The dire state of education funding in California and across the nation means stakeholders must be smarter than ever about how they use their resources. Since teacher quality has emerged as one of the most powerful variables in student success, the focus of policy reform must be on building the capacity of teachers--now and in the future--to meet…

The dire state of education funding in California and across the nation means stakeholders must be smarter than ever about how they use their resources. Since teacher quality has emerged as one of the most powerful variables in student success, the focus of policy reform must be on building the capacity of teachers--now and in the future--to meet…

While many books decry the crisis in the schooling of African American children, they are often disconnected from the lived experiences and work of classroom teachers and principals. In "Change Is Gonna Come", the authors look back to go forward, providing specific practices that K-12 literacy educators can use to transform their schools. The text…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a training program for the faculty of a private elementary school on executing the protocols, roles, and responsibilities defined in the institution's crisis-management plan. A formal training program for the faculty had not been developed, and administrators had no measure by which…

With the creation of the Effective Practice Incentive Community (EPIC), New Leaders for New Schools hoped to accomplish two broad and ambitious goals. The first was to identify and reward leadership practices driving significant achievement gains in high-poverty, urban schools. The second was to learn from those practices and make them more widely…

Colorado is in the middle of the dropout epidemic facing the nation--in fact its dropout rate is significantly higher than most states. For the sake of the students and the state, it is a crisis Colorado cannot afford to ignore. A combined total of 48,526 students dropped out of Colorado's public school system during the three school years between…

Citizenship education teaches the values, knowledge, skills and sense of commitment that define an active and principled citizen. Many organizations use the terms civic education or civic learning. State civics or government standards generally place a greater emphasis on knowledge of democratic concepts, institutions and rights than on the…

The purpose of this hearing was to examine how charter schools can be used as a tool to drive innovation in schools. Specifically discussed was legislation introduced by Rep. Polis that would expand access to outstanding charter schools. This hearing kicked off a larger conversation about how the country can educate its way to a better economy by…

People who participate in learning and skills programmes do so for different reasons. Many are seeking the skills they will need for work. Some are already employed and are gaining skills which will make them more effective in their current work. Others do it for the love of learning. Some people choose to learn while others are encouraged to do…

Many beginning farmers have little previous contact with Extension, yet they will comprise an important part of our future base of support. We present those educational activities directed toward beginning farmers that represent high impact, outcome-based Extension programming, given an educator's time limitations. This checklist of insights will…

In this technological age, the definition of private, public, and protected speech and expression for today's school employees is largely misunderstood and unclear. This article addresses the current legal standards as well as some recent case law involving teacher speech and expression and its major implications for addressing teacher online…

Through sustained community organizing and strategic partnerships, the Mobile (Alabama) County Public School System is improving achievement and creating beat-the-odds schools that set and achieve high academic expectations despite the challenges of poverty and racial disparity. The authors chart how Mobile's Research Alliance for Multiple…

Legal rules establish basic duties akin to the floor for acceptable behavior, whereas ethical codes represent aspirational standards for best practice. For school counselors, fulfilling both legal requirements and ethical principles may pose challenges that warrant careful consideration. This article outlines a legal/ethical conflict in the case…

Four decades of early childhood policy and program development indicate that evidence-based interventions can improve life outcomes, and dramatic advances in the biological and behavioral sciences now provide an opportunity to augment those impacts. The challenge of reducing the gap between what we know and what we do to promote the healthy…

Corporate philanthropies can provide much-needed support to K-12 and postsecondary education efforts. This article analyzes whether select multi-billion dollar corporate philanthropies continue such support and adhere to best-funding practices during an economic downtown. Drawing on interview and document review data, the authors examine the…