The following profiles address the basic decisions and actions that state education policy-makers--in the state departments of education, unless otherwise noted--are taking to foster successful statewide implementation of the new standards and aligned assessments in 15 states. These profiles provide a descriptive overview of each state's…

Implementation of college- and career-readiness standards is some of the most important work currently underway in states to improve public education and student achievement. This report provides a summary of findings from SREB's research into the efforts of 15 states--12 in the Southern Educational Research Board (SREB) region--to support…

In this evaluation, as in previous years, four main aspects of the implementation of the West Virginia Board of Education's Master Plan for Statewide Professional Development were examined: (a) basic information reported by providers about the size and scope of the effort, including attendance, and adherence to the newly adopted standards for…

The "Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV): was intended to raise the academic and technical rigor of secondary and postsecondary CTE instruction in order to prepare students for entry into high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand occupations. Under "Perkins IV," CTE generally means a sequence of…

This is the companion report to "Early Progress: Interim Research on Personalized Learning" which documents the teacher survey results for the 2013-14 school year. Researchers obtained and analyzed both qualitative and quantitative data from each school to create a broad picture of the schools' efforts to implement personalized learning…

Sixty-four federal Elementary and Secondary School Counseling (ESSC) program grants were awarded in 2009. One awarded school district implemented a comprehensive school counseling program based on the ASCA National Model at three high-needs elementary schools. This case study describes a district initiative that provided prevention education for…

Competency education, an educator-led reform, is taking root in schools and districts across the country. In some states, state leadership has cleared the path with policies to advance competency education. This paper seeks to map out the terrain of the district implementation strategies being used to convert traditional systems into personalized,…

In a 2012 paper for the Center for American Progress, "The State of Evaluation Reform," Patrick McGuinn (Drew University) identified the opportunities and challenges facing education agencies in Race to the Top (RTTT) grant-winning states as they prepared for the implementation of new teacher evaluation systems. The 2012 study undertook…

In 2010, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) launched an initiative to transform all district schools into full service community schools. The community school design provides integrated supports to students and fosters a school climate conducive to academic, social, and emotional learning. Interventions span in-school and out-of-school time,…

Input and output models of policy implementation have failed to address the complexity of implementing policies. Prior studies reveal that policies are never equivalent across contexts. Instead, they are filtered as they travel from the macro-level to the micro-level of policy implementation. This understanding provides a framework for examining…

This study compared the number of special education referrals for African American boys before and after the implementation of the training program, "Schools Attuned". The purpose of the research was to ascertain if the number of special education referrals for African American boys generated in schools with teachers trained in "Schools Attuned"…

Response to Intervention (RTI), an approach to systematically addressing the needs of struggling students, has been used primarily at the elementary school level. However, both its intent and its elements can also be used successfully in high schools. This "Informed Educator" describes what RTI is, as well as what it is not, highlights core…

This study used the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) standards for staff development as a framework for measuring specific aspects of the enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies (eMINTS) educational technology professional development program, as perceived by eMINTS teachers. The Technology Integration Cycle…

Research completed since the 1980s has yielded substantial knowledge about how to help welfare recipients and other low-income individuals prepare for and find jobs. Many participants in these successful job preparation and placement programs, however, ended up in unstable, low-paying jobs, and little was known about how to effectively help them…

Districts and schools are constantly trying to find ways to increase student achievement. Research has shown a significant correlation between principal leadership skills and increased student achievement. Research has also shown a correlation between fidelity of implementation of new innovations and positive outcomes. This purpose of this study…