The Innovation Schools Act of 2008, § 22-32.5-102, et seq. C.R.S., was designed to provide a pathway for schools and districts to develop and implement innovative practices in a wide variety of areas and contexts to improve student outcomes. Innovation schools are required to articulate a vision around the autonomies they are seeking, as well as…

Why not set up a school in an apartment complex? After all, that is where children reside before and after they attend an actual school, and that is where they are during the summers when their actual school is closed. It is also where their parents are after work. And why not unite this school at an apartment complex with the school attended by…

Preparing students to be successful in high school AP courses and exams begins at the middle school level. SpringBoard is a program created by the CollegeBoard to bridge content expected in high school with the current middle school curriculum. SpringBoard was introduced and piloted in the Colonial School District during the 2014-2015 school year…

This report serves as a legacy document for the Ford Foundation's More and Better Learning Time (MBLT) initiative. It summarizes the approaches to and outcomes and challenges of successful MBLT strategies around the country. The report includes data from a survey for Ford Foundation MBLT grantees across the country and from case studies in Denver,…

First-generation students are more likely than non-first-generation students to depart from a postsecondary institution before a degree is attained. Factors that could impact academic persistence among first-generation students include low self-efficacy, lack of financial resources and parental support, poor college planning, and minimal school…

In the last decade the national "Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan" (SSA) programme has focussed on universaling access to elementary education (Grades I-VIII). Most recently the Right to Education Act provides the legislative framework to guarantee schooling to all children between 6 and 14 years of age. It remains the case however that less than…

The Chicago (Illinois) School Reform Act of 1988 (Public Act 85-1418) mandated that each school in the city's public school system prepare a three-year school improvement plan. This report summarizes the most salient features of 539 plans in the form of the following goals: (1) improved achievement in reading, writing, mathematics, sciences, and…

A Sacramento district developed a strategic plan designed to promote responsibility and lift people up. At least 9 out of 10 students must meet rigorous performance standards by 2001. Accountability is embedded in good instruction, curriculum alignment, instructional materials, staff development, and core beliefs and trust. (MLH)

This document presents effectiveness charts that demonstrate the impact of various programs of the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) on strategic objectives of the district and executive summaries of all reports produced by the AISD's Office of Research and Evaluation in 1990-91. The programs described in the effectiveness charts…

An undergraduate research mentoring program (URMP), initiated at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, was developed (1) to aid undergraduate wildlife students in the design, conduct, and analysis of original research projects; and (2) to encourage students to become effective written and oral communicators by preparing a manuscript of their…

For the past 8 years, Research for Better Schools, Inc. (RBS) has prepared an analysis of state-wide trends in student achievement in the mid-Atlantic states (i.e., Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania). For this year, instead of quantitatively examining trends in student achievement scores, RBS decided to…

This report presents the results of an extensive needs assessment conducted by the Lanier County (Georgia) Public Schools as one stage in the development of a comprehensive education plan for the county's schools. The major intent of the needs assessment was to determine to what degree the schools were implementing their stated philosophy of…

This report presents a review of the activities implemented from January 1979 to August 1985 within the Cooperative Demonstration Kindergarten (CDK), a project of the College of Education, Mississippi State University. Part I provides the original concept paper for the CDK. Part II reproduces the statement of agreement between the College of…

The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether the development of new, planned communities has resulted in the provision of better schools and educational opportunities than are provided in less-planned suburban developments. The book outlines the steps and stages in planning an educational system for new communities--building new…

Evaluations and other major projects of the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) Office of Research and Evaluation for 1991-92 will focus on: (1) externally funded programs; (2) system-wide achievement testing; and (3) system-wide evaluation. Eight evaluations will assess the impact of programs and grants funded by federal or state…