This brief provides a summary of the results of a project designed to help build the collective capacity and increase the impact of programs working to improve K-3 reading outcomes in New York City public elementary schools (the "K-3 reading improvement sector"). The first phase of this project identified all of the programs working in…

In 2019, 46 states and territories are implementing Preschool Development Grants (PDGs), which will support states to do five broadly defined activities: 1. A Birth to Five Needs Assessment 2. A Birth to Five Strategic Plan 3. Maximizing Parent Knowledge and Choice 4. Sharing Best Practices 5. Improving Overall Quality. This brief starts by…

Researchers and policymakers in the early care and education (ECE) field are interested in understanding the factors that contribute to successful quality improvement (QI) initiatives in ECE settings. They also want to learn about factors leading to improved outcomes for children and families through successful QI initiatives. The purpose of this…

The ability to significantly increase and sustain gains in early literacy for students with disabilities and a desire to bridge the gap between compliance and results-driven accountability (RDA) led Washington State to innovate a solution. This state spotlight will focus on Washington's improvement strategy to address this early literacy challenge…

The Math in Common (MiC) initiative was launched in 2013, amid the introduction of many education policy changes in California. The California State Board of Education adopted the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M) in 2010, although there was a delay in associated state policy supports for CCSS-M implementation. For instance,…

To better understand the practices that teachers employ to personalize instruction and the attitudes or experiences that shape those strategies, the EdWeek Research Center surveyed nearly 600 pre-K-12 teachers. The nationally-representative survey, conducted in July and August of 2019, gauges teachers' overall attitudes on the personalized…

Since the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) era many program improvement schools were prescribed Professional Learning Communities (PLC) professional development as a corrective action by their respective Local Education Agency (LEA). Despite the adoption and implementation of many corrective action measures (including PLCs) recommended by LEA's, the…

The poor quality of many school systems is a serious impediment to social mobility for children from low-income and minority families, who cannot easily pick up and move to communities with good schools. The number of students taking college remediation classes has soared, and too many students graduate high school underprepared to enter either…

In this article the author reports on a continued effort to evaluate programs for the gifted that includes examining the curriculum that is used, the ways it is implemented in classrooms, and the outcome data that districts have collected about its effectiveness. The author adds that the heart of program evaluation really lies with how effectively…

In this commentary, the author states that, as the contributions of the focal articles make clear, there is much to learn about how value-added models (VAMs) are actually used in a variety of settings. Indeed, it is important to remember that VAM scores are but one component of a complex evaluation system that can play out differently in different…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify and interpret the critical quality attributes of core educational services at the course level both with student and lecturer involvement. Significant differences between the viewpoints of these two directly involved stakeholder groups are also demonstrated to provide a better understanding of…

Evidence of the impact of COVID-19 on higher education, specifically on social work education, is gradually emerging. While the empirical literature points to the effectiveness of delivering course content virtually, research on the impact of the abrupt, forced transition from in-person to distance teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic is limited.…

Purpose: The effectiveness of the 14-component evidence-based whole-school reform Success for All (SfA) has been well established, but research on its implementation is limited although fidelity of implementation is vital for the effectiveness of such a program. This review sheds light on this issue. Design/Approach/Methods: A systematic…

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of master of music education degree program directors and alumni from selected schools regarding the ways in which their music education master's programs balance the varied needs of program participants. Findings are presented in the two broad categories of improvement in P-12 teacher…

This case study delineates the process that a small, private liberal arts university employed to amplify its high-impact practices in an already award-winning undergraduate research (UR) program. The process was catalyzed by combined institutional factors: the start of a new accreditation cycle and the launch of our university's strategic vision,…