This research developed a survey that measures the degree to which challenges are experienced by school and district leaders, and teachers, when attempting to implement legislatively required District Improvement Plans (DIPs). The data indicate that there are certainly challenges when implementing DIPs and that teachers report experiencing a…

These days, Response to Intervention (RTI) is everywhere, and there are lots of claims about what RTI is and how to do it. At last, here's a book that helps you cut through the quackery and ensure that your approach to RTI represents the very best of what is known about assessment, instruction, and intervention. Author Margaret Searle provides you…

This report presents South Dakota Arts Council Long Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2006-2008 in terms of how it intends to achieve six goals. These goals are: (1) Enhance quality of life and economic development through the arts; (2) Promote public awareness and support of the arts; (3) Advance the arts as essential to education and life-long…

The first meetings with a family, including the first Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meeting, set the tone for the family's emerging relationship with early intervention professionals. The IFSP meeting and document are a vehicle for parents and professionals to partner together to target outcomes that are meaningful to the family and to…

Many children in the foster care system are at great risk of academic difficulties and school failure. The purpose of this study was to bring together individuals within the foster care system to discuss the challenges to obtaining an appropriate education for foster youths and how best to provide the supports and structures needed for educational…

The attractiveness of computer-based tests (CBTs) is due largely to their capability to expand the ways we conduct testing. A relatively unexplored application, however, is actively using the computer to reduce construct-irrelevant variance while a test is being administered. This investigation introduces the effort-monitoring CBT, in which the…

"What did you do in school today?" is about reflecting on thoughtful questions and using data to make improvements. It is a multi-year research and development initiative of the Canadian Education Association (CEA), funded through collaboration with the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) and a number of Canadian school districts.…

The leadership of today's schools supports both students' academic success and their preparation for employment in a global work environment. As stimulus funds become available to U.S. school districts, it remains critical that technology leaders align technology acquired with those funds with system-, school-, and classroom-identified student…

The evaluation examined issues related to: (1) Rationale and Relevance; (2) Implementation; and (3) Success. In addition, the interim evaluation was intended to: (1) Determine whether sufficient data was being collected to inform the summative evaluation and identify opportunities for improvement to fill any potential gaps; (2) Assess whether the…

Criminal justice programs at community colleges have often been used to subsidize other programs and often have only one full-time faculty member. To examine issues confronting programs with only one full-time faculty member, surveys were conducted of faculty in one-person programs at 11 community colleges in New Jersey. Completed questionnaires…

The Mississippi Community College Fellowship Program (MCCFP), a project of the Department of Educational Leadership at Mississippi State University, is designed to assist in the identification, development, and training of the state's future community college leaders. Two participants are nominated by each of the 16 public community college…

The Model Career Option Program (MCOP), mandated in 1988 by the Louisiana Legislature, provided funds to pay superior teachers additional salaries for performing a variety of additional services. There were three option categories for teachers in the 1991-92 school years: (1) mentor or peer consultant; (2) supplemental teacher; and (3) staff or…

This publication contains 46 papers on self-study and improvement in institutions of higher education, particularly those institutions associated with the North Central Association of Colleges. The papers are grouped under six topic headings. The two papers in Chapter I, "Seeking Initial Affiliation with the Commission," describe…

This paper provides a transcript of a videotaped roundtable discussion on illiteracy among young people (aged 16-30) in Canada. The discussion centered mainly on French-speaking Canadians and school dropouts. Panelists declared that the present adult literacy education system focuses on adults and that young people cannot fit into that system.…

In response to findings in a 1994 accountability report, and specifically data related to student retention, colleges in the Illinois Community College System were asked to report on local initiatives to track and improve retention. In describing their retention initiatives, 30 colleges specifically mentioned assessment and placement activities,…