In recent years, the federal government (under Republican and Democratic administrations alike) has encouraged the outsourcing of core parts of public education's work, including testing and test preparation, teaching and tutoring, data collection, and human resources management. However, researchers have found little evidence to support policy…

Today we look to determine teaching quality through a combination of observation, surveys, and test scores. These measures fail to answer the most important question about quality teaching: How is it accomplished? How has this teacher used questioning today, and what drove their decision to do so? How has this teacher structured independent…

The only thing that more testing will tell us is what we already know: The schools that disadvantaged children attend are not being given the supports necessary to produce achievement gains. Students cannot be tested out of poverty, and while NCLB did take us a step forward by requiring schools to produce evidence that students were learning, it…

Preschool is a crucial time for obesity prevention, as children are developing eating and physical activity habits. A lack of physical activity at preschool may contribute more to overweight children than parental influences such as modeling and supporting physical activity or providing fitness equipment in the home. Let Me Play is a comprehensive…

School leaders desperate for strategies that will improve student learning have often opted to embrace strategies that they have observed being used successfully in other districts. Sometimes, this works; sometimes, it does not. This article presents two vignettes about districts that made similar decisions to implement learning walks. The…

Almost all of the most recent school improvement strategies have focused on standards and accountability. But test data from assessments such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicate that such emphasis has had little impact on student achievement. Drawing from extensive research across national settings, Andy Hargreaves and…

The history of American early education is one of changing roles and goals. As federal engagement in early childhood has shifted in response to social, political, and economic needs, few policy efforts have focused on long-term planning or coordination. The authors identify the appropriate roles of federal, state, and local governments and make 13…

The largest issue for schools is not extending the school day or year--as useful as those policies might be--but of meeting time requirements within the constraints of the budgets and personnel given them. Policy makers rarely understand how their policies impact practice. Author Marilyn Crawford suggests a policy-talks-to-practice strategy that…

Named as Title I director for the Espanola (New Mexico) School District in the mid-1960s, Gilbert Martinez redirected the early grants from equipment purchases to development of kindergartens, centralized elementary school libraries, and free lunch programs. New Mexico's program improvement mandates stress curriculum integration and evaluation…

Outlines provisions of the National Energy Policy Conservation Act of 1978, which provides federal financing for energy conservation programs in the public schools. (IRT)

While forging a political and social consensus to support existing compensatory education efforts, supporters have exhausted any notion of whom they mean to help, what their problems are, how to determine success, or how best to help. This article redefines high risk youth, dispels some common misconceptions about low-achievers, and outlines…

Reviews the history of federal support for compensatory education from the conception of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1967 to its recasting as Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981. Analyzes the reasons behind the the success of the federal effort. (PGD)

Just five years ago the National Diffusion Network seemed moribund, but it has survived to become the most important force in staff development of teachers nationwide. (Author)

Traces the history of federal goals and policies in education from the expansion of federal aid under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to the reduction of federal support and regulation currently envisaged in the Education Improvement and Consolidation Act of 1981. (RW)

Battles over education during past four years have shown that Congress and President must achieve some level of agreement to accomplish anything and that adequate funding must be provided to back up any legislated policy change. President Clinton should write coherent action plan to initiate national apprenticeship program, align existing federal…