Educational policy climate of the 1980s is being shaped not by educational research but by appeals to public opinion that emphasize standardized achievements, local classrooms, heightened yet vague requirements of teachers, technological solutions to educational problems, and private school methods. (JW)

This report documents the extraordinary crisis facing Florida's public schools and provides evidence that Amendment 9--a proposed constitutional amendment to reduce class sizes--is a cost-effective and invaluable first step to rebuilding its troubled public schools. The report also sets the record straight about the long-term benefits of investing…

Bringing charters to scale remains a major challenge. To learn more about barriers to the expansion of high-quality public charter schools and how they might be removed, the National Charter School Research Project (NCSRP) at the University of Washington and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools convened a meeting of leaders from…

Reforms to Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector over the past few years have brought about significant changes to the work of VET staff and the focus of their roles. This publication summarizes recent research into the changing roles of VET leaders, managers, teaching and support staff, and the way they work. The role of…

Computer-based learning environments for science and mathematics education support predominantly individual learning; from first generation drill and practice programs to today's advanced, knowledge-based tutorial systems, one learner interacting with one computer has been the typical setting. Mathematics educators, however, increasingly…

The third volume of the 29th annual conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education contains full research report papers. Papers include: (1) Students' Use of ICT Tools: Choices and Reasons (Anne Berit Fuglestad); (2) Interaction of Modalities in Cabri: A Case Study (Fulvia Furinghetti, Francesca Morselli, and…

This handbook is designed to help school leaders use research on best literacy practices to create a well-defined intervention plan that not only will improve the literacy of all students but also the long-range academic success of students by enhancing their chances for postsecondary education and future employability. The handbook presents…

Schools have been targets for plenty of research, but working life researchers have showed only limited interest in schools as workplaces and as arenas for learning among teachers and other staff. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new study, "Research-supported development work in the schools" by describing its background and…

This research brief summarizes a report by Julian R. Betts, Andrew C. Zau, and Lorien A. Rice, "Determinants of Student Achievement: New Evidence from San Diego" (2003) [ED497299]. Surveys by the Public Policy Institute of California have consistently shown that Californians are concerned about the quality of K-12 public schools and that…

This paper is a report on the estimated effects on students and families of the offer of a voucher (the "intention-to-treat" effect) and the effects of switching from a public to a private school (the "treatment-on-the-treated" effect). Specifically, the report estimates the impact of voucher programs on student test scores,…

This book offers essential guidance to preservice and inservice teachers seeking to create, revise, and/or add new strategies to the teaching of the language arts block. The book's focus is on how to implement effective strategies in the context of a well-planned classroom and smoothly choreographed daily schedule. A series of case studies in the…

The Child Development Project (CDP) is a comprehensive, whole-school intervention program that seeks to foster students' social, ethical, and intellectual development through helping elementary schools become "caring communities of learners"environments that are characterized by care and supportive relationships and collaboration among…

Career and technical education (CTE) in Michigan is delivered in a variety of ways. St. Joseph County, Michigan, uses a comprehensive high school to serve all its CTE students. St. Joseph County's delivery system requires visiting students to receive CTE instruction at a site that serves as a traditional high school setting for the home students.…

Engagement is a potentially useful construct for organizing strategies to support adjustment, achievement and retention in school, particularly among our most vulnerable student populations. Even if high quality schooling is available, high levels of achievement will implicitly demand engagement on the part of students. This initial analysis,…

Beginning principals are often overwhelmed by their job. Traditionally, they have been left to fend for themselves. For this reason, schools and districts have been implementing formal induction programs to help the principals during their first year on the job. This digest examines the challenges faced by new administrators and the steps that…