All states identify schools most in need of improvement by using school accountability systems and other metrics. State improvement strategies range in intensity from general technical assistance to alternative governance for identified schools or districts. This 50-State Comparison provides research into the K-12 school improvement policies in…

School districts require many people to facilitate the education of students, making it important to put the right people in the right places and assure that those individuals are successful in fulfilling their job requirements. As Odden (2011) noted, education is people-intensive and schools have a need for talented people at all levels. In order…

School districts require many people to facilitate the education of students, making it important to put the right people in the right places and assure that those individuals are successful in fulfilling their job requirements. As Odden (2011) noted, education is people-intensive and schools have a need for talented people at all levels. In order…

School districts require many people to facilitate the education of students, making it important to put the right people in the right places and assure that those individuals are successful in fulfilling their job requirements. As Odden (2011) noted, education is people-intensive and schools have a need for talented people at all levels. In order…

Parent-mediated intervention can enhance parents' competence in supporting parent-child social interactions. Research and current policy have highlighted the importance of building family capacity in supporting parents to help children with autism develop social communication abilities. Parents who experienced parent-mediated interventions have…

"Dimensions of Communication" is a manual to assess the communication skills and behaviors of individuals with disabilities. It is an assessment instrument designed to help teachers, parents, educational specialists, speech-language therapists, psychologists, and other service providers evaluate the communication skills of individuals…

Parent-mediated intervention can enhance parents' competence in supporting parent-child social interactions. Research and current policy have highlighted the importance of building family capacity in supporting parents to help children with autism develop social communication abilities. Parents who experienced parent-mediated interventions have…

Biology is a key course in a student's learning path. It provides important information about the living world and creates foundational knowledge that will be used in other science courses as the student progresses through his or her secondary and post-secondary education. However, there is a pattern of low student achievement in this required…

Scholarship on racial diversity initiatives outline the positive outcomes associated with initiatives, describes the types of initiatives, and the various ways faculty, staff, and university leadership can and do work together for effective outcomes. However, there is a need to understand how racial diversity initiatives are implemented, what…

Despite decades of increasing assessment activity in higher education, the literature provides few examples of assessment leading to improved student learning (Banta & Blaich, 2011). The simple model for learning improvement provides an avenue for linking assessment efforts with faculty development and pedagogical changes in order to increase…

This pilot study evaluates the feasibility and efficacy of a novel school-based intervention for early childhood anxiety. Despite the established need for anxiety treatment in early childhood, there is limited access to evidence-based treatment. This study utilized one such treatment, parent child-interaction therapy (PCIT) modules developed for…

New student success interventions generate costs for colleges (for example, staff time and supplies). However, if they lead more students to remain enrolled, cause students to attempt more credits, and improve longer-term student outcomes, they can also generate tuition revenue and state funding (for public institutions in states that allocate…

While previous approaches to students? Problematic behavior focused on punishment and rehabilitation through the judicial system, traditional schools implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) implementation report positive student outcomes. However, fewer studies provide insight to PBIS implementation in non-traditional…

We assessed whether an adaptation of value-added analysis (VAA) can provide evidence on the relative effectiveness of interventions implemented in a large school district. We analyzed two datasets, one documenting interventions received by underperforming students, and one documenting interventions received by students in schools benefiting from…

Research with adults suggests that contemplative practices such as meditation and relaxation techniques have a variety of benefits, from improving awareness to reduced stress and anxiety. Increasingly, these practices are being adapted in educational settings to foster the development of key self-regulatory skills required for improved learning…