In the first wave of funding under a revitalized high school graduation initiative, the U.S. Department of Education is betting nearly $50 million that it can help states and school districts find better ways to hang onto students who might drop out and bring back those who have disappeared without diplomas. Twenty-nine states and districts won…

This article profiles Terry Grier, the new superintendent of Houston Independent School District. Grier, who began his career as a teacher and a coach in North Carolina, has run nine school districts in six states over the last 25 years. His allies and critics agree on one thing: Grier pushes change at lightning speed. That's the main reason the…

Coaching occurs when one professional works closely with another professional to increase productivity or to meet a common outcome. For a coach or mentor to be successful, the teacher must believe in the expertise the coach espouses, and the coach must believe in the teacher's abilities. Through "reflective coaching," teachers and coaches…

Schools throughout the nation are hiring "coaches" and deploying them in schools in a multitude of ways that may not improve instruction and rarely impact student learning. But heeding the roles and relationships of coaches enhances the likelihood that they will be able to influence school culture, professional learning, and, ultimately, student…

This issue of "The Evaluation Exchange" describes new developments in evaluating advocacy and policy change efforts that attempt to inform or influence public policy at the local, state, or federal levels. Heather B. Weiss introduces the themes in this issue in "From the Director's Desk," examining how evaluation of advocacy…

In this article, Gwen Taylor describes the West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) groundbreaking program, "Accelerating Opportunity" (AO), which targeted students who are deficient in math, reading, or writing. The program uses the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges' (2013) Integrated Basic…

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students comprise the most rapidly expanding, and among the most educationally marginalized, group in the United States. CLD students' opportunities to learn are often diminished through service delivery models that are deficit-oriented, viewing linguistic diversity as a challenge to overcome, not a…

States, school districts, and schools across the country are increasingly implementing multi-tier systems of support (MTSS) to improve outcomes for all students. Kansas is no exception. The Kansas MTSS is designed to improve outcomes for all students by instituting system-level change across the classroom, school, district, and state. Such…

Highlighting the need for a redefinition and redirection of social services for children and families, this report proposes a new model for social services that can enhance the development of children and the functioning of families. Two essential and interrelated components of the model described and discussed are: (1) supporting and expanding…

This product checklist can be used to determine whether a particular workplace literacy product (such as a series of instructional workbooks, curriculum guides, or computerized instructional systems), follows best practice and will meet the needs of a particular business firm and build the productive capacity of its employees. The checklist was…

This manual presents an overview of important safety considerations for instructors of vocational students with limited English proficiency. It begins with a review of the legal responsibilities of vocational educators to provide for student safety. The second part discusses the legal rights of limited-English-Proficient (LEP) students, and the…

This report describes progress made by Westchester Community College (WCC), in New York, on 23 strategic planning goals in the 1994-95 academic year. Information is provided on the following goals: (1) increase flexibility in operating the college; (2) increase flexibility in providing innovative academic and vocational programs; (3) upgrade…

National research suggests that 36% of full-time students enrolled in community and technical colleges and planning to stay in college for 2 or more years leave by the end of their first year and do not return to college over a 3-year period. While students' reasons for leaving are often unrelated to the college, the literature suggests that…

As part of an effort to improve its summer school offerings, Arkansas' Garland County Community College conducted a survey of summer school practices at the state's 23 other two-year colleges. Survey results, based on responses from all 23 schools, included the following: (1) 13 schools offered 2 sessions during the summer months, 7 offered 3…

Although student enrollments in cooperative education constitute only about 8 percent of all high school students, about half of all high schools provide such opportunities. In practically all co-op programs, the employer ensures supervision, on-the-job learning, and evaluations that will influence students' grades; coordinators have released time…