The challenges state education agencies (SEAs) must address are exceedingly complex, requiring sophisticated levels of thinking and problem-solving as well as the ability to leverage disparate points of view in finding impactful solutions. These challenges are technical, requiring specific and known solutions to achieve desired results. To provide…

School reform and improvement are driven by individuals, often working alongside each other. Drawing on in-depth interviews with researchers, philanthropists, and school improvement staff in Chicago, Philadelphia, and NYC, I found that education reformers employed varying logics and strategies even as they worked toward similar goals:…

In the online classroom environment, interactions with colleagues are far more limited than if in an a face-to-face teaching environment. Yet, there are still opportunities to correspond, share, and collaborate with them, and these colleagues come in a variety of personalities, subject expertise, and teaching abilities. Just believing that every…

From the 1950s and onwards, Pierre Parlebas developed an original approach to education, which over time has spread beyond the borders of France. This study focuses on how Parlebas was led to develop the concept of an "alter-education of sport" and analyses those concepts through the lens of contemporary democratic societies. It will…

Curriculum matters far more than most people realize. In this booklet the author shares foundational and fundamental curriculum concerns that teachers should consider and build upon in the hope that they can regain their rightful position of curricular experts. Practice-oriented versions of scholarly matters (not watered-down ones) are what…

This guidebook is designed to improve instructional supervisory skills of school leaders, teaching practices of teachers, and, eventually, learners' learning outcomes. With the goal of establishing Communities of Practice in schools, this guidebook will surely be a stepping stone towards improving the quality of education in the Philippines. [This…

This policy brief examines the impact of Solution Tree's PLC at Work® process on student achievement in Texas schools. Using a quasi-experimental design and statewide data, we found that students in Model PLC Schools made meaningful academic gains, averaging 3.1 months of additional learning in math and 2 months in reading compared to similar…

This report evaluates the impact of the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work® process on student academic achievement over a three-year period in Texas public schools. Drawing on linked administrative data from the University of Houston Education Research Center (UH-ERC), the study uses a quasi-experimental approach to compare…

Even though an instructional designer may not have formal authority or direct reports, to be successful, they need leadership skills. Although the literature calls for instructional designers to possess several critical leadership skills, it does not consistently present the same important skills and often defines them very broadly. Further,…

This paper analyzes some of the causes of low diversity in school settings and the benefits of working to create more diverse and inclusive environments. The goal is to offer all children an equal opportunity for educational experiences. Included is an analysis of the challenges schools are faced with when it comes to building diverse school…

Teaching resources and professional development based on mathematics education research have the potential to support teachers to develop and sustain improved pedagogies. The Queensland Department of Education provided online professional learning modules for teachers of Prep (Foundation) to Year 10 mathematics. To support implementation of the…

Junior faculty members face pressure to excel in the threefold mission of their assignment (teaching, research, and service) because the tenure process is complex and requires one to balance many diverse and competing demands. This qualitative study analyzed the self-mentoring practices of a tenure-track faculty who strove to improve his…

Quality rating and improvement systems (QRISs) are designed to assess, improve, and communicate the quality of early care and education programs. Using administrative data, we investigated whether providers that participated in a county-level QRIS saw increases to their global quality (tier) rating, domain-specific quality ratings, and scores on…

Chicago Public Schools made it a priority to make high-quality, grade-level instructional materials available to all teachers and students and provide effective curriculum-based professional learning to support successful implementation. During the early planning phase, several Chicago district leaders came across "The Elements: Transforming…

In accordance with the 2012 statute, N.J.A.C. 6A:10, all New Jersey teachers must be evaluated, consistent with a set of criteria that school districts adopt, with a specific evaluation tool consisting of standards and indicators. Teachers were to be identified through a classification system that labeled them as "Highly Effective, Effective,…