This article summarizes the effects of NCLB on school districts based on four years of evaluations conducted by the Center on Education Policy as part of the most comprehensive and continuous overview being undertaken of that policy.

Standards-based reform is a strategy that includes specifying what is to be learned, devising tests to measure learning, and establishing consequences of performance for students and schools. Popular support remains strong for standards-based reform, according to national polling data as well as local data in the states implementing this strategy.…

School and government officials, system administrators and other policymakers offer a variety of reasons for engaging in high stakes testing: to monitor student performance, to measure teacher and/or school effectiveness, to ensure accountability, etc. Some of these reasons are good; others not. But the best reason--one that is never offered,…

This article explores the theoretical foundations and practical application of Teaching for Intellectual and Emotional Learning (TIEL), a pedagogical model that codifies a powerful way of thinking about the intellectual and social-emotional processes that underlie teaching and learning. It is is organized in three sections, and begins by offering…

This essay discusses the achievements of early childhood educator, Vivian Gussin Paley, preschool and kindergarten teacher for more than 30 years, and author of 12 books portraying her work in the classroom with young children. It begins with a description of seven narrative tools she developed over the course of many years that became the means…

This article identifies (a) what we know about youths with emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD) and what works in preparing them for the transition to adult life; (b) the key features of No Child Left Behind (NCLB; 2001) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); and (c) recommendations for working within the requirements of…

The VITAE project is a four-year (2001-2005) research study, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills, conducted with 300 teachers in 100 schools in seven local education authorities in England. The project aimed to identify factors that may affect their work and lives over time and how these factors may, in turn, impact on their…

"Informed math self-placement," a program implemented at American River College in Sacramento, California, to determine students' readiness for college-level math, has been in place for three years. This case study describes the development and implementation of math self-placement at American River. Math self-placement consists of a…

Created by teachers for teachers, the Math Academy tools and activities included in this booklet were designed to create hands-on activities and a fun learning environment for the teaching of mathematics to the students. This booklet contains the "Math Academy--Dining Out! Explorations in Fractions, Decimals, and Percents," which teachers can use…

During the 1993-94 program year, enrollment in secondary and postsecondary vocational education (VE) programs in Hawaii totaled 20,788 and 8,645, respectively. VE services were provided primarily through Hawaii's 39 public secondary schools, 7 public community colleges, and the University of Hawaii Community Colleges Employment Training Center. VE…

The model presented in this document integrates authentic assessment with traditional evaluation practices to create comprehensive assessment systems for elementary and secondary school students. Specifically, the model poses six categories of competencies that enjoy high levels of acceptance and construct validity: (1) knowledge of concepts,…

This five-part essay sets out various achievement goals for higher education institutions and educators. The first paper, "Guidelines in Higher Education," lists the criteria for encouraging broad faculty participation in the decision-making process, improving the quality of human relations, encouraging scholarly pursuits among faculty members,…

The guide describes the educational system of Norway, primarily to assist in placement of Norwegian students in U.S. schools and for transfer of credits. An introductory chapter gives background about Norway and its people, educational governance, and language of instruction. The second chapter outlines the system of preschool, primary, and lower…

Current research literature on the education of language minority students in the United States is reviewed as it relates to the Bilingual Education Act of 1994 (Title VII of the Improving America's Schools Act). The review specifically examines these areas of concern: language diversity in the United States; limited English skills, poverty, and…

These three papers address educational improvement through partnerships between institutions of higher education and elementary/secondary schools. In the first paper, "Partnerships for America's Children," Kati Perry Haycock challenges educators in elementary/secondary schools and in higher education to use partnerships to create a continuum for…