The purpose of this analysis is to reconsider organizational replication as a strategy for large-scale school improvement: a strategy that features a "hub" organization collaborating with "outlet" schools to enact school-wide designs for improvement. To do so, we synthesize a leading line of research on commercial replication to construct a…

In "How Is Testing Supposed to Improve Schooling," Haertel describes seven broad mechanisms whereby testing is used to improve schooling (this issue). The first four are direct mechanisms, meaning that "test scores are taken as indicators of some underlying construct and on that basis scores are used to guide some decision or draw some…

In 2012, Edward Haertel received the NCME Career Contributions Award. The focus article for this issue emerged from his address on the topic "How Is Testing Supposed to Improve Schooling?" His focus article provides a discussion of the relationships between testing and schooling in which he issues a call to action to the measurement community to…

The author is deeply gratified by the commentators' thoughtful responses and finds almost nothing to disagree with in any of them. Each offers additional insights prompting further reflection. In drawing out just a few common themes, this brief rejoinder omits many important ideas from the individual contributions. As stated in his title, the…

This school year, countless teachers are participating in new evaluation systems. Individual teachers working on their own examining evaluation feedback will have valuable information to inform individual improvement. However, teacher evaluations have the potential to achieve more, and to do it more quickly, when they are part of a comprehensive…

Our current high schools are ill-designed and inefficient. We have inherited a program of studies that in its overall structure has not changed in over a century. The question is "What's next?" Theodore Sizer, the founder of The Coalition of Essential Schools, was a passionate advocate for the American school system. In this, his last…

Professional development is essential in supporting teachers as change agents to foster international educational reform. Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College acknowledged its role in supporting visiting teachers from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in utilizing action research as an opportunity for professional development.…

This volume provides a timely focus on various aspects related to foreign language learning and teaching within the university context. It discusses current issues, such as: increasing popularity of English Medium Instruction (EMI), communication in English as a Lingua Franca, staying abroad, and provisions of English for professional or academic…

This study examines "First 10 Schools and Communities"--coordinated efforts to improve teaching, learning, and care during the first decade of children's lives. First 10 initiatives take two basic forms. First 10 School Hubs are anchored by a single elementary school, which provides direct support to families and collaborates with nearby…

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) examines what students know in reading, mathematics and science, and what they can do with what they know. It provides the most comprehensive and rigorous international assessment of student learning outcomes to date. Results from PISA indicate the quality and equity of learning…

The Elementary Support Model (ESM) was implemented in Wake County Public School System's (WCPSS) 12 lowest performing elementary schools. ESM is designed to improve teacher and student outcomes by addressing governance, staffing, professional development, resources, calendar and schedule, and provides leadership and instructional coaching.…

The purpose of the brief is to provide examples from two state education agencies in the United States who took a different path to systemic change through the use of the Active Implementation Frameworks (Fixsen et al. 2013a; Metz & Bartley, 2012). Both states received intensive implementation-informed support from the State Implementation and…

Background: The vocal demand on teachers may predispose them to vocal difficulties. This concern is exacerbated by unfavourable classroom acoustics and a large number of learners in a classroom in developing countries such as South Africa. There is a dearth of classroom acoustic protocols in South Africa, which intensifies the effect of noise on…

The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) was organized to provide guidance for universities to collaboratively redesign the Education Doctorate (Ed.D) to make it a stronger program for school practitioners (CPED, n.d.). CPED recommended the traditional dissertation be replaced with what they refer to as the Dissertation in Practice…

Poor food choices in childhood are core contributors to obesity and chronic diseases during adolescence and adulthood. Food choices and dietary behaviors develop in childhood and are difficult to change in adulthood. Nutrition education in elementary schools can provide children with the information and skills to develop healthy food choices and…