When, in late 2008, there was an opportunity to set up a government-sponsored project to help improve practical science, CLEAPSS jumped at the chance to become involved. Practical work is what CLEAPSS is about. CLEAPSS has been a lead co-ordinating partner in the Getting Practical programme, with Phil Bunyan taking on the role of Deputy Director.…

This case study examines how magnet school and school turnaround processes can work together to promote desegregation and improvement. Based on cross-case analysis of three magnet schools undergoing turnarounds, this study draws on data from the 2010 federal Magnet Schools Assistance Program grant and qualitative fieldwork through observations,…

The present study investigated a group of cognitive individual differences considered advantageous in second language learning and their role in language learning under implicit and explicit feedback conditions using both language awareness and language development measures. The study further investigated whether different types of awareness are…

Professional development is essential in supporting teachers as change agents to foster international educational reform. Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College acknowledged its role in supporting visiting teachers from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in utilizing action research as an opportunity for professional development.…

Utilizing a complex theory of teacher learning and practice, this chapter analyzes ~120 empirical studies of content teacher development (both preservice and in-service) for working with multilingual learners as well as research on content teaching for multilingual students. Our analysis identified three dimensions of quality content teaching for…

The AISD Afterschool Centers on Education (ACE Austin) program provided academic assistance, enrichment, college and career readiness, and family engagement activities at six elementary and four middle school campuses through Cycle 9 funding through the Texas Education Agency. ACE Austin was found to have a positive impact on students' academic…

The Afterschool Centers on Education of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Austin Area (ACE BGCA) provided academic assistance, enrichment, college and career readiness, and family engagement activities at four elementary, three middle, and two high schools through Cycle 10 funding through the Texas Education Agency. ACE BGCA was found to have a…

This volume provides a timely focus on various aspects related to foreign language learning and teaching within the university context. It discusses current issues, such as: increasing popularity of English Medium Instruction (EMI), communication in English as a Lingua Franca, staying abroad, and provisions of English for professional or academic…

This study examines "First 10 Schools and Communities"--coordinated efforts to improve teaching, learning, and care during the first decade of children's lives. First 10 initiatives take two basic forms. First 10 School Hubs are anchored by a single elementary school, which provides direct support to families and collaborates with nearby…

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) examines what students know in reading, mathematics and science, and what they can do with what they know. It provides the most comprehensive and rigorous international assessment of student learning outcomes to date. Results from PISA indicate the quality and equity of learning…

The Elementary Support Model (ESM) was implemented in Wake County Public School System's (WCPSS) 12 lowest performing elementary schools. ESM is designed to improve teacher and student outcomes by addressing governance, staffing, professional development, resources, calendar and schedule, and provides leadership and instructional coaching.…

The purpose of the brief is to provide examples from two state education agencies in the United States who took a different path to systemic change through the use of the Active Implementation Frameworks (Fixsen et al. 2013a; Metz & Bartley, 2012). Both states received intensive implementation-informed support from the State Implementation and…

This paper draws on data collected from a series of semi-structured interviews with head teachers and other stakeholders on the impact and effectiveness of the introduction of a Primary School Improvement Group (PSIG) by the Local Authority (LA). The PSIG was introduced as a response to concerns expressed by the Department of Education about the…

The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) was organized to provide guidance for universities to collaboratively redesign the Education Doctorate (Ed.D) to make it a stronger program for school practitioners (CPED, n.d.). CPED recommended the traditional dissertation be replaced with what they refer to as the Dissertation in Practice…

Two-thirds of high school students get less than eight to 10 hours of sleep per night according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sleep deprivation in teens has been linked to poor academic performance, reduced immunity, obesity, ADD-like symptoms, and even drug and alcohol use. For years, experts have said that early school…