Foster High School, located in Richmond, Texas, is a school with a substantial enrollment of minority students (29 percent Hispanic students, 15 percent African American students) that has made noteworthy strides in improving the academic achievement and the college and career readiness of its students. Moreover, the gaps in academic achievement…

The Oregon Statewide Report Card is an annual publication required by law (ORS 329.115), which reports on the state of public schools and their progress towards the goals of the Oregon Educational Act for the 21st Century. The purpose of the Oregon Report Card is to monitor trends among school districts and Oregon's progress toward achieving the…

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal legislation has dramatically changed the way schools and school districts measure educational attainment for all students. In this article, the researchers examine whether African Americans have progressed or digressed in their educational attainment five years after the implementation of NCLB. To provide a…

This descriptive study identifies the thinking and learning skills--such as good decision-making strategies and monitoring one's own learning progress--that students should acquire, as described in standards documents from state departments of education, from national subject-area organizations, and from organizations concerned about adequate…

States have made dramatic progress in the past few years in implementing longitudinal data systems (LDS) to improve student achievement. These systems collect and house student educational data that make it easy for policymakers and practitioners to access and use it for reporting, policymaking and decision making. So much has happened in states…

This project studied four career college and school campuses in Texas that had higher than average graduation rates and lower than average student loan default rates to determine what they did to achieve these positive outcomes. The visits to the campuses found that a conscious, concerted effort to integrate students into the academic and social…

The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) is at the forefront of national efforts to align high school curriculum to college and career readiness standards. Embarking on a mission it calls A Personal Journey for Next Generation Learners, Maine has employed several key strategies to ensure all of its students graduate from high school with the…

Many schools are beginning to use Response to Intervention (RTI) in the classroom, and educators have found that it has made a difference for many students. The purpose of RTI is to identify those children who are struggling in school and to ensure that each of those children receive just the right instruction or intervention to be successful.…

A rapidly changing global economy, shifting demographics, and concerns about our ability to maintain a competitive workforce have focused national attention on the educational systems of America's states, highlighting their critical role in ensuring a productive and creative future for our country. As a result, Americas colleges and universities…

This paper presents the third part of the "Massachusetts Primer on Special Education and Charter Schools." Part III addresses the issues concerning the education of students with disabilities at all stages in the development and operation of a Massachusetts charter school. The information is intended to inform those who are responsible…

Like educators around the country, staff in juvenile justice facilities recognize the serious academic challenges that many of their students face because of low levels of literacy achievement. This "Adolescent Literacy Guide" provides guidance to administrators and teachers who want to increase opportunities for students in juvenile…

This study tracked the reading progress of former Reading Recovery students in Darlington County, South Carolina over a period of four years. The purpose of this study was to investigate the reading achievement outcomes of one hundred thirty three students who received (or recognized as eligible to receive) Reading Recovery tutoring during first…

The importance and use of data and information to make sound programmatic decisions are receiving increased attention as state and federal funding for public health programs grows tighter and as demands for accountability continue. This dissertation provides insight into fundamental questions regarding the utilization of a Web-based reporting…

College and career readiness has become a unifying principle for education reform leaders across the country. A majority of states have made it a top policy priority, with an increasing number of national foundations and education reform advocates supporting this work. To help state leaders build strategies for sustaining their education agendas…

Written by leading special education researchers with the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities and the University of Kansas, this comprehensive yet accessible reference provides administrators with practical guidelines for launching RTI in their schools. Highlighting the powerful role that RTI can play in prevention, early…