Professional learning communities (PLCs) have become one of the most talked about ideas in education today. Many K-12 schools are working to become PLCs in the hope that student learning will improve when adults commit themselves to talking collaboratively about teaching and learning and then take action that will improve student learning and…

The primary purpose of this study was to understand how three diverse community colleges are interpreting and acting on federal initiatives to increase completion rates. The study attempted to answer four main research questions: (1) How do a selection of Kansas community colleges, as organizations, interpret the initiative to increase completion…

The goal of this introductory implementation guide is to provide practical guidance for designing, implementing, and managing a green revolving fund (GRF) at a college, university, or other institution. The GRF model is widespread in higher education, with at least 79 funds in operation in North America representing over $111 million in committed…

This paper is written for state educational agency (SEA) leaders who are considering the benefits of collaborative benchmarking, and it addresses the following questions: (1) What does benchmarking of best practices entail?; (2) How does "collaborative benchmarking" enhance the process?; (3) How do SEAs control the process so that "their" needs…

Research in social and emotional learning interventions confirms the importance of fidelity of implementation in predicting intervention effectiveness (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011). The present mixed-methods study was conducted in the context of the Responsive Classroom Efficacy Study (RCES). This was a randomized…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not a district-led, grow-your-own leadership seminar had a significant impact on the dispositions of its members compared to staff members who did not participate in the program. The participants involved (N = 20) included a naturally formed group of certified staff members (n = 10) who…

Progress monitoring, one of the essential components of Response to Intervention (RTI), is characterized by repeated measurement of academic performance that is conducted at least monthly. The process may be used to assess students' academic performance over time, to quantify student rates of improvement or responsiveness to instruction, and to…

This issue of ETS Policy Notes (Vol 21, No. 2) highlights the discussion from "Taking Action: Navigating the Common Core State Standards and Assessments," a conference co-convened by ETS and the National Urban League (NUL) in February 2013. Part of the Saturdays at ETS series, the conference brought together researchers, funders,…

The United States of America has failed to educate generations of children. This egregious failure consigns far too many young people--especially those from low-income families or who are African American and Latino--to lives on the margins of the American mainstream. As a result, unemployment, underemployment, imprisonment, child poverty, and…

This brief is part of a series that explores key implementation considerations. It focuses on the importance of identifying, operationalizing, and implementing the "core components" of evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions that likely are critical to producing positive outcomes. The brief offers a definition of "core components",…

Although writing plays an important role in the academic, psychosocial, and economic success of individuals, typical writing instruction and assessment in the United States generally does not reflect evidence-based practices. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) place a great deal of emphasis on written expression and may encourage an increased…

Research suggests that providing high-quality early education experiences for young learners can support positive outcomes for these children, including higher achievement test scores and even higher graduation rates. Transitional kindergarten (TK) aims to provide an additional year of kindergarten to California's youngest students to help them…

Illinois is investing in bridge programs as a strategy to help more low-skilled and low-wage workers improve their skills, acquire postsecondary credentials, and move up to better jobs. This guidebook is built on early lessons of bridge programs in Illinois. It is designed as a resource for those who want to develop a new bridge program or…

In their critique of differential response (DR), Hughes and colleagues raise a number of important issues that are central to broader efforts at the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families (ACYF) including the need for greater reliance on evidence-based practice in child welfare, more rigorous evaluation methodologies, and a robust set of…

It has been 10 years since No Child Left Behind (NCLB), with its emphasis on scientifically based instruction as a means for improving the educational outcomes of students, was signed into law. In this article, we review the basic tenets of evidence-based practice as they apply to education as well as the progress that has been made in…