This study examined the role of K-12 science teachers' understandings and perceptions of the Next Generation Science Standards, implementation of the new standards in the classroom, and potential barriers to implementation as reform stakeholders had envisioned. Grounded in the relevant literature and working from the Teacher-Centered System Reform…

The National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) and the National Center for School Turnaround (2018) published the "Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement: An Implementation Framework" as a companion to the Center for School Turnaround's (2017) recent publication of "The Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement: A Systems…

In 2013 the Iowa Teacher Leadership and Compensation planning grant (TLC) committed to providing 150 million dollars annually toward rewarding effective teachers with leadership opportunities and higher pay, attracting promising new teachers with competitive starting salaries, and fostering greater collaboration for all teachers to learn from one…

Growing evidence suggests that Positive Youth Development (PYD), a holistic approach to developing assets and competencies, can help prepare young people for success in adulthood, including success in the workplace. At its core, PYD focuses on creating a supportive, developmentally appropriate learning setting by emphasizing positive…

The origins of the American educational system have always included a character education component. Teaching students moral values and the ability to know right from wrong is a component of the educational mission of our society. Character education evolved over the centuries, yet the core values of implementing right from wrong and the necessity…

Professional development (PD) is often viewed as essential to improve classroom practices--as a way to create changes in districts, changes in classrooms, and changes in teachers--which, in turn, strives to improve student learning. Many insist that for a PD initiative to be successful, it needs to create changes in teachers' classroom practices,…

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Education supports an informed society that uses NOAA-related sciences to make the best social, economic, and environmental decisions. The "FY2018-2019 NOAA Education Implementation Plan" is a companion to the "Education Strategic Plan 2015-2035: Advancing NOAA's Mission through…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of master teachers, administrators, and teacher trainers about the content of Student Evaluations of Teachers (SET) in California high schools. This study also sought to reach a consensus among experts concerning how SETs can be used both in teacher evaluations and in professional…

This report provides early evidence on the implementation and impacts of the Madison Area Technical College Patient Care Pathway program, which aimed to help low-skilled students in the Madison, Wisconsin, area access occupational training in the growing healthcare sector. The Patient Care Pathway program adapted and linked existing programs at…

This report documents the implementation and early impacts of the Workforce Training Academy Connect (WTA Connect) program, operated by Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in Des Moines, Iowa. WTA Connect aimed to help low-income, low-skilled adults access and complete occupational training that can lead to increased employment and higher…

This research brief is Part I of a four-part series that studies the implementation and impact of the Houston Independent School District (HISD) decision to decentralize in the 1990s. This first part describes how decentralization was enacted in HISD. It examines the implementation of decentralization at HISD. The process that HISD originally…

No one would disagree that young children's literacy learning is of primary importance in the early childhood years. One of the best ways for children to learn oral language is through play. However, many teachers view play as a child's work and not as a space where the teacher can support children's literacy learning. This study investigated the…

For several decades, lifelong learning has been discussed both in terms of its ability to provide both individual and national economic benefits. However, while the importance of lifelong learning, particularly in lieu of occupational changes, has been emphasized, the creation or adaptation of funding methods for lifelong learning specifically in…

The "Trauma-Sensitive Schools Training Package" offers school and district administrators and staff a roadmap and tools for adopting a school- or district-wide approach to addressing trauma and promoting resilience for everyone in the learning environment. This training package supports school and district administrators and staff to do…

The purpose of this study was to gain essence of understanding of the phenomena of the influence of culture on the change process at small, private colleges. Research questions included cultural characteristics of a campus, the impact of policy and procedure on shaping culture, the role of leadership in shaping culture, and contextual conditions…