Twenty years of research on school performance has created a body of knowledge that grounds today's school improvement efforts and has resulted in a concise list of characteristics that are common to high-performing schools. As accountability becomes more and more important, educational leaders across the nation are actively attempting to foster…

Integrating curriculum with content standards and working with other educators to develop a teaching program makes instruction not only collaborative but also cohesive. This book offers teachers a customized, personalized process to prepare their curriculum while folding content into a larger curriculum map. The author leads K-12 educators…

Conventional wisdom says that a person can never plan enough or be too prepared. Conventional wisdom is often correct. Many successful schools--those that ensure that all students achieve at high levels--follow a detailed and comprehensive school improvement plan like a blueprint. But if this is so, why is it that many other schools that produce…

This document presents eight detailed lesson plans for use with students with disabilities. The lesson plans address oral language skills, reading comprehension, math problem solving, written expression, reading acquisition, study skills, math computation, and social skills. Each lesson plan identifies relevant standards from the Council for…

The excellence goal of the Closing the Gaps by 2015 plan developed for higher education in Texas is hard to define and quantify clearly. However, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and institutional representatives have developed a starting point to reassess areas of national recognition required to meet the goal. The excellence goal…

This study was undertaken to evaluate models that could be used to set single-year individual student academic growth targets. Multiple terms of individual student reading and mathematics test results were analyzed to predict each student's final status score in each subject. Test records from more than 5,300 students in 3 cohorts were used; 2…

This lesson contains materials for the U.S. Navy Museum's "Ships to the Sea" program. The program is appropriate for students in grades 2-4 and was designed in accordance with local and national social studies standards. The materials introduce students to the world of ship technology and naval terminology. The lesson is presented in…

At the turn of the 19th century, the United States was a rapidly growing nation. When the United States acquired territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, the job of maintaining open sea lanes fell to the U.S. Navy. To maintain a strong and well-trained force, the Navy needed to attract personnel to work onboard their ships. It used…

The five-year plan is expressed in the five goals listed below, which are based on the respective Board and department roles and responsibilities. (1) Support high-quality, innovative instruction to improve student achievement; (2) Provide and promote high-quality educational leadership; (3) Promote safe and positive learning environments; (4)…

By most accounts, the method used to determine the allocation of tuition support to public schools in Indiana is a complex endeavor understood by few. Governor Mitch Daniels and policymakers are publicly calling for a simplified funding process that provides transparent goals that Hoosier citizens can fully comprehend. As state leaders embark on…

This monograph explores the philosophy behind the havruta method of learning. It examines the history of learning be-havruta, describes the benefits, and evaluates whether two models from the world of general education cooperative learning and the cognitive approach may enhance the havruta system. The monograph outlines how this method was applied…

This paper compares the curriculum design model developed by R. W. Tyler (1902-1994) with a model of instructional design at Siena College, Albany, New York, as exemplified in a course taught by L. Stokes, professor of accounting. Tyler's model, which became the basis for many other models of instruction, consisted of four parts: (1) defining…

This novel uses a fictional approach to present a concept of the ideal college of the twenty-first century. A foreword is by William J. Bennett, former Secretary of Education. The novel's main character is a 71-year-old billionaire, industrialist, and war hero, who is dying of cancer and plans to endow a new college with his fortune. The proposed…

A cultural component has been used in one instructor's literature classes at Georgia Perimeter College as a response to Expected Educational Outcome 4 which states: "The students will be exposed to and/or participate in cultural activities, events, and presentations," and to General Education Outcome 3 which states: "The students…

This report details the Los Angeles City College's (California) strategic plan for the years 2002 to 2008. The report, the product of a process of commissioning a "Vision Team" and holding "Town Meetings," resulted in eight institution-wide priorities: (1) to foster a culture of academic excellence; (2) to maintain and enhance…