Researchers examined whether rewarding teams of teachers for student performance had an effect on student achievement or teacher practices or attitudes in a demonstration project in Round Rock, Texas. They found that the intervention had no effect in any of these areas. Students taught by teacher teams who were offered incentives scored slightly…

The School Site Visits study is part of the fifth series of annual reports produced by the School Choice Demonstration Project (SCDP). It describes some of the major challenges experienced and common practices demonstrated by thirteen (13) K-12 schools participating in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP). During the 2010-11 school year,…

The Joint Dissemination Review Panel (JDRP) examines educational interventions and determines their effectiveness. This study's purpose was to assess this review process and identify common characteristics of submittals and ways in which approvals and rejections differed. A locally-developed instrument which collected data on the intervention's…

Across the nation, more than 2.2 million children attend 2,750 rural school districts that suffer from chronic, severe poverty. The National Rural Small Schools Task Force oversees nine regional educational laboratories as they identify and develop promising educational practices for rural, small schools. One laboratory developed a data base…

During the 2000-2001 school year, an 18-month evaluation of Ohio's Phonics Demonstration Program (PDP) was conducted by the same evaluation team that had conducted a similar evaluation in 1997. In addition to evaluating phonics instruction in PDP schools, the evaluation also addressed the preparation of teachers for reading/phonics instruction in…

A study examined 10 exemplary bilingual educational programs to identify characteristics that contributed to the high academic performance of their students. Twenty-five indicators of success were identified in the areas of school leadership, support, and instructional practices. All 10 programs were committed to maintaining students' primary…

An elementary school in a low-income, immigrant community of South Brooklyn (New York) developed a bilingual variation of the adult learning community model of professional development. Bilingual administrators and teachers collaboratively created a positive learning environment through teacher action research, coaching and mentoring, on-site…

An ongoing study seeks to identify effective curriculum policies and classroom practices in high-performing rural elementary schools that contribute to positive outcomes for students with disabilities and low-income students. Schools in Maryland and Delaware were first ranked by the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-priced meals…

This report documents the current situation in Australia with respect to literacy learning of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Information for the study was obtained in the following ways: literature review; a survey of services offered in Australia (respondents were 90 principals/directors/presidents; 201 service providers; 37…

Critical issues pertaining to career/vocational assessment were identified by the Regional Resource Center West (RRCW) through a review of the literature and interviews conducted with practitioners. Critical issues identified were the goal of the career/vocational assessment; assessment instruments and procedures; examiner expertise; and…

The United Kingdom's Modern Apprenticeships were introduced in September 1994 to provide young people in the United Kingdom with a route to achieving the National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at Level 3 or above, including a progression into higher education. The pilot implementation of Modern Apprenticeships involved 2,400 teenagers and…

A study examined the participation of handicapped individuals in apprenticeship programs. Data for this state-of-the-art review were gathered from an extensive review of the existing literature, interviews, mail and telephone surveys, site visitations, and structured meetings. It was found that the number of handicapped persons participating in…

A 2-year research and development project was conducted to identify existing good practices for introducing students in the United Kingdom (UK) to General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) and available teaching and learning materials for use in the induction of GNVQs in UK schools and colleges. The main activities of the project's three…

As a result of a 1992 West Virginia Department of Education plan to fully include students with disabilities, this project examined the effects of school funding practices and personnel practices such as certification, training, and teaching practices on the inclusion of students with disabilities in regular education classrooms. Information was…

A study focused on the development and preliminary validation of a framework for effective vocational education programs serving students with special needs. An initial framework composed of 20 program components was posited from an analysis of recent, rigorous studies of vocational education programs serving disabled, disadvantaged, and limited…