While school nurses are accountable for their own practice, stipulations in individual employee contracts may require supervision and evaluation. Like teachers and others who provide services for students, school nurses can benefit from self-assessment, peer review, and supervision and performance evaluations that focus on fostering continuous…

In today's data-driven and data-informed educational landscape, leaders face increasing pressure to make decisions and present results based on what appear to be comprehensive statistical analyses. However, the ethical implications of these responsibilities can be complex, particularly when statistical results carry the potential to be…

In a system that increasingly stakes all on measuring success for students, teachers, and institutions against a common testable standard, we risk losing sight of the person at the foundation of our work. Patricia Carini offered a meaningful counternarrative through systematic, evidence-based documentation from observations, interviews,…

Background: Seeing how governments formulate decisions on our behalf is a crucial component of their ability to claim democratic legitimacy. This includes being seen to draw on the knowledge and evidence produced by their civil service policy advisers. Yet much of the advice provided to governments is being increasingly withdrawn from public…

Independent literacy work is a valuable opportunity for students to practice reading and writing skills, yet many elementary classrooms struggle with maintaining student focus and productivity during this time. This paper presents three evidence-based strategies--scaffolding supports, structured choice, and student-driven accountability--that were…

The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) is the national voice for academic and professional staff. CAUT represents more than 72,000 teachers, librarians, researchers, general staff, and other academic professionals at 125 post-secondary institutions across the country. CAUT works actively in the public interest to improve the…

Many school educators struggle to reconcile the onslaught of mandatory and competing, top-down policies. Educators must merge policies into a singular plan that reflects the local stakeholders' goals and values. Given the federal and state accountability movement, schools are forced to build capacity around the use of on-site data and research…

This article addresses the need to clearly understand professional responsibility and the critical role it plays in the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), in shaping professions for the better, and in enhancing the functioning of society for the benefit of all. Understanding professional responsibility is…

This article is part of a case study of U.S. federal leadership in special education from the perspective of those who served in the roles of Assistant Secretaries of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services and Directors of the Office of Special Education Programs or their equivalents in the former U.S. Office of Education and…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) administers the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP); land-grant universities conduct the program in all states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. EFNEP focuses on reaching the poorest of the poor by working through families…

New analyses by researchers across the ideological spectrum have found that increasing overall funding for schools can improve student achievement, particularly for low-income students. However, the growing consensus is that strategic state policies are needed to substantially increase the size of the impact of additional funding. These policies…

Every student in Hawai'i's public school system -- regardless of their geographic location, background, economic standing or whether they are in English or Hawaiian language pathways -- must have the opportunity to discover and pursue their passions and see first-hand how their interests can translate into successful and meaningful careers that…

External developments and intra-professional needs, challenges, and opportunities recommend a workforce research and development agenda. In particular: (a) new models for schools necessitate customized, evidence-based curricula and school/community programs; (b) the effectiveness of every curriculum and program depends on workforce readiness,…

As originally envisioned, charter schools were intended to be laboratories of innovation. Offered broad flexibility in exchange for performance-based accountability, they were well-positioned to test, validate, and adopt new practices in a public school environment. Thus far, however, charter schools have only partly delivered on this mission.…

As Congress considers reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA), there is an opportunity to implement a holistic accountability system that invests in equity, holds campuses responsible, and protects students and families. Recent efforts to increase access to higher education have narrowed gaps in enrollment for students from low-income…