"The Learning System" is a newsletter designed for superintendents and central office staff with professional learning responsibilities. This issue includes: (1) Principal-Coaches Transform Teachers and Schools (Valerie von Frank); (2) District Leadership: Delve into NSDC's [National Staff Development Council's] New Definition of…

This monograph focuses on the main populations and topics in the college readiness literature. The population of U.S. youth who are traditionally aged high school and college students dominates research; for the most part, the authors concentrate on literature about this population. Within this broad parameter, the review is centrally concerned…

"The Learning Principal" is an eight-page newsletter published eight times a year. It focuses on the important and unique work of school principals. This issue includes: (1) A Learning Community Is Built on Trust (Valerie von Frank); (2) School Leadership: Q & A: Turnaround Doesn't Have to Take Years, Just Solid Leadership (Valerie von Frank); (3)…

Social well-being is essential to overall health and quality of life for all children, youth, and adults. However, children and youth with disabilities are often at higher risk for experiencing lower levels of social, and related emotional, well-being than their peers without disabilities. They are among those more likely to be bullied and…

Across the country, educators in schools that have not met their targets for improved student learning are considering next steps. As a first step, a school improvement plan that is grounded in data and based on a comprehensive needs assessment can provide a framework for effecting change for a school's programming, student support systems, and…

Recent reforms in Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) appear to be gaining traction and producing welcome improvements in student achievement and success. Enrollment has increased, educators are replacing unsuccessful programs with innovative ones, and new resources and organizational partnerships are being brought into the system.…

Recent incidents of school violence have brought bullying to the nation's attention in a dramatic way. Research shows that approximately 30% of teens in the United States either bully, are targets of bullying, or both (National Youth, n.d.). Bullying causes adverse physical, psychological, and social effects. It erodes feelings of self-worth and…

In recent years, immigration has become a hot-button issue--so much that mere mention of the word almost guarantees an impassioned response. Whether that response generates ideas and hope, debate and frustration, or even anger, depends on seemingly innumerable factors. Everything from personal preferences, politics, and prejudices to ethnic,…

"Alabama Education News" is published monthly except for June, July, and December by the Alabama Department of Education. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of the "Code of Alabama", as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of the Alabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens and educators about…

It is easier to talk about a desire to create a report card for higher education--to evaluate its success--than to actually do it. While some objective data are available, success also depends upon the choice of relevant criteria. This choice and the interpretation of the data vary depending upon the view one brings to the study. Moreover, it is…

"Student Success" is EPI's occasional e-magazine dedicated to the discussion of retaining students in higher education. This edition features an interview with Stedman Graham about his efforts to help students succeed in life. As well, EPI President Watson Scott Swail discusses Campus Climate and Students of Color, and the Best Practice showcases…

School leaders are often placed on the "hot seat" when negative images of the school, its staff, or its students appear in the local media. Such reports can strongly affect a school's public and image and, in turn, impact the climate both in the community and within the school itself. Sometimes these perceptions are not based on fact; however,…

"Alabama Education News" is published monthly except for June, July, and December by the Alabama Department of Education. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of the "Code of Alabama", as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of the Alabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens and educators about…

As more students enroll at community colleges, questions are raised about whether learning is the same in the two- and four-year sectors, both overall and for sub-groups, and whether effects of student backgrounds and college experiences on learning are similar. This study used structural equation modeling with CCSSE and NSSE data from a sample…

There is a considerable amount of research documenting the effects of noise on children. The effects are largely negative. Chronic exposure to noise has been shown to be harmful to children of various ages. It can have especially detrimental effects on younger children when language and discrimination skills are forming. Sometimes major noise…