Empirical Education Inc. is the independent evaluator of SRI International's 2014 Investing in Innovation (i3) Development grant called Redesigning Secondary Courses to Improve Academic Outcomes for Adolescents with Disabilities and Other Underperforming Adolescents. The goal of the grant is to develop "Enhanced Units" that combine…

School principals are charged with complex responsibilities that can include developing a school vision and culture, supporting teacher effectiveness, managing challenges and crises, communicating with the greater community, and more. However, recent research and surveys of school administrators indicate that principal preparation programs do not…

School principals are charged with complex responsibilities that can include developing a school vision and culture, supporting teacher effectiveness, managing challenges and crises, communicating with the greater community, and more. However, recent research and surveys of school administrators indicate that principal preparation programs do not…

This report conducted an evaluation of the initial implementation of Reading Roots 5 and determined the program's impacts on students' reading outcomes. The study employed a one-group, pre-post correlational study design. Overall, participating students' reading achievement and fluency increased over the period when RR5 was implemented. This pilot…

Despite the growing evidence of the benefits of having a teacher of the same race and ethnicity as the student, the educator workforce remains overwhelmingly White, while the K-12 student population is becoming more diverse (Egalite & Kisada, 2018; Gershenson et al., 2016; National Center on Education Statistics, 2019). Historically Black…

Purpose: There has been a significant increase in the number of immigrant families moving to rural communities across the United States. Yet limited research exists that explores relationships between immigrant families and schools in these communities. Rural school districts are often challenged by insufficient resources, expertise, and…

The purpose of this implementation report is to help community college leaders, foundations, and public education policymakers understand the impact that nudges have on student success, especially for students from populations that typically have low rates of college completion. The promising results of the NTSS [Nudging to STEM Success]…

This case is for use in graduate courses in student affairs and higher education administration. It presents the challenges faced by student affairs professionals at the University of Virginia where some students participate in an annual high-risk drinking practice that has resulted in injuries and even death. Student affairs professionals at the…

During the fall of the 2016-17 school year, first, second, and third grade students in six elementary schools -- two in St. Paul and Eagan, Minnesota, and four in Bedford County in the Piedmont region of Virginia -- were assigned to take part in randomized efficacy trials carried out for the purpose of rigorously evaluating the impact of…

Background: As pregnant mothers increasingly engage in shared decision making regarding prenatal decisions, such as induction of labor, the patient's level of activation may influence pregnancy outcomes. One potential tool to increase patient activation in the clinical setting is mobile applications. However, research is limited in comparing…

We present results of an evaluation of the first year of a multi-year comprehensive middle school reading program. Four public middle schools in rural Virginia with large populations of students with limited reading proficiency participated in a study to determine the reading program's impact. We evaluated 235 students with low reading achievement…

With any intervention program, involving all stakeholders in a joint effort toward implementation is most likely to lead to success. Whole-school approaches that involve school personnel, students, families, and local communities have been associated with positive, sustained outcomes. For mindfulness training programs to generate the most…

The demographic profile of the United States has been rapidly changing; by 2020, minority students will constitute the majority of the public school student population nationwide. This makes cultural competence a necessity for today's school leaders. Educational leadership preparation programs are responsible for preparing culturally competent…

This brief provides education administrators and partners (providers, intermediaries, funders) with strategies and examples from seven school districts nationwide that have successfully funded, implemented, and sustained evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs. School administrators from these districts were interviewed and…

Preschool Development Grant (PDG) grantees and Head Start programs are funded to provide high-quality preschool education and comprehensive services to families meeting federal poverty guidelines. The overlap of program standards and services across these two programs provides unique opportunities for partnerships. This document provides examples…