This study explored the relationships between enabling school structure (ESS), transformational leadership (TSL), organizational citizenship (OCB), and professional teacher behavior (PTB). Confirmatory factor analysis tested whether the theoretical dimensions of setting directions (SD), developing people (DP), redesigning the organization (RO),…

On August 17, 2006, President George W. Bush signed into law the Pension Protection Act (PL 109-280). The 907-page federal law has been referred to as the most comprehensive reform of the nation's pension law since the enactment of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974 (Lucas, 2008). This paper will examine the major…

Due to the increasing accountability associated with the No Child Left Behind legislation and the new board governance policy of the fifth cycle of the Missouri School Improvement Program, the issue of school board accountability has emerged as an important topic. At this point, the issue of school reform has reached the school board level. In…

FirstSchool is part of a national PreK-3rd movement of schools, districts, educators and universities seeking to improve how children from ages 3 to 8 learn and develop in schools. While these different projects use a variety of names, all are working to connect high-quality PreK programs with high-quality elementary schools. FirstSchool is…

"Perspective" is a monthly e-newsletter presenting news and views from Achieve. This issue includes a feature on the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top (RTTT) competition, which gives states an unprecedented opportunity to build the tools to measure results; guide decision-making and investments; and provoke honest conversations about…

The action research study revealed the effectiveness of recent interventions to the attendance process of a single elementary school located in the Southern United States. The study evaluated the benefits and impact of the interventions, and other possible interventions to increase student attendance. An explanation of each intervention is…

Schooling improvement initiatives have demonstrated that moderate but significant achievement gains are possible with well designed interventions, but there is little research into whether these gains can be sustained. The present study examines the extent to which acceleration in achievement made during a three-year literacy intervention and the…

By implementing a system of common formative assessments, the teachers at an American urban elementary school improved student achievement and facilitated their own professional development. By aligning content standards with assessments and purposeful instruction, the teachers at this school developed a depth of knowledge about their content…

Collaborative practice which acknowledges differentiated learning needs of students, diverse long term educational outcomes, and acknowledges the respective skill sets of both teacher and librarian in delivering a curriculum which embraces the future focused needs of 21st century learners--to be literate and numerate, critical and creative…

Many schools attempt to implement multiple programs to promote positive young adolescent development; however, these programs are often fragmented and lack coordination. The authors describe an initiative designed to help schools coordinate their social-emotional and character development (SECD) efforts to improve school climate and help students…

Can a system of teaching awards which is essentially one of rewards and recognition serve the dual purpose of enhancing learning and teaching, if the function of such a system does not go beyond the first stage of reward to the second stage of development? Institution-led teaching fellowships that focus on pedagogic research, and operate within…

The literacy team at Brentwood (NY) High School, a large urban high school, focused its efforts on building content-area teachers' literacy instruction skills. The team is made up of teachers from the various content areas, including physical education and art, as well as supportive administrators. The team developed a pacing guide, a monthly…

During the 2008-2009 school year, faculty members at New Fairfield (CT) Middle School examined relevance and student engagement in relation to student achievement. Subtle clues indicated that students were not fully engaged in their learning: many students did not relate their classroom experiences to their personal reality or to their vision of…

Introduction: Improving Performance in Practice (IPIP) is an initiative convened by the American Board of Medical Specialties. It investigates the efficacy of coaches in helping primary-care practices improve the care of patients with diabetes and asthma. Most IPIP states use coaches who have a health care background, and are trained in quality…

This article outlines the progress and impact of professional learning communities within, between and across schools, as part of the implementation of whole system reform in Wales. It describes the way in which professional learning communities are being developed to support improvement and change across the education system in Wales. The article…