There has been a call for balanced assessment systems which resulted from a recognition that most state summative assessments poorly served the primary purpose of assessment: improving learning and instruction. Educators understand that large-scale summative tests are far too distal from instruction, at the wrong grain size, and administered at…

Information systems programs have offered students opportunities for service learning in their curriculum through elective courses and through capstone courses. However, even though there have been numerous research studies showing the benefits of international service learning experiences, information systems programs have not yet developed these…

Capstones have become an integral part of many information systems programs, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. One of the challenges can be tracking the process from the start of the capstone to completion. This paper describes the analysis, design and implementation of a web application for the approval workflow of a master's program…

State- and local-level mandates are currently being implemented to ensure strict compliance to the new national Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (CCSS for ELA) and related assessments. These standards provide many potential opportunities to improve literacy education nationally and locally. However, the CCSS for ELA will…

California's Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010 established transitional kindergarten (TK), the first year of a two-year kindergarten program for students affected by the change in the birthdate cutoff for entry into kindergarten from December 2 to September 1. This brief, the sixth in a series highlighting findings from the "Study of…

The disciplines of anatomy and surgery are not dichotomous since one is dependent on the other. Traditionally, surgeons predominantly taught gross and clinical anatomy. In this review, we examine the context of how human anatomy is taught nowadays. In essence, we discovered that there are certain discernable trends consistently observable between…

Students who graduate from high school who are college-ready are more likely to graduate than those who are not college-ready. The need for remediation on college campuses burdens both students and institutions with financial and opportunity costs that at best delay, and at worst impede graduation rates. At a time when workforce preparation skills…

The role of language for learning is core across the entire school curriculum. Thus, children with speech, language and communication needs are at risk of underachieving academically. Research reports and policy drivers advocate the need for a whole school approach (WSA) to enhance children's spoken language and communication skills, yet little is…

This evaluation report presents implementation and impact findings to date regarding the Striving Readers grant as implemented by the Springfield and Chicopee Public School Districts. Any questions regarding this final report should be directed to the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) at the U.S. Department of Education. There…

In 2010, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the Kindergarten Readiness Act into law, which changed the kindergarten entry age so that children must turn 5 by September instead of December to enroll. The new grade level was put into place to promote school readiness for California's youngest learners. It also established a new grade…

This is the first of two reports that summarize the findings from an impact evaluation of a violence prevention intervention for middle schools. This report discusses findings after 1 year of implementation. A forthcoming report will discuss the findings after 2 years and 3 years of implementation. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Education (ED)…

Examined one school district's efforts to develop and implement a standards-based curriculum using rational and institutional perspectives. Findings show that the district took an expressly rationalistic approach in using standards, but lacking a clear instructional philosophy, the district also took an institutional approach. (SLD)

Ways to prepare students for life after school have changed dramatically. This paper outlines five different approaches to incorporating the world of work into the United Kingdom's school curriculum (the bolt-on approach, through subjects, the whole school progressive policy approach, integration, and cooperation with local compacts) and explores…

The document describes Project TREK (Training Regular Educators with Exceptional Kids) which provides services to seven school districts within the Portland, Oregon area. Chapter 1 offers an overview of the project's purpose and philosophy, target population, organization and staffing, delivery of services, and staff support and interaction.…

The implementation of the Houghton-Mifflin K-5 "Invitations to Literacy" language arts program was studied during its first year in California's Moreno Valley Unified School District. A sample teacher survey was developed, pilot tested, and sent to the District. The sample consisted of 658 regular, 20 special day, 19 resource specialist, and 118…