In this article, we examine the contribution of initial skill and slope of progress on alphabetic principle to end of first-grade reading outcomes. Initial skill and slope were measured using DIBELS Nonsense Word Fluency. Reading outcomes were measured at the end of first grade with DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency. Students in Oregon Reading First…

School principals play an important role concerning technology use within their schools. While school districts across the nation are spending considerable resources in order to provide technical infrastructure to teachers and students, questions remain concerning the priority principals place in how teachers and students use technology within the…

Farm to school (FTS) programs have been getting more and more attention these days. FTS programs aim to increase the supply of fresh, locally grown farm products served for meals and snacks in K-12 school environments, and tend to incorporate educational and experiential components designed to increase students' understanding of and engagement…

Low high school graduation rates continue to be a challenge in American public education. The pressure to meet the demands of adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the No Child Left behind Act of 2001 has led to an achievement gap in student performance between science and other core subjects, namely English, math, and social studies, on the…

This study examines the use of student learning polls as indicators of student perceptions for tutoring services for the purpose of continuous improvement planning. As an integral part of the educational reform known as No Child Left Behind, continuous improvement plans must be developed by leadership teams when schools fail to make adequate…

How government spends money, and who benefits, reveals our priorities. How, then, do children fare in the competition for public resources? This report looks at public investments across age groups, from birth through the elementary years. Key findings show that spending more than doubles per capita between the infant and toddler years and the…

Teachers are the most important factor in whether a student achieves in the classroom, so closing the achievement gap means improving the effectiveness of our teachers and their principals. But right now, no one really knows how effective our teachers are. The Obama administration recognizes that many states' evaluation systems are broken, and the…

Ravenswood (WV) Middle School is located on a quiet residential street, adjacent to the high school, the town library, and a community park in the small town of historic Ravenswood, West Virginia. The unassuming exterior of the building belies the school's record of continued academic growth and achievement and the warm, caring environment that it…

After the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, thousands of families across the U.S. breathed a sigh of relief at the White House's reassurance: "Reform will eliminate health insurance discrimination against people with disabilities." However, the actual language of the law and the proposed implementation timeline of the…

Preschools provide a promising setting in which to conduct preventive interventions for childhood problems, but classroom programs can only be effective if teachers are willing and able to implement them. This study is one of the first to investigate predictors of the frequency of teacher participation in a classroom-based, randomized controlled…

This report presents an assessment of the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and the new Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP) by the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance (ACSFA), along with recommendations to help improve FFELP and FDLP. It found that congressional priorities and the…

The Farmers and Ranchers Demonstration Project, funded by the Economic Dislocation and Workers Adjustment Act, provided funding for employment and training services to dislocated and at-risk farmers and ranchers and their dependents and employees in four states (Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota) from July 1, 1990 to September 30,…

In 1990, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) launched a 5-year study of the outcomes of local prevention-education programs funded under the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA). Every 2 years ED conducts surveys of the Governors' DFSCA programs and those administered by state education agencies (SEAs) to provide a comprehensive report…

The Multi-District Outreach Projects for Services for Youths with Disabilities include 14 federally funded projects that assist in the adoption of proven models, components of models, or other exemplary practices. The projects are designed to improve secondary education and transition services in areas such as continuing education,…

This report records the testimony presented by Clarence C. Crawford, Associate Director, Education and Employment Issues, Human Resources, of the General Accounting Office, on the effectiveness of Title IIA of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) in meeting the employment and training needs of economically disadvantaged adults and youth. His…