This paper synthesizes research on how motivation influenced teachers at two school-based performance award (SBPA) programs in Kentucky and in North Carolina. The research was conducted between 1995 and 1998 by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education. SBPA programs provide teachers and other school staff with pay bonuses for the…

The National Mentoring Partnership conducted a survey of mentoring programs for school-age children. This report describes the characteristics of the programs, their mentors, and the youth they serve, and presents a classification of mentoring programs based on the data collected. The 722 programs responding to the survey were serving about…

This volume describes outstanding community college programs corresponding to the four categories in which programs were originally submitted to the National Council of Instructional Administrator (NCIA) Annual Exemplary Instructional Program Awards. Section 1 includes the description of two programs that won the award for Best Program Using…

This volume describes outstanding community college programs corresponding to the four categories in which programs were originally submitted to the National Council of Instructional Administrator's (NCIA) Annual Exemplary Instructional Program Awards. Section 1 includes the description of three programs that won awards for Initiatives to…

This volume describes outstanding community college programs corresponding to the four categories in which programs were originally submitted to the National Council of Instructional Administrator's (NCIA) Annual Exemplary Initiative Awards. Section 1 includes the description of the program that won the award for Exemplary Initiatives in the…

Asserting that early reading success is a strong predictor of academic success in later grades and that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) are critical for literacy development, this issue brief explores actions states can take to develop and support literacy-rich environments for children. Following an introductory summary, the brief…

This article, the second in a continuing series highlighting exemplary information technology (IT) practices, recounts an interview with the project manager of New York State's Child Nutrition Management System (CNMS). CNMS is a Web-based system for claim processing and program management for the Child Nutrition Program administered by the New…

These hearings transcripts present testimony before a congressional committee comparing early childhood education and care in the United States with that of other industrialized countries, focusing on all arrangements for children under compulsory school age. The opening statement from the committee chair, Senator James Jeffords, notes the linkage…

The Reading Excellence program seeks to provide a cadre of trained volunteers to deliver tutorial assistance in reading to at-risk students during non-instructional times that will result in significant improvement in student performance on reading and language arts as measured by their age-appropriate standardized tests. This paper describes the…

This report summarizes the activities, outcomes, and recommendations of a small Commonwealth Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DETYA)-funded teacher professional development project "Teachers First." Noting that the project delivered a program of professional development informed by the recommendations of the DETYA…

This document outlines the Western Assessment Collaborative's (WAC) approach to evaluation and the design for examining the progress and impact of Kyosei (spirit of cooperation), a multiyear partnership with 10 schools and 4 districts that engages participants in a set of integrated, research-based professional development strategies. The text…

This report evaluates 12 high schools in the New American High Schools (NAHS) program. Launched in 1996, NAHS is a U.S. Department of Education research project that was developed to showcase school-reform practices in selected schools. The report is based on a study that used NAHS schools as a "laboratory" for researching reform…

This book is part of a series of case studies that demonstrate better ways to educate Ohio's students. The case study is part of the Transforming Learning Communities (TLC) Project, designed to support significant school-reform efforts among Ohio's elementary, middle, and high schools. The text describes the 12 Ohio schools that were selected for…

This paper provides information on testing programs for elementary and secondary school students that are administered or coordinated by the Office of Educational Accountability within the Wisconsin State Department of Public Instruction. The first section provides background and definitions of assessment alternatives, including various types of…

In September 2002, the Maine Department of Education began organizing an Exhibition Assessment Advisory Committee whose purpose it was to consider meaningful ways to include exhibition assessments in comprehensive local assessment systems. School administrators were invited to participate and/or nominate practitioners in their districts to become…