This study examines the validity of a statewide teacher evaluation system in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three hundred and thirty-eight teachers from 16 at-risk schools located in eight school districts participated in an evaluation system pilot during the 2011-2012 academic year. Teachers received ratings on six teacher effectiveness process…

This quasi-experimental study examined the adoption of the Virginia Student Threat Assessment Guidelines in 23 high schools. After training, school administrators and other staff members demonstrated substantial increases in knowledge of threat assessment principles and decreased commitment to zero tolerance approaches. Schools using the…

In response to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments (1997), the Virginia Department of Education implemented a statewide mediation system that includes eight mediators to resolve parent-school conflicts involving special-education issues. An impartial third party helps disputants reach agreement in a nonthreatening atmosphere.…

In effective principal preparation programs, interns are encouraged to observe a wide range of well-administered schools through exposure to varied styles. Mentors are carefully selected, highly competent professionals willing to accept the role of teacher, confidant, and role model. Mentors should volunteer; they should never be assigned.…

Students who do not respond to well-managed schoolwide discipline programs are less likely to learn than attentive, academically engaged students; they also deprive classmates of learning opportunities. This article describes evolution of the ABC Event Frame, an approach that addresses the academic and social needs of chronically disruptive…

Describes the development of product design engineering, a successful student-centered interdisciplinary elective that blends critical thinking with curriculum integration, authentic assessment, practical problem solving, and hands-on engagement in a Virginia high school. The goal is to analyze the meaning of engineering as a profession and…

To counter gender bias effects and improve student learning, staff at a Virginia middle school decided to group eighth-grade students by gender for math and science instruction. Girls felt freer to speak out. Grade point averages in gender-based science and math classes for both girls and boys were higher than in coeducational classes. (MLH)

Changes in administrative procedures can help schools achieve their goals. Principals must cultivate the necessary networking and empowerment by providing staff members with training, time to review their philosophies, and access to student data. These approaches helped a Virginia high school adopt total quality management and block scheduling.…

A Virginia science and technology high school restructured its ninth-grade curriculum by clustering three core courses in an integrated program. Students work with resource managers at Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge to gather data on species inhabiting the area. They prepare well-researched reports and present them to peers, faculty, and…