California's draft Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan is now open for public comment. As the plan was reviewed, five primary things came into focus. This report discusses how the state did, what is in the plan and what still needs to be done to strengthen protections and services for low-income students, students of color, and other…

Educational choice programs--defined broadly as programs that provide parents financial aid to opt their children out of the traditional public school system--have been a topic of significant public discussion and debate in recent months. Despite the increasing news coverage, however, polls show that most Americans are unfamiliar with educational…

"Minnesota Measures" provides a resource of accurate, timely, and comprehensive facts about higher education in Minnesota. It includes comparisons over time as well as national and peer institution comparisons. Obtaining a postsecondary credential increases economic opportunity, promotes income equality, and prepares the state to meet…

The Kettering Foundation is a nonprofit, operating foundation rooted in the American tradition of cooperative research. The foundation seeks to identify and address the challenges to making democracy work as it should through interrelated program areas that focus on citizens, communities, and institutions. Each issue of this annual newsletter…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the type of grade configuration and racial climate of a school on the academic performance and discipline of middle school aged students. Specifically, this study was concerned with the predictive power of the type of grade configuration (stand-alone middle school vs. non-transition…

School districts implement a variety of initiatives that too often fall short. This case study investigated how one public school district in southeastern Michigan implemented interest based-bargaining (IBB). The study also sought to understand the factors that influenced the decision-making process and what was considered when making…

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was: (1) to document the design and implementation process of an online video-based pre-arrival course that was intended to cultivate Asian students' willingness to communicate in American Classrooms; (2) to assess the effectiveness of the course by measuring students' oral proficiency and willingness to…

As the largest higher education system across the nation, California State University (CSU) has been championing advancements in instructional technology and teaching innovations across face-to-face, interactive television, hybrid, and online platforms. This report focuses on needs pertinent to the southern San Joaquin Valley and Antelope Valley.…

The purpose of this study is to examine the teacher identity development of Teach for America (TFA) teachers in relation to English language learners (ELLs) in the context of a semester-long teaching English as a second language (TESL) course. In addition, this study aims to explore primary considerations come into play in TFA teachers' teacher…

Change is critical in most organizations. International schools attempting to redefine 21st century education for their students are innovating pedagogies and schools' structures. However, the leader of an organization or school may be the most influential advocate for or barrier to change. International schools' leaders continue to play a role in…

The WISE Report from the Clayton Christensen Institute explores perspectives on the blended learning process through the institute's comprehensive surveys of the three countries. This report touches on a number of school-based efforts to implement educational technology, focusing on whether, and how, a sample of brick-and-mortar schools in Brazil,…

This report presents the 6th Edition of Scholastic's biannual study of children's and parents' attitudes and behaviors about reading. The latest research touches on: (1) Reading Books for Fun; (2) Reading Aloud; (3) Summer Reading; and (4) Favorite Children's Books. This research provides both reasons to celebrate as well as a strong motivation to…

The integration of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) into America's schools has radically changed education, especially among students with learning disabilities. The implementation of the common core questions the policy-making context as well as the institutional variables of social justice and equity for students with disabilities.…

The academic struggles of English language learners highlight the essential need to provide additional supports for this growing body of students. Given the multiple hurdles facing ELL students as they move through school, it is difficult for schools alone to provide ELL students the extra supports necessary for them to succeed academically.…

This study used action research to help improve technology use in teachers' classrooms through the use of information gained from research of technology use in the classroom. The teachers were asked to be responsible for development and implementation of their own learning through the use of personal professional development. Throughout the study…