Educational leaders across the country are catching on to the idea that traditional grading practices and standardized tests do not adequately capture the scope of what young people know and can do. These schools and districts are experimenting with new models for assessing learning and communicating results with students and families. This…

This guide was developed for PreK-12 leaders interested in exploring innovative approaches to evaluating student learning. Specifically, the authors sought to identify promising practices in evaluating critically important learning outcomes that infrequently get evaluated, such as career readiness skills, social and emotional competencies, and…

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether the districts that received ongoing training and coaching to use the Active Implementation Frameworks improved mathematics outcomes. The Active Implementation Frameworks represent five essential approaches for effective implementation of any evidence-based program or practice. One of the…

After eighteen months of school closure and disrupted learning, civic leaders, researchers, and educational leaders are getting a clearer picture of how students fared through the pandemic, and what new reality school systems face as they return to in-person schooling in 2021-22. Increases in community infection rates and parent hesitancy have…

In this report, the Rennie Center for Education Policy & Research focuses on Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) as a key tool that districts and schools can use to prepare students for college and career success, as well as the costs districts incur to implement ILPs. In Massachusetts some public school districts have utilized ILPs to pursue…

The National Center on Scaling up Effective Schools (NCSU) is a five-year project working to develop, implement, and test new processes to scale up effective practices in high schools that districts will be able to apply within the context of their own unique goals and circumstances. This report describes the activities and findings of the first…

Can public schools learn to embrace innovation and employ cutting edge technology to solve students' most persistent learning problems? In 2010, New York City's Department of Education (NYCDOE) created the Innovation Zone (iZone) to try to accomplish just that. This report reflects the findings of a CRPE study of the iZone, its goals and…

Examines the current system of providing and documenting special education by analyzing the Individualized Education Program through a number of its implicit and often unquestioned assumptions. Explores flaws in the current system and makes recommendations for major changes in policy implementation, teacher education, and school organizations. (PB)

Discusses independent elementary schools serving primarily Black urban students. Focuses on the following issues: (1) individualized attention; (2) small class size; (3) parent participation; (4) cultural values; and (5) school finance. Suggests that many of the principles and practices applied in independent schools could improve public…

In order to facilitate the transition to a multiracial community and to meet the prevailing desire for academic excellence, magnet schools have arisen in urban areas throughout the country. These schools meet racial quotas through voluntary enrollment and open access, promote integration through cooperative learning practices, emphasize personal…

This text presents a framework and strategies for ensuring that students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum. Chapter 1 discusses standards-based reform and the links between standards and curriculum. The three domains of knowledge for ensuring access are also introduced: content knowledge, learning processes, and…

This text presents a framework and strategies for ensuring that students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum. Chapter 1 discusses standards-based reform and the links between standards and curriculum. The three domains of knowledge for ensuring access are also introduced: content knowledge, learning processes, and…

Some innovative methods of serving the rural handicapped population are described: volunteers; telecommunications for home instruction; SPECIALNET electronic mail; and resources for parents. Three cases involving Utah's Cooperative Extension Project for the Handicapped summarize services for handicapped and Indian students. (GDC)

Research traced the flow of such events as faculty development, school district initiatives, state and federal policies, student experience, and systems changes in Montpelier (Vermont) High School over six years to identify patterns of activities that supported growing reform. To understand how community-based learning (CBL) for a few students…

A 2-year study of 18 schools across Oregon was conducted to provide descriptive information about the effects of supported education on students with and without Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). Regular classroom teachers and their supporting special education staff volunteered to teach and score performance tasks in their supported…