The accountability measures for student achievement have increased over the last five years for New York City Public Schools. In addition to existing local, state and federal accountability systems, yet another evaluative tool has been added--a "Progress Report". The report indicates a letter grade of "A" to "F" for a…

There is a growing body of research documenting the effects of leadership on student learning. "Good schools" are headed by principals that have vision and act on that vision. A case can easily be made that quality leadership in schools is vital to the effectiveness of a school. This study, which replicates Valenti's 2010 work, is…

In an epoch of increasing globalization and rapid social change, the political leaders of both developed and developing countries are confronted with the challenges of maintaining and improving their systems of formal education. The leaders of Madagascar, a remote island country and developing nation, have faced the challenges of leading a French…

The number of children (ages 3-21) in the United States designated as having a specific learning disability is over seven (7) million. Providing the programs, services and funding necessary to deliver appropriate programs and services to this special population is a challenge in virtually all school districts across the country. The role of school…

States have been given flexibility under No Child Left Behind to create need-driven comprehensive school improvement plans with an approved accountability system, however those unable to show increased student learning will be deemed as failing. Schools labeled as failing require a comprehensive framework for improvement. Research has identified a…

"Linking Resources to Results" explores the deliberate approach--including specific goals, a clearly articulated grantmaking strategy and benchmarks for measuring progress--the Chicago Public Education Fund used to help the Chicago Public Schools recognize, reward and deploy high-quality teachers. The case study is intended to help…

First introduced in 1965, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) has evolved over nearly five decades, emphasizing education reform priorities that mirror the changing national education policy conversation. The most recent iteration of ESEA, also known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), was enacted in 2001. It emphasized improving…

This fall, the nine states that finished as runners up in last year's groundbreaking Race to the Top competition will have an opportunity to reapply for a grant. The winners will receive a combined $200 million to help implement the bold education reform plans they developed last year. Many of the eligible states already have clear roadmaps toward…

A leader doesn't have to solve every problem personally to be effective. In fact, helping others learn to resolve issues and implement their own solutions is the key to sustainable leadership and an empowered staff. This companion and follow-up book to "Coaching Conversations" brings the coaching style of leadership to life with stories from the…

The impact of education decentralization on high-quality education has been mixed at best. This can be attributed to a variety of factors including decentralization itself, ineffectual implementation, political-economic friction, and poor design. This paper focuses largely on the issue of design, contending that if governments or donors aim to…

In the summer of 2011, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) launched a new 21st-Century Initiative. The overall goal of the initiative is to educate an additional 5 million students with degrees, certificates, or other credentials by 2020. Grounded in the enduring commitment of community colleges to improving the lives of students…

The California Department of Education (CDE) has long asserted that success Algebra I by Grade 8 is the goal for all California public school students. In fact, the state's accountability system penalizes schools that do not require all of their students to take the Algebra I end-of-course examination by Grade 8 (CDE, 2009). In this dissertation,…

This quantitative study used the Schools and Staffing Survey of 2007-2008, a school-based stratified probability-proportionate-to-size sample of all American schools, to explore the relationships of professional development to teachers' self- and collective efficacy by school accountability status as measured by adequate yearly progress (AYP). In…

This case study examines secondary school leaders' perceptions of their ability to build positive relationships with the adolescents in their care as a means for improving students' academic performance. A sample of administrator participants was chosen from four suburban high schools with similar demographics located in the South Central…

The purpose of this study was to explore variables which might influence the frequency of Texas special education mediations used for dispute resolution. Variables such as district size, location, economic level, and the State Accountability Rating were investigated and evaluated. In order to determine if there were any relationships between the…