This book presents a guide for educators who want to gain new ideas and a fresh perspective on staff development. It promotes individual and collective learning of all participants as they undertake formal staff development while enhancing the success and performance of the entire educational system. The 30 reflective exercises have been designed…

This report examines the Bay Area School Reform Collaborative (BASRC), which aims to change school culture, enhance educational quality for all San Francisco Bay Area students, and close the achievement gap. Among the tools BASRC provides schools to guide the inquiry process when making decisions about change is the Cycle of Inquiry model. This…

This report describes "Philadelphia's Grand Experiment" in comprehensive school district reform, from its conception through its initial months of implementation. In 2001, as part of the remedy for low student performance, the governor ordered the state to take over governance of the Philadelphia School District, with a substantial…

This working paper examines why Project Giant Step, a well-received policy initiative for universal preschool for 4-year-olds in New York City, was discontinued after overcoming many of the challenges it faced. Project Giant Step forced collaboration between large public agencies differing in their institutional structures, funding sources, and…

This book provides a detailed guide to implementing the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM), a research-supported model originating in special programs for gifted and talented students but not extended to school improvement across the full range of school types, levels, and demographic differences. Individual chapters address the following topics:…

This document summarizes the Santa Barbara City College 2002-2005 College Plan. The plan's goals are: (1) to develop and implement strategies to increase assistance to students in identifying learning needs and defining educational, career, and life goals; (2) to increase the percentage of students attaining educational goals; (3) to increase…

This monograph examines issues related to the inclusion of students with disabilities as part of an ongoing study of Success for All (SFA), a popular reform model for improving student reading performance. An executive summary identifies four lessons resulting from interviews with principals, teachers, and related staff in four SFA schools. These…

Highlighting reflection, collaboration, and regularity of effective supervision, this booklet explores the link between supportive supervisory practices and effective staff-parent relationships in early childhood and family programs. Program leaders who wish to promote high-quality services to the infants, toddlers, and families can use the…

Rather than promote access, college admissions and financial aid processes often create a series of barriers that the poorest student must overcome to get to college. The Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis (CHEPA) of the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California directed a three-year research initiative,…

As with so many guides for school improvement, the U.S. Department of Education's March 2006 Non-regulatory Guidance document entitled, "Designing Schoolwide Programs," continues to marginalize the essential role of student/learning supports. This brief report analyzes the guidance document with a specific focus on how to ensure Title I schoolwide…

No longer is it appropriate to explain school failure by stating that some children are too disadvantaged to succeed. Schools must find a way to meet the needs of all children and strategies in which school psychologists, working in collaboration with educators and school administrators, can meet these needs are discussed in this paper. It is…

The Regional Educational Laboratory Program is the U.S. Department of Education's largest research-and-development investment designed to help educators, policy makers, and communities improve schools. Administered by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), the network of 10 regional labs works to ensure that lessons about…

This manual was prepared in response to the overwhelming interest of Head Start staff and other early childhood professionals to presentations of the Parent Involvement Project Intervention at national conferences. The manual presents two strategies designed to help staff better understand and work with parents, especially those perceived to be…

This discussion paper is intended for policy makers, program managers, technical specialists, and others seeking new tools and ideas with which to achieve environmentally sustainable development. Effective techniques from the field of environmental education and communication (EE&C) that can help biodiversity conservationists and program…

This case study examined the process of change employed by a rural Kentucky elementary school identified as having successfully implemented the state's primary program. The main purpose of the study was to analyze how the school implemented the primary program based on characteristics of effective change. The case study was based on a total of 23…