A quality improvement system (QIS) is an intentional effort to raise the quality of afterschool programming in an ongoing, organized fashion. There are a number of reasons the QIS is gaining popularity. The main reasons community leaders are drawn to improving quality is that they know that 1) higher quality programs will mean better experiences…

Examines how principals of high achieving middle schools use their various roles to promote student achievement and engage the school community--staff members, students, and parents--in studying and addressing the achievement needs of students. Outlines the characteristics of the principal's roles as inspirational leader, human resource developer,…

Discusses the challenge of providing an educational program for young adolescents that balances a commitment to academic achievement with a commitment to providing a caring, nurturing learning environment. Outlines 10 characteristics of the continuous process of school improvement in the high achieving school. (TJQ)

A new Chapter 1 law, P.L. 100-297, was passed in 1988. Chapter 1 schools must examine the program operated during the previous school year. Schools that fail to demonstrate overall achievement gains must develop a Program Improvement Plan (PIP), a document describing how the Chapter 1 program in that school will be modified. This guide provides a…

This guide is designed to support the self-evaluation procedures of public colleges in Quebec, Canada, offering a Social Sciences program. First, the guide presents evaluation topics for the revised Social Sciences program and proposed evaluation criteria and sub-criteria. Areas to be evaluated are listed under the headings "program…

This guide is designed to assist state and local consortia with their evaluation of Tech Prep education programs and with their reporting of Tech Prep program and student outcomes data to meet the accountability requirements of the Perkins Act of 1998. Intended for Tech Prep stakeholders in secondary schools and two-year colleges, the guide also…

Parental involvement in the educational process is examined as one of the elements that can raise academic achievement and allow schools to achieve success. The benefits of parental involvement are outlined, from those to students, such as improved academic performance, greater student motivation, and lower dropout rates, through those to parents…

In this article, the author discusses small learning communities (SLCs), a term that is used to refer to the practice of organizing secondary schools into smaller units. Features of SLCs include small structure, curricular specialization and choice, a focus on the learner and learning, and, in particular, the active and collaborative nature of…

Drawing from the research base that informed the ASCD best-selling series of "What Works In Schools" titles, this book identifies key principles at the heart of what it takes to help all students become successful learners. Education research expert Bryan Goodwin separates the school improvement ideas that really work from those that just appear…

How do you help students who "act out" or "shut down" due to academic frustration or whose social and emotional issues keep them from achieving success in school? Based on Project ACHIEVE, a nationally recognized model of school effectiveness and continuous improvement program, this book shows you how. Educators will find a pragmatic,…

Across the country, states and districts are designing principal evaluation systems as a means of improving leadership, learning, and school performance. Principal evaluation systems hold potential for supporting leaders' learning and sense of accountability for instructional excellence and student performance. Principal evaluation is also an…

IMPACT is the District of Columbia Public Schools' (DCPS) system for assessing and rewarding the performance of teachers and other school-based staff. This system is called IMPACT because the adults serving in the DCPS have the ability to make a dramatic, positive impact on students' lives. The system is designed to help staff become more…

This document, one of 12 guides that have been developed to facilitate evaluation by and for local education agency (LEA) personnel in Illinois, covers measuring sutdent achievement. This activity is designed to help local instructors and administrators first to expand the scope of their current efforts to assess student attainment of objectives…

Education Law Section 3012-c requires a new performance evaluation system for classroom teachers ("teachers") and building principals ("principals"). New York State will implement a statewide comprehensive evaluation system for school districts and boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES). The evaluation system is…

Longitudinal cohort analysis is a powerful tool for helping colleges understand student performance. It involves tracking students as a group or cohort over a specified period of time. The results allow administrators, faculty, and staff to identify groups of students who are succeeding or falling behind and the points in the educational pipeline…