This paper is the Office for Civil Rights's (OCR's) "Annual Report to Congress" for fiscal years 2007 and 2008. This report details OCR's accomplishments in enforcing the civil rights laws under which OCR has been granted jurisdiction to address and remedy discrimination. These enforcement efforts include complaint investigation and resolution,…

Many school district leaders, high school administrators, and teachers--particularly those in urban areas--have struggled to reduce high school dropout rates but find themselves overwhelmed by the dimensions of the problem. Consider: Research has shown that lack of preparation in elementary and middle school, long before students reach high…

In Spring 2007, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation awarded funds to the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) to undertake an analysis of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Philadelphia, and to make recommendations on how CTE and other forms of career-connected education could better align with Philadelphia standards for college and career…

The "State ESEA ['Elementary and Secondary Education Act'] Title I Participation Summary Report for 2003-04" summarizes the participation data for the Title I, Part A (Title I), Grants to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) program. This program provides federal funds to assist eligible school districts and schools in supporting…

Schools are essentially expected to provide all students with the same educational opportunity despite where they live, or their ability levels. Education Action Zones (EAZs) and Zones d'Education Prioritaire (ZEPs) have been implemented to help eradicate the issue of student equity, promising innovation and a solution to inequalities evidenced in…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the ways in which postgraduate study in vocational fields supports the development of advanced competences amongst mid-career professionals. Design/methodology/approach: The extensive written communications between health and safety professionals taking a postgraduate course in health and safety…

This paper presents the findings obtained from a detailed questionnaire completed by selected head teachers (n = 129), deputy heads (n = 81), middle managers (n = 178) and form tutors (n = 91) in schools within local education authorities located throughout England and Wales. The questionnaire focused upon the respondents' views on the best ways…

This book offers an integrated framework for achieving competitive advantage by managing organizations, processes, and jobs effectively. Chapter 1 explores the forces driving the needs to be more competitive. Chapter 2 contrasts the traditional functional view of the organization with the systems view. Chapter 3 introduces the three levels of…

The study described here examined the professional communities of teachers in American high schools. Data were derived from a series of observations and interviews undertaken over a 3-year period in six high schools in Michigan. Based on these data, the study developed a working definition of the term "professional community," described…

A selected annotated bibliography on managing development projects, intended for rural development practitioners, highlights items that outline some pressing issues and concerns confronting those involved in rural development in general and rural project management in particular. A section of annotated entries lists 21 publications on project…

In 1981-82, over 4,500 staff members and parents of the Detroit Public Schools participated in the inservice education programs funded through the Federally Assisted Staff Training (FAST) Project. These activities were carried out in over 140 workshops to provide training for the academic improvement of Title I target students. The following…

This article offers guidelines for understanding Title VI Grants from the Office of Education and for making grant proposals. (AM)

Establishing partnerships between institutions of higher education (IHEs) and local education agencies (LEAs) is a common recommendation in the many state and national reports advocating the reform of education. The rationale for such partnerships is that collaboration can assist LEAs in their efforts for school improvement, while IHEs can more…

Now in the third year of operation, the Oklahoma Leadership in Educational Administration (LEAD) Project is implementing a professional development program for state educational administrators. The mission of the project is to develop and implement a research-based leadership skills training model to improve the effectiveness of practicing school…

The staff of North Park School, a small urban/suburban primary school (K-3) in Wheeling, West Virginia, made their school more effective by implementing well planned and coordinated changes based on current research. The belief that all students can learn is an important characteristic of an effective school. Therefore, the goal of the North Park…