This paper describes an action research, school situated project conducted with partnership funding from Learning and Teaching Scotland, Scottish Qualifications Authority and Becta, the UK government's agency for communications technology in education. Based on "e-scape" (e-solutions for creative assessment in portfolio environments),…

In 2007, using funds from the federal Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) and private foundations, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) began piloting its version of a schoolwide reform model called the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP). Under the TAP model, teachers can earn extra pay and take on increased responsibilities through promotion (to mentor…

This "Research Update" synthesizes findings from the profiles of 13 research and evaluation reports added to the Out-of-School Time Program Research and Evaluation Database in August 2007. It highlights innovations and developments in the out-of-school time field and looks at the important benefits out-of-school time programs can provide to youth,…

In 2006, the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) conducted an independent evaluation of the new inspection process for maintained schools in England, introduced in September 2005. The aim of the research was to assess the extent to which schools felt that the new inspections contributed to school improvement. The research methods…

The "Playing for Success" (PfS) initiative is targeted on underachieving young people. It aims to contribute to raising educational standards, especially in numeracy and literacy, bringing the attainment levels of lower achieving pupils closer to the average expected for their age. This study set out to consider whether there was any evidence of…

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the influence of a mentoring program on novice elementary school teachers in several suburban elementary schools in the Tidewater area of southeastern Virginia. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between mentoring programs and the attrition and retention rates of novice…

In March 2007, the HM Inspectorate of Education commissioned The SCRE Centre (Scottish Council for Research in Education) at the University of Glasgow to undertake a review of the literature on the background to dyslexia, the range of teaching approaches used to teach children with dyslexia and the effectiveness of the various approaches. This…

The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study was to analyze the effect of one type of professional development, Japanese lesson study, on student achievement at the high school level. The study examined the effect by comparing student achievement of students with non-lesson study teachers (control group) and those using the lesson…

Introduction: The Forsyth County School District sought scientifically based evidence for the effect of ongoing, district-developed professional development (PD) on the usage of Promethean Interactive Whiteboards. A randomly selected subset of teachers received PD in addition to basic training sessions offered in Fall 2005 to all district teachers…

This article reports on a study conducted by Mathematica Policy Research Inc. of students in four abstinence programs, as well as peers from the same communities who did not participate in the abstinence programs. A federally mandated report said that students who participated in sexual-abstinence education programs partially funded by the federal…

This paper reports on the second phase of a project designed to improve students' understanding of assessment demands. In Stage 1, Level 1 students were involved in a range of activities culminating in peer marking. This peer assessment was, itself, marked by the tutors to encourage students to engage positively with the process. Stage 2 of the…

Background: We tested whether social and educational integration combined with training in awareness of disability for secondary school students resulted in more positive, long-lasting attitudes about educational and social inclusion of people with an intellectual disability. Method: Attitudes of 259 participants (116 males, 143 females) were…

According to a report released by the National Academies' National Research Council, the U.S. Department of Education needs a high-ranking official to oversee its efforts to expand Americans' proficiency in foreign languages and knowledge of international affairs. The report was prepared by a committee convened to review the "adequacy and…

Hillsborough Community College's IT3-Professional Development Services makes available to educators in the school district of Hillsborough County a series of online courses focused on professional development. The program boasts a retention rate exceeding 78%, with over 500 educators served. The program is self funded and pays for itself and an…

Organizational learning (OL) is about how individuals collect, absorb, and transform information into organizational memory and knowledge. This case study explored how six high-technology firms in Taiwan chose OL as an organization development intervention strategy. Issues included how best to implement OL; how individuals, teams, and…