This article explores the significance of context within the process of contemporary education reform and policy-making. It draws upon evidence from a comparative study of educational change and transformation in seven education systems: Australia, England, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Russia, and Singapore. The article focuses on school…

The scholarly learning environment that characterizes the Mildred Avenue K-8 School, today seemed impossible five years ago, when the school was among the lowest performing in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Between 2004 and 2013, the average tenure for a principal at the school was just 18 months, with five new principals arriving during those…

In a time when public schools continue to be scrutinized, school leadership never mattered more in order to exercise school reform. This qualitative study examined how five principals working in an urban school district perceived their evaluation and how it contributed to their practice. I applied a descriptive case study approach. Evaluations can…

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) play a prominent role in the nation's higher education system. For example, about one-third of African Americans receiving a doctorate in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics received undergraduate degrees from HBCUs. To help HBCUs facing challenges accessing funding for capital…

Under emerging policy structures in California, the responsibility for school improvement is increasingly placed upon local school districts, with County Offices of Education (COEs) playing a critical support role. In this system, districts are responsible for school improvement, with counties in charge of ensuring quality across districts and…

Mathematics teaching in the United States has notoriously and historically been classified as skill and drill instruction where the main focus of mathematics teaching is procedural fluency across all grade levels. In order to change this norm, we need to seriously consider how we prepare prospective teachers and in turn, how we support those…

Teacher evaluations can be used by states and districts to support and develop an exceptional workforce. Accurate evaluations based on quality data can help differentiate teacher performance, inform feedback, improve professional development, provide opportunities for pay increases and advancement, and provide rationale for teacher dismissals. Yet…

Public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are facing many challenges including state funding, competition, and maintaining the best possible graduation rate. This study: (1) examined the strategic plans and strategic planning processes to explore how, and to what extent, these tool are being used to address these challenges; and (2) explored the…

With a growing number of students with disabilities electing to enroll in virtual education programs, it is imperative for teachers in virtual education programs to employ evidence-based practices to ensure that instructional delivery meets the student's needs and facilitates academic success. However, there is a limited amount of quantitative…

The problem addressed in this study was the prevalence of students who are disengaged from the learning process. The purposes of the study were to identify barriers to student engagement, the role of technology usage relative to student engagement, and how personal attitudes and beliefs fostered teacher use of technology. This was a mixed-methods…

This qualitative, case study aimed to better understand teachers' perceived empowerment, when working in a Local Education Agency that was placed on an improvement plan by its governing State Education Agency and resulted in the appointment of an assigned receiver to serve as head of the Local Education Agency. The need for this study is rooted in…

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of the "Do The Math (DTM)" intervention for increasing math achievement of elementary school students in special education. This cross-sectional, quasi-experimental study compared the performance of a group of special education students in one school district on a standardized…

The purpose of this study was to reveal the degree to which the Massachusetts Sheltered English Instruction Endorsement (SEI) course supported teachers of English learners (ELs) so that EL instruction could be amended or modified and school district efforts to support ELs and teachers could be addressed accordingly. This study examined the…

This process guide is intended to help states and stakeholders consider ways to leverage their general supervision systems to improve outcomes for students with disabilities and their families while ensuring compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). States have adopted systems of general supervision to oversee…

Prior research shows reduced criminality to be a beneficial consequence of education policies that raise the school leaving age. This paper studies how crime reductions occurred in a sequence of state-level dropout age reforms enacted between 1980 and 2010 in the United States. These reforms changed the shape of crime-age profiles, reflecting both…