This article offers a perspective on Drama as a separate subject within the UK secondary school curriculum from the point of view of a working Head of a Drama department. I explore the various concerns a teacher of this subject must consider when planning a curriculum within their school, including breadth and depth of content and assessment of…

Capstones have become an integral part of many information systems programs, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. One of the challenges can be tracking the process from the start of the capstone to completion. This paper describes the analysis, design and implementation of a web application for the approval workflow of a master's program…

This paper investigates the impact of effective schooling in the 1st year of elementary school on later academic outcomes and equal educational opportunity. A large longitudinal dataset from England was used to estimate the importance of the 1st year of elementary school for academic outcomes up to age 16. Multilevel models, controlling for…

Over the past several years, Louisiana educators have taken the charge to raise expectations and educational outcomes for its students, believing students are smart, capable, and deserve opportunities to become productive members of a global society. Through a clear alignment of standards, curriculum, and assessments, students have stepped up to…

The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) marked the beginning of a new development cycle for accountability systems. State leaders once again have an opportunity to redesign their accountability systems based on the provisions included in ESSA and to ensure that systems improve outcomes for all students. The correct identification of…

Schools are increasingly adopting adaptive learning software to better customize instruction to students' personal needs. While personalized software is not designed to replace the teacher, it does change teachers' roles and responsibilities. However, research is lacking that examines how teachers implement the software and use the provided data…

The Pacific Island countries are committed to promoting disability-inclusive education through enactment of the Pacific Education Development Framework. To support this move, key stakeholders have identified the need for developing local and contextually appropriate indicators for measuring progress of disability-inclusive education. This paper…

The authors examine indicator research over three periods and discuss shifts in policy usage over time. The study compares influential actors that reflect discursive shifts in how, and for what purpose, indicators were used: (1) Jullien de Paris, (2) faculty at Teachers College at Columbia University in the early-twentieth century (notably Paul…

Background: School-centered asthma programs (SAPs) can be an effective intervention to improve asthma control for underserved populations but little is known about how key stakeholders communicate within these programs. Therefore, our aim was to identify key components of effective communication in a SAP. Methods: Primary care providers (PCPs),…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to identify high schools with a graduation rate less than 67% as low performing. Each low-performing high school is required to implement an evidenced-based strategy to improve student outcomes. One challenge that states face is identifying and selecting evidence-based practices supporting…

Similar to many states, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) does not mandate the use of specific literacy screening or progress monitoring tools. LDOE sought a measurement approach that resulted in accurate and reliable information on student progress and outcomes, yet respected local control. This state spotlight presents initial…

COVID-19 has engendered serious challenges with the provision of special education services for youth and young adults incarcerated in U.S. adult correctional facilities. This article describes the recent lawsuit, Charles H. et al. v. District of Columbia et al., which focused on the lack of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) at the…

In this practice brief, we describe several current examples of approaches that are aimed at improving outcomes for students entering high school. Additionally, we present strategies to disrupt the negative trajectory for students with EBD, who seldom receive coordinated, individualized supports during the critical transition from middle to high…

Regular attendance is essential to succeeding in school, and chronic absence--missing excessive amounts of school for any reason--can cause students to be off track academically. Developed in partnership with Attendance Works, this fact sheet analyzes data from the "Data for Action 2013" survey to discuss how states use data to monitor…

Digital tools are making it easier than ever for teachers to gather and analyze formative data. Paper exit slips can take a classroom teacher upward of an hour to sort and graph after just one day of classes. But now, that same teacher can pose a question out loud to the class and ask students to type answers on their mobile phones and hit send.…