about school and university partnerships from exemplary professional development school (PDS) research to inform collaborative efforts for leadership preparation. We conducted an extensive literature review of 250 studies…

To assist in the training and professional development of faculty new to teaching online, Sacred Heart University established the Digital Learning Faculty Certificate Program. This 8-week online cohort program provides faculty with best practices for teaching online, including instructional design, effective online communication and appropriate…

This study explored bilingual school psychologists' assessment practices with students identified as English language learners (ELL). One thousand bilingual National Association of School Psychologist members were recruited nationwide, and 276 participated. Among those conducting language proficiency assessments of ELLs, many (58%) use…

After interacting with a Best Practices video case whole class and individually, preservice teachers were asked to reflect on what features they deemed helpful. In addition, they were asked to reflect on what additional features they would find desirable. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data (Glaser, 1965). Three features…

This article focuses on current examples of project or design-based learning at the secondary school level in the context of the increasing importance of creativity and innovative thinking in the twenty-first century. The authors argue that students today learn more effectively in pedagogical practices that emphasise holistic thinking, active…

In this era of high-stakes testing, teachers are often required to follow a standards-based, standardized curriculum, which can be constraining for English to speakers of other languages (ESOL) and mainstream teachers who are trying to meet the needs of English language learners. Despite the challenges presented by such curricula, this study found…

This qualitative case study examined the inclusion program of students receiving special education services in a general education mathematics classroom at an exemplary middle school in the southern region of Texas. This study sought to identify the best practices of a highly effective middle school mathematics inclusion program. This study…

With the increase in available educational data, it is expected that Learning Analytics will become a powerful means to inform and support learners, teachers and their institutions in better understanding and predicting personal learning needs and performance. However, the processes and requirements behind the beneficial application of Learning…

In science education, inquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning provide a framework for students to building critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Teacher professional development has been an ongoing focus for promoting such educational reforms. However, despite a strong consensus regarding best practices for professional…