The U.S. Department of Education and Secretary Duncan are set on a "moon-shot" goal to get America on track and to return to being number one in the world in high school and college graduation rates, school readiness, academic achievement, college matriculation and retention, and completion rates. The "Obama Effect" and the American Recovery and…

This Evidence Based Education (EBE) request focused on research-supported vocabulary interventions for middle elementary students. Limited vocabulary is an important factor in underachievement of children in disadvantaged homes. Children with larger vocabularies find reading easier, read more widely, and do better in school (Lubliner & Smetana,…

A systematic analysis of the references to "scientifically based research" (SBR) and closely related terms, such as "peer-reviewed research" (PRR), in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) legislation, regulations, commentary, and case law reveal that SBR and its primary variants apply largely to state support…

The dissertation study reported here describes various policies and strategies used by school districts that impact student performance on the Missouri Algebra 1 End-of- Course (EOC) assessment. Analysis of state testing data, teacher survey data, and interview data were used to describe policies and strategies used by 42 teachers and…

This study provides a descriptive analysis of teacher evaluation documents used in the state of Washington in 2010-2011. The purpose of the research was to understand what documents were used, differences and similarities from district to district, and the extent to which they conformed to state administrative rules and what the literature argues…

The Digital Teaching Platform (DTP) brings the power of interactive technology to teaching and learning in classrooms. In this authoritative book, top researchers in the field of learning science and educational technology examine the current state of design and research on DTPs, the principles for evaluating them, and their likely evolution as a…

Successful change in schools is planned, expected and managed with the objective focused on benefiting the students, not just converting the staff. This investigation is a case study of a public school district that opted to implement curricular change following an examination of the district's performance toward adequate yearly progress. This…

In the past, Latino families were often regarded as being uninvolved in their child's education, particularly within the parent involvement literature. More recently, authors are encouraging educational professionals to look at a family's "funds of knowledge" to encourage their involvement. This expression takes into account the knowledge a…

Novel word learning in the context of shared storybook reading has been primarily investigated with monolingual children, while experiments with Hispanic dual language learners (DLLs) are less prevalent. This exploratory study investigated the extratextual stylistic behaviors of storybook reading that promote novel word learning in DLL…

Research Findings: Each year the federal government disburses billions of dollars to support young children, with a particular focus on assisting families facing hardships. Policies for children revolve around several fundamental themes, including the promotion of physical health and high-quality environments, intellectual and language skills,…

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan last month announced that $44 billion for states and schools is now available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The Feds hope these monies will, "lay the foundation for a generation of education reform and help save hundreds of thousands of teaching jobs at risk of state and…

The "Rehabilitation Act of 1973," as amended (the act), provides the legislative basis for programs and activities that assist individuals with disabilities in the pursuit of gainful employment, independence, self-sufficiency and full integration into community life. This report is intended to provide a description of accomplishments and…

One of the main goals of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was to hold schools accountable for ensuring that all students are meeting high academic standards, and to eliminate disparities in academic performance between traditionally advantaged and disadvantaged groups of students. One could argue that this focus on holding schools accountable…

Every summer, an increasingly common event occurs across the country--parents open a letter explaining that their child's school is failing to meet benchmarks set under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and that, as a result, they have a right to send the child to another public school, if space is available. In the summer of 2009,…

The Center on Education Policy, an independent nonprofit organization, collected and analyzed data from state Web sites and other sources to determine how many schools in the nation and in each state did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Findings of the study include: (1) About one-third of U.S.…