ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Key Questions for Reviewing Virtual Charter School Proposals
Author: National Association of Charter School Authorizers
Date: 2011-10-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Charter Schools,Proposal Writing,Governance,Students,Curriculum,Educational Methods,Evaluation Methods,Data Collection,Special Education,Physical Education,Health Programs,Educational Technology,Instructional Leadership,School Personnel,Professional Development,Educational Administration,Educational Finance,Educational Development,Virtual Classrooms

This document contains key questions to consider when evaluating virtual charter school proposals.The insert is designed to help authorizers evaluate school quality and capacity in light of the distinctive attributes of virtual schooling. These questions address major functional areas as well essential questions that authorizers should ask of applicants for any kind of charter school. The following areas are covered: (1) Governance; (2) Targeted Student Population; (3) Curriculum & Instructional Model; (4) Assessment and Data Management; Special Education; (5) Health and Physical Education; (6) Technology; (7) Leadership, Staffing, Teaching, and Professional Development; (8) Operations; (9) Finances; (10) Performance Record; and (11) Growth Plans & Capacities. (Contains 3 footnotes.) [This insert is to be used with "School Quality in the Cloud: Guidelines for Authorizing Virtual Charter Schools," by Margaret Lin. Authorizing Matters Issue Brief. Cyber Series. October 2011.]
Learning to Succeed at Scale. NACSA Monograph
Author: Higgins, Monica
Date: 2008-10-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Urban Schools,Charter Schools,Educational Change,Success,Elementary Secondary Education,Educational Administration,Social Capital,Participative Decision Making,Administrative Organization,Educational Quality,School Effectiveness,School Districts,Human Capital,Reinforcement,Social Influences,Change Strategies,Career Development,Student Recruitment,Entrepreneurship,Leadership Qualities

Given the desperate plight of urban schooling and the disheartening track record of conventional reform, dynamic new ventures like the KIPP Academies, Edison, or Green Dot Public Schools are increasingly being asked to stand in for failing district schools. While promising, these ventures have thus far typically been characterized by "one-off" examples of success that are extraordinarily reliant on talent and passion, philanthropic funding and exhausting work schedules. A less popular but more promising course, and the one explored in this monograph, is to help successful new ventures grow in a more sure-footed manner by considering how factors that fed early success may need to be revisited. While there are lessons for traditional K-12 districts, the challenges associated with changing established districts are substantially different from those faced by charter networks and charter management organizations (CMOs). The focus here is on how nontraditional educational entrepreneurs can help themselves "grow smart." (Contains 1 table and 15 notes.)
Strengthening Cal Grants to Better Serve Today's Students: Analysis and Recommendations
Author: Institute for College Access & Success
Date: 2013-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Student Financial Aid,Grants,State Aid,College Students,Disproportionate Representation,Low Income Groups,Minority Group Students,Eligibility,Tuition,Public Colleges,Community Colleges,Private Colleges,Proprietary Schools

California needs 2.3 million more people with postsecondary credentials by 2025, but that goal cannot be achieved at current college completion rates. Overall, only 32 percent of California college students complete credentials on time. Low-income students are much less likely than higher income students to enroll in or complete college, and these income gaps have grown in recent decades. At community colleges, which enroll the majority of the state's low-income students, African-American and Latino students are much less likely than white students to complete credentials. The state must do better to fulfill its promise of equitable opportunity for all students. Providing more than $1.5 billion in need-based financial aid to California's college students, the Cal Grant program is a substantial state investment in college access and success. Still, there is room to improve Cal Grants. Awards for many qualifying students have been stagnant for decades, and many of California's low-income college students are left out of the program
entirely.  Among students who do receive Cal Grants, those who are underrepresented in higher education--African Americans, Latinos, Native
Americans, and Pacific Islanders--receive smaller grants than white students. The same is true of the neediest students--their grants are smaller than those of better-off peers. It is clear we need to enable more students to graduate, overcome widening income gaps in college enrollment and completion, and eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in educational attainment. Improving the Cal Grant program so that more students are served, and served well, is critical to making progress on these three interrelated fronts.
Charter School Authorizer Funding. Policy Guide
Author: Cass, Rebecca
Date: 2009-07-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Charter Schools,Educational Finance,School Administration,Financial Support,State Policy,Resource Allocation,State Aid,Budgets,Fees,Accountability

As representatives of the public's interests in public charter schools, authorizers lie at the foundation of a quality charter school sector. The core functions of authorizing--charter school approval, oversight and evaluation--are essential in promoting and upholding charter school quality. To carry out these functions professionally and effectively, authorizers require sufficient resources. Until recently, the charter school sector and state charter school policy have focused almost exclusively on the schools themselves, giving scant attention to charter school authorizing. As a result, authorizers are often under-resourced, lacking the capacity to fulfill their responsibilities effectively. The result has too often been poor authorizing practices that, in turn, contribute to low-quality charter schools. Weak authorizers are more likely to approve weak applications for new schools, more likely to renew low-performing charter schools, and more likely to either over-regulate the schools they monitor or not monitor them at all. Ensuring that authorizing agencies have sufficient funding to execute their duties professionally is essential for quality authorizing and quality charter schools. State charter school policy should provide for adequate authorizer funding as an essential element of the charter school infrastructure. This policy guide discusses key considerations for policymakers in setting authorizer funding provisions and provides recommendations and best practices for state policy on authorizer funding. A list of resources is included, and a chart of authorizing fees by state is appended. (Contains 3 notes.)
Policy Reforms and De-Professionalization of Teaching
Author: Milner, H. Richard, IV.
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Educational Change,Educational Policy,Standardized Tests,Scores,Teacher Evaluation,Teacher Effectiveness,Academic Achievement,Teacher Role,Teacher Education Programs,Teaching Methods,Alternative Teacher Certification,Curriculum Design,Decision Making,Professional Development,Creativity

This brief discusses how three recent popular educational reform policies move teaching towards or away from professionalization. These reforms are (1) policies that evaluate teachers based on students' annual standardized test score gains, and specifically, those based on value-added assessment; (2) fast-track teacher preparation and licensure; and (3) scripted, narrowed curricula. These particular policy reforms are considered because of their contemporary prominence and the fact that they directly influence the way teaching is perceived. This analysis demonstrates that these three reforms, on the whole, lower the professional status of teaching. The pattern is nuanced, however. For instance, value-added teacher evaluation policies could be viewed as increasing professional status by their heavy emphasis on the role teachers can play on student achievement. To the contrary, value-added policies can be considered &quot;de-professionalizing&quot;: pressuring teachers to mechanically teach to tests while systematically devaluing the broader yet essential elements of teaching. Alternative, fast-track teacher preparation programs, such as Teach For America, purport to recruit from academic elites, which can be seen as a step towards professionalization. At the same time, fast-track teacher preparation and licensure programs de-professionalize teaching by the lack of focus on pedagogical training, the small amount of time dedicated to preparing teachers to teach, the assignment of inexperienced personnel to the most challenging schools, and the itinerate nature of these teachers. Scripted and narrowed curriculum could be said to move teaching closer to professional status by defining what should and will be covered. To the contrary, scripted and narrowed curriculum moves teaching away from professionalization by not allowing teachers to rely on their professional judgment to make curricula decisions for student learning, with the consequent sacrifice of higher-level learning, creativity, flexibility, and breadth of learning. (Contains 3 tables. References include notes.)
Charter School Performance Accountability. Policy Guide
Author: Lin, Margaret
Date: 2009-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Charter Schools,Accountability,Educational Quality,Disadvantaged Youth,Institutional Autonomy,Outcomes of Education,Money Management,Compliance (Legal),State Legislation,Public Officials,Best Practices,Educational Administration,Academic Standards,Educational Indicators,Measures (Individuals),Academic Achievement,Performance Factors

Charter schools emerged in the early 1990s as a strategy for improving student learning and increasing quality educational options, often for underserved students and communities. The charter school idea centers on the promise of increased autonomy for accountability for results. Thus, the charter movement has helped to lead the charge--and has provided valuable models and lessons--for greater accountability in public education. Performance accountability for charter schools means accountability for both academic and operational performance, focusing on objective outcomes rather than inputs. It includes, but goes beyond, legal and regulatory compliance. In a well-designed statewide accountability system for charter schools, the state establishes minimum standards and essential elements to guide charter school evaluation generally, while enabling authorizers to develop the details of the contract in conjunction with the schools they oversee. Operational accountability for charter schools includes both financial management and legal compliance. State charter school laws should (and most do) explicitly state that financial mismanagement or material violation of applicable laws is grounds for revoking or not renewing a contract. These domains are generally straightforward for authorizers to assess through objective means such as regular financial audits and compliance audits. In contrast, academic accountability is often inadequately addressed in state charter school laws, and thus thornier for authorizers to enforce. Policymakers can improve state law and policy to help authorizers make educational judgments that are grounded in sound data, firmly defensible, and less vulnerable to endless debate and controversy. This policy guide provides background on charter school performance accountability, key considerations for policymakers in structuring sound performance accountability for charter schools, and recommendations and best practices for state policy on performance accountability. A list of resources is included. (Contains 7 endnotes.)
Minimum Competencies for Teaching Undergraduate Sport Philosophy Courses. Guidance Document
Author: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, National Association for Sport and Physical Education
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Physical Activities,Class Activities,Athletics,Undergraduate Students,Undergraduate Study,Instructional Effectiveness,Teacher Competencies,Values,Ethics,Philosophy

Although sport philosophy is considered to be a sub-discipline with its own unique body of knowledge, sport philosophy is more commonly offered as a single course rather than a degree program. Therefore, these guidelines are offered specifically for the teaching of a single course at the undergraduate level. In order to be effective, the course must consider the specific programs offered (e.g., pedagogy, wellness, sport science, sport management, and athletic training). Further, the proposed guidelines are primarily intended for those individuals who are charged with teaching a sport philosophy course without having an extensive background in sport philosophy. A list of suggested textbooks is included.
National Writing Project. 2011-2012 Report
Author: National Writing Project
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Finance,Writing Instruction,Writing Teachers,Teacher Leadership,Teacher Collaboration,Teacher Role,Writing Achievement,Elementary Secondary Education,Writing (Composition),Writing Skills,Summer Programs,National Programs,Faculty Development

This National Writing Project 2011-2012 Report describes how Writing Project teacher-leaders study and share effective practices that enhance student writing and learning, work collaboratively with other educators, design resources, and take on new roles in effecting positive change. It includes a financial summary for years ended September 30 for years 2010 and 2011.
Enhancing Home Involvement to Address Barriers to Learning: A Collaborative Process. A Center Report
Author: University of California, Los Angeles. Center for Mental Health in Schools
Date: 2011-12-00
Type: Tests/Questionnaires
Subjects: Family School Relationship,Parent Participation,School Community Relationship,Family Environment,Parent Role,School Role,Partnerships in Education,Caregivers,Special Education,Barriers,Negative Attitudes,Educational Resources,Low Income Groups,Minority Groups,Intervention,Empowerment,Governance

For schools to significantly enhance home involvement will require (1) broadening the focus beyond thinking only in terms of parents and (2) enhancing the range of ways in which schools connect with primary caretakers. Particular attention must be given to outreaching to those who are reluctant to engage with the school, especially if they have a child who is not doing well. Also, to avoid marginalization and minimize fragmentation, it is essential to embed home involvement interventions into an overall approach for addressing factors interfering with school learning and performance and fully integrate the work into school improvement policy and practice. Appended are: (1) Home Involvement in Schooling; and (2) School-Community Collaboration  (Contains 3 exhibits.)
"Not Another Team!" School Improvement Infrastructure Viewed through the Lens of Addressing Barriers to Learning and Teaching. A Center Policy & Practice Brief
Author: University of California, Los Angeles. Center for Mental Health in Schools
Date: 2011-11-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Change,Educational Improvement,Educational Practices,Educational Policy,Barriers,Change Strategies,Capacity Building,Teamwork,Committees,Systems Approach,Holistic Approach,Educational Administration,Policy Analysis,Leadership Styles

This brief underscores the need to rethink the proliferation of school teams, work groups, and committees. While such mechanisms are essential to enhancing school improvement, they must be designed in a delimited way to carry out fundamental functions and must be fully integrated with each other. From a functional perspective, because of current marginalization and fragmentation, particular attention must be paid to mechanisms for developing a comprehensive system of student and learning supports. Appended are: (1) What is a Learning Supports Leadership Team?; and (2) Resource Aids for Developing a Leadership Team for an Enabling or Learning Supports Component. (Contains 2 resources and 1 exhibit.)
Pursuing Promise Neighborhoods: With or without the Grant Program. A Center Policy & Practice Brief. Revised
Author: University of California, Los Angeles. Center for Mental Health in Schools
Date: 2012-08-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Neighborhoods,Grants,Federal Programs,Access to Education,Educational Quality,Family School Relationship,School Community Relationship,Financial Support,Partnerships in Education,Educational Finance,Curriculum,Equal Education,School Community Programs,Intervention,Health Promotion,Child Health,Child Development,Shared Resources and Services,Course Content,Program Development,Teamwork,Leadership Responsibility

The federal "Promise Neighborhoods" program underscores the importance of all children and youth having "access to great schools and strong systems of family and community support that will prepare them to attain an excellent education and successfully transition to college and a career." From this perspective, this brief stresses the importance for grantees to use what has been learned about: (1) rethinking and coalescing existing programs and services in order to develop a unified and comprehensive system; and (2) establishing an effective school, home, and community collaborative  to weave together different funding streams, reduce redundancy, and redeploy available resources. The brief also states that there is no reason for non-grantees to wait for findings from the demonstration projects. Any locale, despite sparse dollars, can use available resources to begin the process. As design aids, prototypes are offered for a unifying intervention framework and for a school, home, and community collaborative infrastructure. An appendix presents "About the Promising Neighborhoods Grants." (Contains 4 exhibits.)
Implementation Science and Innovative Transformation of Schools and Communities. A Center Brief
Author: University of California, Los Angeles. Center for Mental Health in Schools
Date: 2013-03-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Program Implementation,Program Effectiveness,Educational Change,Fidelity,School Community Relationship,Educational Innovation,School Districts,Benchmarking,Check Lists,Progress Monitoring,Barriers,Intervention,Formative Evaluation,Summative Evaluation,Educational Policy

Increasing attention to "Implementation Research" and the "Implementation Problem" has given rise to confusion about matters such as the role of "empirically-supported practices," "fidelity of implementation," and "monitoring fidelity of implementation." To clarify the matters, we approach these topics from the broad perspective of efforts to transform schools and their relationship to the surrounding community and with reference to the literature on diffusion of innovations and enabling major systemic changes. Such a perspective points to the need to expand implementation research and practice in ways that focus on the complexities of (a) facilitating essential systemic changes for implementing a comprehensive approach at specific sites, (b) replicating the approach across a school district, and (c) sustaining and evolving what has been implemented. Appended are: (1) Benchmark Checklist for Monitoring and Reviewing Progress
in Developing a Comprehensive System to Address Barriers to Learning and Teaching; and (2) Examples of Indicators of Impact.
Designing School Improvement to Enhance Classroom Climate for All Students. A Center Report
Author: University of California, Los Angeles. Center for Mental Health in Schools
Date: 2011-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Classroom Environment,Educational Improvement,Educational Environment,School Effectiveness,Interpersonal Relationship,Interaction,School Culture,Educational Research,Teacher Role,Student Role,Educational Quality,Leadership Responsibility,Teaching Methods,Student Participation,School Community Relationship,Teacher Collaboration,School Size,Stakeholders,Student Needs,Intervention,Prevention,Well Being,Health Promotion,Family School Relationship,Altruism

Everyone agrees that schools should ensure a positive school climate. Less
agreement exists, however, about what this means and how to accomplish it.
This is especially so when the call is for developing a safe and supportive
environment that also is nurturing and caring and that provides all students with an equal opportunity to succeed. Equity concerns are heightened when schools are viewed using the lens of how they interface with students who are struggling academically, acting out, and experiencing conflictual relationships with school staff and peers. Findings suggest that general strategies designed to enhance school climate often are insufficient for changing the perceptions of such students. This report draws on recent literature to briefly (1) discuss the construct of school climate and (2) outline ways to approach improving school climate that account for the full range of students enrolled in a school. Two appendices are included: (1) A Few Examples to Illustrate School Climate Research Findings; and (2) Programs Organized into Six Arenas Reflecting the Activity's Content. (Contains 4 exhibits and 3 notes.)
What Every Leader for School Improvement Needs to Know about Student and Learning Supports. A Center Policy and Practice Brief
Author: University of California, Los Angeles. Center for Mental Health in Schools
Date: 2011-06-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Educational Administration,Educational Practices,Educational Policy,Educational Improvement,Barriers,Performance Factors,Synthesis,Information Sources,Improvement Programs,Instructional Improvement,Student Improvement,Program Effectiveness,Educational Indicators

Every school is confronted with many concerns about improving students'
achievement and well-being and enhancing school climate. While the emphasis shifts, there is constant pressure to do more about learning problems; bullying, harassment, and other forms of violence and acting out behavior at school; substance abuse; disconnected students; nonattendance; dropouts; teen pregnancy; suicide prevention; and on and on. Clearly, schools and districts that have many students who manifest problems such as these are especially challenged when it comes to increasing achievement test score averages. Prevailing efforts to address such problems are not well conceived in school improvement policy and practice. Based on previous Center policy and practice analyses, this brief report provides a synthesis of (1) some key challenges for school improvement related to addressing barriers to learning and teaching and (2) implications for improving how schools deal with such challenges. Also included are (a) references to the Center analyses from which this synthesis was derived and (b) guides for leadership development.