Head Start has long focused on assessing and improving program quality to ensure that the children served receive the best possible preparation for school and life. Most research has been focused inside the classroom--the classroom environment, teacher qualifications, and teacher interactions. Of course, the classroom is important because that is…

States participating in the four federally-funded assessment consortia are required to establish a "common definition of English Learner." This includes the two Race to the Top academic assessment consortia and the two Enhanced Assessment Grant English language proficiency (ELP) assessment consortia. This paper provides guidance that…

This Quick Reference Document is being distributed by the Regional Resource Center Program ARRA/Fiscal Priority Team to provide RRCP state liaisons and other (Technical Assistance) TA providers with a summary of critical fiscal monitoring and support activities they may be involved in during calendar years 2011 and 2012. Like other documents in…

This Quick Reference Document has been prepared by the Regional Resource Center Program Fiscal Priority Team to aid RRCP State liaisons and other Technical Assistance (TA) providers in understanding the general context of State questions surrounding Maintenance of State Financial Support (MFS) and Local Educational Agency (LEA) Maintenance of…

This Quick Reference Document has been prepared by the Regional Resource Center Program ARRA/Fiscal Priority Team to aid RRCP State Liaisons and other (Technical Assistance) TA providers in understanding the general context of state questions surrounding excess cost. As a "first-stop" for TA providers in investigating excess cost…

Some states are developing alternate assessments based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS) to measure the academic achievement of some students with disabilities (Albus, Lazarus, Thurlow, & Cormier, 2009; Lazarus, Thurlow, Christensen, & Cormier, 2007). These assessments measure the same content as the general assessment for a given…

This book illustrates how the ideal of servant leadership can be applied in your school today. With real-life scenarios, discussions, and self assessments, this book gives practical suggestions to help you develop into a caring and effective servant leader. There are 52 scenarios in this book, focusing on situations as varied as: (1) Dealing with…

This booklet is intended for readers who are interested in applying to the U. S. Department of Education for discretionary grants and cooperative agreements, who have received an award, or who are simply interested in knowing more about the Department's discretionary-grants process. It describes how discretionary grants and cooperative-agreement…

Written for anyone interested in what makes a meeting run smoothly (and what doesn't), the guide for conducting meetings is divided into the following sections: the chairperson (his/her responsibilities, preparing an agenda, organizing discussions); the meeting (quorums, discussions, points of order, and clarification); the motion (making the…

This booklet is designed to offer state and district policymakers a thoughtful set of questions to ask about school reform models and the organizations that develop them. The questions follow the criteria for schoolwide reform as spelled out in the federal legislation. Policymakers are encouraged to consider these questions as they work with…

The "Local Technology Plan Guidelines" serve as the basis for the Department's annual technology data collection. This report takes a look at the data submitted by 344 school districts, examining the progress Massachusetts school districts are making in meeting the recommended guidelines. In doing so, it will gauge the degree to which…

New guidelines to provide more flexibility and certainty in meeting federal time distribution recordkeeping requirements for U.S. Department of Education programs are outlined in this document. Directed to state, local and Indian tribal governments, the new guidelines are expected to avoid audit appeals and disputes, freeing teachers and…

This manual provides a step-by-step guide for meeting the six goals for parental involvement in Chapter I programs. The goals are to: (1) inform participating children's parents about the program, the reasons for their children's participation, and the program's instructional objectives and methods; (2) support the efforts of parents, train…

This booklet is designed to assist state leaders as they develop their process for allocating funds to schools. It suggests components of a state-allocation process that are based on research and field experience with successfully implemented comprehensive school-reform (CSR) models. The document provides guidelines for defining the eligibility of…

Based on a survey of individuals responsible for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title IV-B evaluations at the local level and an examination of IV-B applications, this handbook has been prepared to provide assistance to New York school districts and nonprofit private schools in the coordination and evaluation of school library and…