Each edition of the IDRA Newsletter strives to provide many different perspectives on the issues in education topics discussed and to define its significance in the state and national dialogue. This issue focuses on Push Outs--Children of Color and includes: (1) Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2015-16: High School Attrition Inches Up to 25…

This phenomenological study explored the experiences of vice presidents for student affairs at small liberal arts colleges with readiness for change within their organizations. The lived experiences of the participants were explored using the following research questions: (1) How do vice presidents for student affairs at small, private liberal…

This policy brief details three recommendations for how principals can lead schools to college and career readiness. They include: (1) Revising school leadership standards to focus on those most critical for ambitious instructional leadership and providing technical assistance and resources; (2) Strengthening and investing in high-quality…

Examples from the field indicates that effectively using the Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP) can benefit both students and institutions (Jankowski & Giffin, 2016). But what does "effective use" entail and how does it unfold? That is, what is the nature of the process that makes it possible for institutions to use the DQP to…

Graduation rates from community colleges in the United States are quite low overall, but they are even lower for the many entering students who need some remediation. This brief provides a first look at an evaluation of CUNY Start, an innovative developmental education program at the City University of New York (CUNY) that was designed to improve…

Public discussion leading up to the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December 2015 focused on the controversial testing, standards, and teacher evaluation provisions of the previous reauthorization, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB; 2002), and its…

The nation's linguistic diversity is growing steadily, particularly among the youngest children. A growing body of research shows that these children are most successful when they participate in bilingual instructional programs (such as dual immersion, transitional bilingual and other models). But as good as instructional language diversity might…

Compassionate care leave and benefits were introduced in 2003/04 to help employees cope with this difficult work-life balance challenge. Employment Standards legislation and the Employment Insurance program (EI) were amended to provide leave without pay, with payment of EI benefits for compassionate care leave. Collective agreements have been…

More than 80 individuals representing staff from state departments of education, school districts, other countries, testing and testing-related companies, and other educational organizations participated in a forum on June 20, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to discuss the need for common accessibility language across assessment platforms. The…

The New Media Consortium (NMC) hosted the Personalized Learning & Student Success Summit at SXSWedu on March 7-9 in Austin, Texas. The summit convened grantees and partners of the Postsecondary Strategy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and served as a call-to-action for education leaders to first imagine if and then commit to trying…

The underlying methodological approach of the CEFR is defined as being "action-oriented" and task-based (Council of Europe. 2001. "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment." Cambridge University Press: 9), although it explicitly leaves room for a variety of approaches, since the CEFR…

In a 2006 report, MDRC comparatively analyzed its evaluations of three comprehensive interventions -- Career Academies, First Things First, and Talent Development -- to identify strategies that address five critical challenges to reform: (1) creating a personalized and orderly learning environment; (2) assisting students who enter high school with…

New Zealand Council for Educational Research's (NZCER's) research project "Educational policy and practice for a changing climate" explores what kinds of changes or adaptations the education systems may need to make in the immediate and short-to-medium-term future in response to climate change. This report outlines findings from one…

Background: This article explores the contradiction that has developed between market-driven and academic strategies of response to the challenges facing engineering and engineering education. In these contending response strategies there are deep-seated, underlying historical tensions at work. Purpose: This article aims to create a theoretical…

Background: Prior efforts have built a knowledge base of effective undergraduate STEM pedagogies, yet rates of implementation remain low. Theories from higher education, management, communication, and other fields can inform change efforts but remain largely inaccessible to STEM education leaders, who are just beginning to view change as a…