Turning around a low-performing school is a complex process in which cause-effect relationships are difficult to isolate. But recent interest in helping low-performing schools--spurred on by the reforms mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act--has generated some useful research and thoughtful analysis. This digest explores some of the key…

The 2002 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known as No Child Left Behind, significantly expands the role of the federal government in elementary and secondary education and has important implications for rural and small schools. This guide examines 15 areas of the legislation that will have the greatest impact on rural…

In providing its program for education reform, this book uses, as an analogy, the genetic model taken from the Human Genome project. In the first part, "Theoretical Underpinnings," the book explains why a genetic model can be used to improve school systems; describes the critical components of a world-class school system; and details the…

This text on the assessment of students with disabilities is divided into six major parts. Part 1, "Introduction to Assessment, Issues and Concerns," discusses the historical, philosophical, legal, practical and ethical bases of assessment and proposes an assessment model. Part 2, "Informal Procedures: Basic Tools for Teachers," includes chapters…

Recently the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) completed a project to connect the scale of the MCA and BST with NWEA's RIT scale. Six Minnesota systems participated in the study, using test information from a group of over 13,000 students enrolled in third, fifth, and eighth grades who took these Minnesota Assessments and NWEA tests in the…

Austin Community College contracted with MGT of America, Inc. in spring 1999 to develop a peer and benchmark (best) practices analysis on key indicators. These indicators were updated in spring 2002 using data from eight Texas community colleges and four non-Texas institutions that represent large, comprehensive, urban community colleges, similar…

This volume contains the proceedings of the International Conference on Technology in Mathematics Education (TIME 2000). It includes papers, posters, and short oral reports. Research papers include: (1) "Implications of the Shift from Isolated Expensive Technology to Connected, Inexpensive, Ubiquitous and Diverse Technologies" (Jim…

Dimensions of Learning is an instructional model that is based on the premise that five types of thinking are essential to the learning process: (1) positive attitudes and perceptions about learning; (2) thinking involved in acquiring and integrating new learning; (3) thinking in extending and refining knowledge; (4) thinking in using knowledge…

This report from a blue ribbon panel of experts convened by Disability Rights Advocates, Inc. and the Oregon Department of Education addresses the interplay between standardized examinations and students with learning disabilities. The report describes in detail the accommodations, alternate assessments, appeals procedures, and other safeguards…

This is the annual report for 2000-2001 from the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST). The SIAST Review Committee's report identified four priorities: (1) an appropriate and progressive mandate; (2) a commitment to accessibility; (3) responsiveness to the labor market; and (4) organizational effectiveness. This report…

The Research Institute on Secondary Education Reform for Youth with Disabilities (RISER) has identified Schools of Authentic and Inclusive Learning (SAIL) to explore whether and how secondary students with disabilities are included in secondary education reform. In this brief, the literature describing the intersection of reform, inclusion, and…

This case study examines the history and current circumstances of education in East Feliciana Parish (Louisiana) in the context of its participation in the Delta Rural Systemic Initiative (RSI), which aims to improve science and mathematics achievement through systemic reform. This report describes the parish's history, demography, and economic…

As learning technologies increasingly facilitate the internationalization of subject offerings, it becomes correspondingly important to try and ensure that the needs of diverse student groups are met and to provide for ongoing improvement of their learning experiences. A variety of evaluation procedures are valuable in this respect, particularly…

This report provides an overview of the field of adult English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) instruction in the United States today. First, it places adult ESOL in the broader context of the U.S. education system, and then it describes trends and issues in the areas of program design and instructional practice, assessment, teacher…

Improvements in lifelong learning are necessary for a range of overlapping reasons, including changing needs of the labour force in a globalised economy, the aging of the population in high-income countries and inequalities in education, work and income. Increased lifelong learning, for all, is important for productivity, but also to support…