ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
&quot;Creating Connections Now...&quot; Annual Report, 2006-2007
Author: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools (CYFS)
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Emotional Development,Educational Change,Interdisciplinary Approach,Annual Reports,Research Projects,Intellectual Development,Behavior Development,Social Development,Individual Development,Educational Research,Family School Relationship,School Community Relationship,Financial Support,Grants,Technology Integration,Research Needs,Research and Development,Outreach Programs,Program Descriptions,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,Student Improvement,Teacher Improvement,Science Course Improvement Projects

The mission of the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools (CYFS) is to advance the conduct of high-quality interdisciplinary research to promote the intellectual, behavioral, and social-emotional development and functioning of individuals across educational, familial, and community contexts. Central to this is enhancing the understanding of how these complex systems work dynamically to support the future of the nation. The 2006-2007 Annual Report of the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools offers numerous examples of staff's efforts to &quot;create connections&quot; as applied researchers. The various projects, initiatives, and priorities described in this paper elucidate their belief in, passion about, and commitment to connections. [For 2005-2006 report, see ED538269.]
High School Schedules. Research Brief
Author: Muir, Mike
Date: 2005-08-08
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Student Attitudes,Block Scheduling,School Schedules,High Schools,Models,High School Students,Annotated Bibliographies

Findings are mixed on the effectiveness of various scheduling models. These models include a traditional 7 or 8 period day, a block schedule with four classes meeting one day and another four meeting the next (A/B Block), a block schedule of four classes that meet every day for a term (4x4 Block), and several hybrid models. Some findings conclude most schools are happy with their transition to longer class periods, others that achievement and student attitude are improved, and others that the block schedule proved disastrous over traditional scheduling. Much has been written on lessons learned from Block Scheduling, mistakes schools have made, and steps schools might take to avoid those mistakes. The Center of Innovative School Scheduling and the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement are sources for that information. Annotated bibliographies and ERIC resources are included. (Contains 12 online resources.)
Sanctions, School Improvement, and Student Achievement. Research Brief
Author: Muir, Mike
Date: 2003-07-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Academic Achievement,High Stakes Tests,Accountability,Resource Allocation,Sanctions,Educational Change,Federal Legislation,Educational Improvement,Educational Legislation,Teacher Effectiveness,Scores

No Child Left Behind as well as many state policies maintain that the threat of sanctions are a method that will insure quality teaching and improved student achievement. Proponents of these policies often point to states such as Florida and Texas and their improved achievement scores under such policies. For the most part, these claims are not supported by research. One study did suggest that sanctions linked to a comprehensive education reform initiative more powerfully impacted teaching improvement, principal understanding, and resource allocation to support student achievement goals. Most of the research, however, points not only to more harm than good from high-stakes testing, but that improved scores may be statistical inaccuracies or invalid measures of learning. (Contains 9 online resources.)
The Spiral Curriculum. Research into Practice
Author: Johnston, Howard
Date: 2012-03-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Curriculum,Course Objectives,Epistemology,Spiral Curriculum,Research and Development,Theory Practice Relationship,Outcomes of Education

The Spiral Curriculum is predicated on cognitive theory advanced by Jerome Bruner (1960), who wrote, "We begin with the hypothesis that any subject can be taught in some intellectually honest form to any child at any stage of development." In other words, even the most complex material, if properly structured and presented, can be understood by very young children. Key features of the spiral curriculum based on Bruner's work are: (1) The student revisits a topic, theme or subject several times throughout their school career; (2) The complexity of the topic or theme increases with each revisit; and (3) New learning has a relationship with old learning and is put in context with the old information. The benefits ascribed to the spiral curriculum by its advocates are: (1) The information is reinforced and solidified each time the student revisits the subject matter; (2) The spiral curriculum also allows a logical progression from simplistic ideas to complicated ideas; and (3) Students are encouraged to apply the early knowledge to later course objectives. Although there is no clear empirical evidence of the overall effects of the spiral curriculum on student learning, "features" of that curriculum have been linked to improved learning outcomes. In addition, the spiral curriculum incorporates many research-based approaches from cognitive science that have been linked, individually, to improved student performance as well.
Saturday School. Research Brief
Author: Walker, Karen
Date: 2009-04-13
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Academic Support Services,School Schedules,Competition,Enrichment Activities,Discipline,Classroom Techniques,Teacher Competencies,Classroom Environment,Teacher Expectations of Students,Student Behavior,Administrator Role,Teacher Role,Punishment,Tutoring,Weekend Programs

Secretary of Education, Duncan, proclaimed to a group of teachers in Colorado that if students were to be more competitive with those from other countries, in particular, China and India, they needed to be in school six days a week for at least 11 months a year (Associated Press, 2009). Although longer school days, weeks and years are not currently the norm, many schools throughout the United States operate different forms of programs on Saturdays. The most common tend to be for enrichment/academic support, course credit/absentee make-up and discipline. According to Cotton (2000), a successful Saturday school program has the following characteristics: (1) all staff are dedicated to well-disciplined classrooms and school, so that all students are more able to learn; (2) expectations are clear, explicit, well-known, enforceable and enforced; (3) rules and procedures have been developed by faculty and students; (4) administration is highly visible and supportive; (5) teachers have the freedom to take care of the classroom issues and the administration takes care of the more serious violations; and (6) punishment should fit the crime and needs to be viewed as being corrective. (Contains 23 online resources.)
Saturday Schools and Tutoring as Interventions. Research Brief
Author: Walker, Karen
Date: 2010-08-29
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Academic Achievement,School Holding Power,Tutoring,Intervention,Graduation,Graduation Rate,Enrichment Activities,Academic Support Services

Being clear about the reason for academic intervention programs is essential prior to establishing programs. Saturday School and tutoring are two approaches that can be helpful in student retention and increasing graduation rates but only if they are set up to meet the specific needs of the school's students. There are no common measures of the success of Saturday School programs but there are many programs that have been successful for several years. Saturday school programs fit three categories--enrichment, credit recovery, and disciplinary. There is strong evidence about the positive impact of tutoring on student academic confidence and high school graduation. But the evidence is clear that no single approach will meet the needs of students who may benefit from tutoring. Further there is evidence that when learning is personalized students are more successful. (Contains 35 online resources.)
Year-Round School. Research Brief
Author: Walker, Karen
Date: 2009-12-19
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: School Schedules,Year Round Schools,Politics of Education,Socioeconomic Influences,Program Effectiveness,Summer Programs,Barriers

Despite the numerous advantages of a year-round schedule, there are significant political hurdles to its implementation. The most successful year-round schools are those where leaders worked closely with staff and families to maximize the benefits, minimize the costs, and build support for modifying the traditional school calendar. The research on the benefits and drawbacks of the year-round schedules is at best, inconclusive. A traditional summer vacation can impact student learning. Students from lower socioeconomic families tend to lose between two to two and a half months of math computation skills and often lose some spelling and reading comprehension skills during that time. Support for a year-round model is higher among those who have experience with the model and lower among those with no experience. Teachers and principals in schools on year-round schedules report that there are several advantages to a year-round model. The advantages and disadvantages of a year-round schedule are presented in this paper. (Contains 18 online resources.)
Scheduling: Seven Period Day
Author: Williamson, Ronald
Date: 2010-09-13
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Resource Allocation,Block Scheduling,School Schedules,School Districts,Cost Effectiveness,Goal Orientation,Flexible Scheduling,Teaching Load,Costs,Values

Driven by stable or declining financial resources many school districts are considering the costs and benefits of a seven-period day. While there is limited evidence that any particular scheduling model has a greater impact on student learning than any other, it is clear that the school schedule is a tool that can significantly impact teacher instruction. It is also clear that the schedule and the allocation of resources (time, personnel) reflect a school community's values and priorities. It is important, therefore, to have a full and thorough discussion about school and district goals and priorities prior to adjusting the schedule. (Contains 14 online resources and 4 print resources.)
School-Home Partnerships. Research Brief
Author: Walker, Karen
Date: 2003-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Parent Participation,Parent School Relationship,Family School Relationship,Interpersonal Communication,Communication Strategies,Volunteers,Family Environment,Parents as Teachers,Decision Making,Cooperation

Does parent involvement in school affect student achievement? Synthesis of data collected from schools that have been involved in the National Network of Partnership Schools appeared to indicate that regardless of the student's socioeconomic and/or ethnic background, when parents are involved at home and in school, there is a positive effect on the student's grades, attendance, and behavior. The most dominant and comprehensive model for parent involvement seemed to come from Joyce Epstein out of Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. There are 6 distinct types of parent involvement in the Epstein model: (1) Parenting; (2) Communicating; (3) Volunteering; (4) Learning at home; (5) Decision making; and (6) Collaborating with the community. Each type is discussed in this paper. (Contains 2 resources and 11 online resources.)
School Improvement Grants: Take 2--Lessons Learned from Round 1
Author: Shea, Jennifer
Date: 2010-12-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Low Achievement,Grants,Educational Change,Federal Government,Educational Improvement,Academic Achievement,School Turnaround,Failure,School Effectiveness,Achievement Gap

Last year, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan set forth an ambitious goal for the country--turn around 1,000 of chronically failing schools per year over the next five years. To support this effort, the federal government has put up billions of dollars in funding, mostly in the form of Title I School Improvement Grants (SIG). SIG, both in the levels of its funding and the boldness of its requirements, is an unprecedented attempt to alter the fate of students in low-performing schools nationwide. There has never before been an opportunity to dedicate this much national energy and resources to the turnaround of failing schools. While SIG may be a huge opportunity for dramatic improvement, it is also huge opportunity to once again fail students, families, and communities. Round 1 took place at breakneck speed, with states, districts, and schools &quot;building the plane while flying it.&quot; With Round 2 SIG applications due over the next few months, states have an opportunity to build on both the mistakes and the successes of Round 1. This guide communicates some critical lessons learned, giving states a chance to do it right this time and offer hope for the millions of children who continue to languish in failing schools every day. (Contains 2 graphs.)
Sample Language of Modified Contract Elements from Existing CBAs, MOUs, or EWAs to Support Turnaround
Author: Mass Insight Education
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Charter Schools,Contracts,Collective Bargaining,Leadership,School Turnaround,School Districts,Public Schools,Models,Teachers,Students,Academic Achievement,Evaluation

Organized by the key conditions areas for turnaround, "People, Program, Time and Money," this tool offers sample language for each contract element to serve as a model for modifications from a traditional CBA that may support a district's turnaround efforts. Sample language is offered from existing provisions in district-wide collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), school-level election-to-work agreements (EWAs), and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) pertaining to a carve-out zone of schools operating under flexible conditions. Language from the following contracts is included: Academic Leadership Community, a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Pilot School, EWA; DC Public Schools district-wide CBA; Clark County, NV, Empowerment Schools carve-out zone; Duggan Middle School, a Commonwealth Pilot School, EWA; Green Dot Public Schools unionized charter network CBA; LAUSD Pilot Schools MOU; New Haven Public Schools "Turnaround Schools" carve-out zone; Pittsburgh Public Schools district-wide CBA and; Springfield Ball Charter School CBA.
Developing a Collaborative Team Approach to Support Family and Community Connections with Schools: What Can School Leaders Do? A Strategy Brief of the National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools
Author: Ferguson, Chris
Date: 2005-02-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Partnerships in Education,Stakeholders,School Personnel,Foster Care,Family Involvement,Community Involvement,Cooperation,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Parent School Relationship,Parent Participation,School Culture,Administrators,Academic Achievement

Current research reveals that schools, families, and communities need strong leadership if they are going to shift away from the traditional models of involvement in which school personnel dominate the interactions. When school leaders create conditions that foster collaborative relationships among the school, families, and the community, the result can be a cohesive partnership among all of the schools' stakeholders. These partnerships can harness family, community, and school resources to ensure that all students have the support needed to succeed. A first step in beginning to initiate collaborative efforts is to define the current status of school and family relations. What factors inhibit or foster family and community interactions with the school and its staff? Successful administrators are able to anticipate the inhibitors and soften their impact while promoting research-based strategies that encourage increased involvement. This paper presents actions school leaders can take in order to support collaborative efforts with family and community members.
The Turnaround Challenge: Why America's Best Opportunity to Dramatically Improve Student Achievement Lies in Our Worst-Performing Schools
Author: Calkins, Andrew
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Accountability,Educational Change,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,School Districts,Intervention,Achievement Gap,Educational Improvement,School Turnaround,Poverty,Incentives,Learner Engagement

The goal of this study was to produce recommendations for states and school districts seeking a flexible, systematic approach to swift and significant transformation in schools (particularly high schools) deemed chronically under-performing under No Child Left Behind or state accountability systems. This research leads the authors to believe that turnaround of this kind is achievable, and furthermore, has the potential to open the door to more widespread dramatic education reform. The authors hope that the analysis, conclusions, and framework presented in this report will help educators, school reformers, and policy leaders across the country develop a new generation of turnaround strategies that carry, at the very least, the possibility of success. Appended are: (1) School Intervention to Date: Goals, Strategies, and Impact; and (2) References. (Contains 39 figures.) [For &quot;The Turnaround Challenge: Why America's Best Opportunity to Dramatically Improve Student Achievement Lies in Our Worst-Performing Schools. Executive Summary,&quot; see ED538309. For &quot;The Turnaround Challenge: Why America's Best Opportunity to Dramatically Improve Student Achievement Lies in Our Worst-Performing Schools. Supplement to the Main Report,&quot; see ED538300.]
World Class: The Massachusetts Agenda to Meet the International Challenge for Math- and Science-Educated Students
Author: Fortmann, Thomas
Date: 2005-06-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Public Education,Elementary Secondary Education,Researchers,Teaching (Occupation),Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Science Education,Mathematics Education,Learner Engagement,STEM Education,Academic Achievement,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation

This report draws on the findings of nearly four dozen others: national and international studies that speak with a strong, collective voice about what it takes to improve math and science education. But the authors' intent with &quot;World Class&quot; is not simply to synthesize those reports. It is to establish a statewide, working agenda for Massachusetts--a blueprint for how to enact the cumulative recommendations of the researchers and educators mentioned in this paper. This report is also a K-12 public education companion to the report issued last year by Mass Insight Education's sister organization, Mass Insight Corporation. &quot;Choosing To Lead: The Race for National R&amp;D Leadership&quot; and &quot;New Economy Jobs&quot; presented an action plan to help Massachusetts maintain its position as a sci-tech leader and to secure its economic future. The recommendations offered by the researchers and educators are: (1) Invest in Massachusetts' Teachers of Math and Science by: (a) Preparing new teachers for higher math/science expectations; (b) build the capacity of current teachers; and (c) enhance the status of the teaching profession; and (2) Invest in Massachusetts Students' Math/Science Experience by: (a) challenging all students with rigorous curricula; (b) engaging students in active, inquiry-based STEM experiences (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) to build interest in STEM-related careers; and (c) expanding parent and public understanding of the critical importance of STEM to the state's economic future. Appended are: (1) Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Knowledge, and Pedagogical Content Knowledge; and (2) Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment. [This report was prepared with Arthur Eisenkraft and Hannah Sevian.]
The Turnaround Challenge: Why America's Best Opportunity to Dramatically Improve Student Achievement Lies in Our Worst-Performing Schools. Supplement to the Main Report
Author: Calkins, Andrew
Date: 2007-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Intervention,Learning Readiness,Poverty,School Turnaround,Educational Improvement,School Effectiveness,Low Achievement,Readiness,Failure,School Districts,Accountability,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Educational Change,Educational Indicators,Federal Programs,High Schools

The turnaround recommendations and framework in &quot;The Turnaround Challenge&quot; grew out of both new research and synthesis of extensive existing research, as carried out by Mass Insight Education &amp; Research Institute and its partners since September 2005. If the main report is the tip of the proverbial iceberg, this supplement represents at least part of the mass underneath it. In the course of preparing the main report, the authors examined state and district intervention strategies and high-performing, high-poverty schools at a deeper level of specificity than what the design of the main report allowed them to present. The highlights of that research are presented here in this supplement, along with a more extensive probe into poverty's impact on learning and the consequent implications for the design of high-performing schools serving high-poverty enrollments. Readers of &quot;The Turnaround Challenge&quot; should therefore regard this supplement not as a separate report, but as a set of &quot;drill-downs&quot; at four levels: (1) State: Brief profiles of ten representative state strategies to intervene in failing schools; (2) District: More detailed exploration of four high-profile district experiments in school turnaround; (3) School: Close analysis of five high-performing, high-poverty schools that can help us visualize the end goal of turnaround efforts; and (4) Student: Summary of emerging research on the three categories of impact that poverty has on students' readiness to learn. (Contains 36 resources.) [For the main report, &quot;The Turnaround Challenge: Why America's Best Opportunity to Dramatically Improve Student Achievement Lies in Our Worst-Performing Schools,&quot; see ED538298. For &quot;The Turnaround Challenge: Why America's Best Opportunity to Dramatically Improve Student Achievement Lies in Our Worst-Performing Schools. Executive Summary,&quot; see ED538309.]
The Unfinished Agenda: Charting a Course for the Second Decade of Massachusetts Education Reform
Author: Mass Insight Education
Date: 2005-02-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Graduation Requirements,Educational Change,Academic Standards,Educational Improvement,School Districts,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Accountability,Mathematics Achievement,Science Achievement,Scores

The first decade of education reform in Massachusetts focused on setting--for the first time--rigorous, statewide academic standards, establishing high-quality tests tied to those standards, and successfully implementing a graduation requirement staked to minimally acceptable skills. Substantial new state funding provided support for the goals of higher standards. It's now time to build on the accomplishments of that first decade. Massachusetts must set new goals and help schools continue to raise student achievement with a comprehensive package of targeted funding and new reforms. &quot;New goals, new funding&quot; and &quot;new reforms&quot; must be adopted as an integrated package, because (as the authors learned so clearly in the first decade) overall success depends on clarity and accomplishment in each of these areas. In this report, the Great Schools Campaign outlines its vision for the next generation of education reform in Massachusetts.