West Virginia's third grade literacy efforts serve as a catalyst for the development and subsequent growth of a comprehensive approach to early learning in West Virginia for children ages birth through third grade. The West Virginia Leaders of Literacy: Campaign for Grade Level Reading has been developed to assist all 55 West Virginia counties in…

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to before-school, afterschool, and summer learning programs. Each state education agency receives funds based on its share of Title I funding for low-income students at high-poverty, low performing schools. Funds are also…

The number of students attending afterschool programs has skyrocketed in recent years, currently serving an estimated 8.4 million children (Afterschool Alliance, 2009). Consequently, the demand for high quality afterschool programs, and to learn from successful ones, has never been greater. This "Making Afterschool Programs Better"…

In 2004, Kuss Middle School became the first school declared "Chronically Underperforming" by the state of Massachusetts. But by 2010, Kuss had transformed itself into a model for schools around the country seeking a comprehensive turnaround strategy. Kuss is using increased learning time as the primary catalyst to accelerate learning,…

Just a few years ago, Boston's Clarence Edwards Middle School was on the verge of being shut down. By 2009, a renaissance at the Edwards made it one of the highest performing and most desired middle schools in Boston, dramatically narrowing and even eliminating academic achievement gaps while delivering a far more well-rounded education to its…

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) funds schools located on 63 reservations in 23 states across the nation. Of the 183 schools, 59 are Bureau operated and 124 are tribally controlled. One-hundred and sixteen schools provide instructional programs, 55 provide instructional as well as boarding services and 12 peripheral dormitories provide only…

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) funds schools located on 63 reservations in 23 states across the nation. Of the 183 schools, 59 are Bureau operated and 124 are tribally controlled. One-hundred and sixteen schools provide instructional programs, 55 provide instructional as well as boarding services and 12 peripheral dormitories provide only…

2010 was a pioneering year for Massachusetts public schools. State leaders recognized that while the Commonwealth leads the nation in student achievement on national measures such as NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress), more needed to be done to close the persistent achievement gaps between our wealthy and poor students. Combining a…

A number of activities are progressing in the Improving Teacher Quality (ITQ) program, the federally funded program that the Commission administers to provide professional development to California educators. This program is part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), and continues the work that began as the Eisenhower Teacher…

Based on studies that detailed the benefits of quality early childhood education, the Alabama Pre-Kindergarten Initiative provides young children with enriching learning experiences to ensure that they will be ready to succeed in school. These experiences are critical for low-income children in economically distressed Appalachian counties.…

The Associated Medical Schools of New York consortium has established a multifaceted, statewide effort aimed at increasing the pool of qualified minority applicants. The programs include academic enrichment for precollege and college students, recruitment conferences, and a program to attract minority students to residency training in New York.…

Massachusetts is heralded nationally for being the first in the nation to enact a state policy to redesign and expand the learning day for all students to advance academic achievement, broaden enrichment opportunities, and improve instruction. The Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Initiative has gained momentum over the past several years due to the…

The document reports findings of a 1988-89 survey of all school districts in New Jersey to determine the status of gifted education. Major findings included the following: a total of 122,626 New Jersey students were identified and served during the 1988-89 school year; a larger percentage (11.3%) of the total school population was served than in…

The Kentucky Governor's Scholars Program for gifted rising high school seniors is a five-week intensive living-learning experience that promotes flexible daily class schedules, active learning, student confidence, creative expression, intellectual discovery, and social responsibility. The program attempts to break down barriers between students…

A study of active group learning that occurred during 61 state humanities programs in 35 states is discussed, and 11 recommendations to state humanities councils are offered. Information was obtained from a mail survey and review of state council proposals and narrative reports. Definitions of learning and information on the following learning…