ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
How School Districts Can Stretch the School Dollar. Policy Brief
Author: Petrilli, Michael J.
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Finance,School Districts,Elementary Secondary Education,Budgeting,Retrenchment,Productivity,Teacher Salaries,Technology Integration

While the economy may be turning around, local school districts nationwide continue to struggle mightily. The "new normal" of tougher budget times is here to stay for American K-12 education. So how can local officials cope? This policy brief provides a useful tool for navigating the financial challenges of the current school-funding climate, complete with clear dos and don'ts for anyone involved in or concerned with local education budgets. Author Michael J. Petrilli argues that quick fixes won't solve the problem, nor will slashing teacher salaries. Instead, creative, thoughtful, and fundamental changes are needed to address our budget crisis without hurting children.
Education Reform for the Digital Era
Author: Finn, Chester E., Ed., Jr.
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Collected Works - General
Subjects: Charter Schools,Quality Control,Educational Change,Educational Technology,Influence of Technology,Blended Learning,Web Based Instruction,Educational Finance,Governance,Educational Policy,School Personnel,Educational Quality,Barriers,Policy Analysis,Costs,Teacher Role,Teacher Effectiveness,Educational Innovation,Teacher Education,Unions,Work Environment,Educational Environment,Distance Education,Educational History,Commercialization,Expenditure per Student,Pupil Personnel Services,Academic Support Services,Standards,Elementary Secondary Education

Will the digital-learning movement repeat the mistakes of the charter-school movement? How much more successful might today's charter universe look if yesterday's proponents had focused on the policies and practices needed to ensure its quality, freedom, and resources over the long term? What mistakes might have been avoided? Damaging scandals forestalled? Missed opportunities seized? Can we be smarter about taking high-quality online and blended schools to scale--and to educational success? Yes, says this volume, as it addresses such thorny policy issues as quality control, staffing, funding, and governance for the digital sector. In these pages, the authors show how current arrangements need to change--often radically--if instructional technology is to realize its potential. Each chapter contains endnotes.
Putting a Price Tag on the Common Core: How Much Will Smart Implementation Cost?
Author: Murphy, Patrick
Date: 2012-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Expenditures,State Standards,Costs,Academic Standards,Language Arts,English Instruction,Mathematics Education,Educational Change,Educational Finance,State Government,Models,Resource Allocation,Budgets,School Districts,Educational Technology,Data Collection

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English language arts and mathematics represent a sea change in standards-based reform and their implementation is the movement's next--and greatest--challenge. Yet, while most states have now set forth implementation plans, these tomes seldom address the crucial matter of cost. Putting a Price Tag on the Common Core: How Much Will Smart Implementation Cost? estimates the implementation cost for each of the forty-five states (and the District of Columbia) that have adopted the Common Core State Standards and shows that costs naturally depend on how states approach implementation. Authors Patrick J. Murphy of the University of San Francisco and Elliot Regenstein of Education Counsel LLC illustrate this with three models: (1) Business as Usual; (2) Bare Bones; and (3) Balanced Implementation. The report examines the tradeoffs associated with each strategy and estimates how much the three approaches would cost each state that has adopted the Common Core. The authors also point out that, since states already invest billions annually in professional development, assessments, textbooks, and other expenses in connection with existing standards, proper forecasting of Common Core costs should &quot;net out&quot; the sums that states would spend anyway for activities that this implementation process will replace. Appended are: (1) Technology in Common Core Implementation; (2) District Budget Estimates; (3) Data Sources; and (4) States' Common  Core Resources. (Contains 9 tables and 93 endnotes.) [This report was written with Keith McNamara. Foreword by Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Amber M. Winkler.]
Teacher Compensation Based on Effectiveness: The Harrison (CO) School District's Pay-for-Performance Plan
Author: Miles, F. Mike
Date: 2012-03-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Teacher Effectiveness,Teacher Salaries,Merit Pay,Teacher Evaluation,School Districts,Academic Achievement,Performance,Costs,Teacher Placement,Faculty Mobility,Educational Assessment,Scoring Rubrics

A teacher's effectiveness has a tremendous impact on a child's learning and academic trajectory. Yet knowing that, and being able to create teacher evaluation systems that successfully measure and document teacher effectiveness, are two very different things. In fact, for as long as anyone can remember, a public school teacher's effectiveness and performance in Ohio classrooms-as in the rest of America- haven't been measured much at all. These critical factors have had little impact on decisions about whether she is retained by her district or laid off, how she is compensated or assigned to a district's school, or how her professional development is crafted. This report, authored by Superintendent Mike Miles, takes a detailed look at the Harrison (CO) School District 2's Pay-for-Performance Plan. The Harrison Plan confronted the dual challenges of defining an effective teacher then identifying all the things that demonstrate her effectiveness. This how-to guide is meant to serve as a tool and model for Ohio's school districts. Appended are: (1) Key Details of Harrison Pay-for-Performance Plan; (2) Harrison's Quarterly and Semester Exams; (3) Major Decisions of the Harrison Plan Focus Group; (4) Suggested Two-Year Implementation Timeline; (5) 2011-2012 District Assessment Schedule; (6) Sample Achievement Template--4th and 5th Grades; (7) Individual Student Achievement Goal Rubric; (8) Distinguished Teacher Evaluation Rubric; (9) Principal Input for the DTE Review Process; and (10) Matrix for Improving Schools. (Contains 4 charts and 2 figures.) [This report was written with Ellen Belcher. Foreword by Emmy L. Partin and Terry Ryan.]
Halting a Runaway Train: Reforming Teacher Pensions for the 21st Century
Author: Lafferty, Michael B.
Date: 2011-10-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Retirement Benefits,Teacher Retirement,Public School Teachers,Government Employees,Federal Government,State Government,Local Government,Counties,Employees,Corporations,State Universities,Charter Schools,Finance Reform,Case Studies

When it comes to public-sector pensions, writes lead author Michael B. Lafferty in this report, &quot;A major public-policy (and public-finance) problem has been defined and measured, debated and deliberated, but not yet solved. Except where it has been.&quot; As recounted in &quot;Halting a Runaway Train: Reforming Teacher Pensions for the 21st Century&quot;, these exceptions turn out to be revealing--and encouraging. As leaders around the country struggle to overhaul America's controversial and precarious public-sector pensions, this study draws on examples from diverse fields to provide a primer on successful pension reform. Chapters include footnotes. [This paper was written with Chester E. Finn, Jr., Janie Scull, and Amber M. Winkler.]
California's Early Assessment Program: Its Effectiveness and the Obstacles to Successful Program Implementation
Author: McLean, Hilary
Date: 2012-03-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: State Standards,Program Implementation,Program Effectiveness,Educational Assessment,Barriers,College Readiness,High School Students,Program Descriptions,Alignment (Education),Educational Research,Access to Education,Program Evaluation,Academic Support Services,Reading Tests,Writing Tests,Mathematics Tests,Online Courses,High Stakes Tests,Colleges,Educational Policy,Policy Analysis,Educational Legislation,State Legislation,School Districts,Core Curriculum,Educational Diagnosis,Educational Testing,Diagnostic Tests,Student Placement,Remedial Instruction,College Preparation

The Early Assessment Program (EAP) has emerged as a national model for states seeking to design policies that increase the number of students who leave high school ready for college and careers. In addition, the two national consortia designing new assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards have recognized the EAP as a model for the design of new high school assessments, which California will implement in 2014-15. The report was written by Hilary McLean of Capitol Impact, LLC. The report describes the key features of the EAP, with a particular focus on the ways in which the program can help to strengthen coherence and alignment in California's fragmented educational system. The report reviews the available research on the EAP and its impact on student access and success in post-secondary education, and identifies ways in which the program could be modified to increase its value to California students and educators. Statement Signed By California Diploma  Project Signatories is appended. (Contains 2 figures.)
Integrating Student Services with Instruction: Chaffey College's Long Journey to Success. Working Paper. Basic Skills Instruction in California Community Colleges, Number 5
Author: Gabriner, Robert
Date: 2012-02-03
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Community Colleges,Two Year College Students,Developmental Studies Programs,Academic Support Services,Student Personnel Services,School Culture,College Instruction,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,Educational Innovation,Educational Policy,Policy Analysis,Program Descriptions,Program Effectiveness,Integrated Activities,Educational Cooperation,Basic Skills,College Administration,College Outcomes Assessment

Chaffey College, a three campus college with approximately 20,000 students located California's Inland Empire, has become the destination of many community college practitioners from around the country. The reason why? Over the past ten years, the college has become nationally-known as an institution with a &quot;risk tolerant change-oriented culture&quot; and a signature set of student support programs that produce impressive performance outcomes for Chaffey students. Robert Gabriner, San Francisco State University and Norton Grubb, University of California, Berkeley, talked to the faculty and the administration about Chaffey's success story. And they were not disappointed: they learned a great deal which is summarized in this working paper. Their primary concern, in visiting 14 California colleges including Chaffey and numerous other colleges for specific innovations, has been to examine the quality of instruction in basic skills. But colleges have increasingly turned to student support services to enhance the success of their developmental programs. According to lore, Chaffey promised to have a broader variety of services than most colleges; and contrary to the pattern of separation and even hostility between instruction and student support, Chaffey had apparently developed a model of integrating student support and developmental education that the authors needed to understand. Even though their analysis focuses on various support services, the Chaffey story is really one of developing a broad structure necessary for success both specifically in developmental education and more generally for all students. (Contains 1 figure and 8 endnotes.)
Getting Down to Facts: Five Years Later
Author: Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE)
Date: 2012-05-00
Type: Collected Works - General
Subjects: Educational Finance,Finance Reform,State Legislation,Educational Policy,Policy Formation,School Districts,Educational Change,Educational Improvement,Educational Quality,Governance,School Personnel,Data Collection,Parents,Activism,Funding Formulas,Budgets

This report commemorates the fifth anniversary of the Getting Down to Facts project, which sought to provide a thorough and reliable analysis of the critical challenges facing California's education system as the necessary basis for an informed discussion of policy changes aimed at improving the performance of California schools and students. The report focuses on the four key issues that received emphasis in the Getting Down to Facts studies: governance, finance, personnel, and data systems. The authors review what has changed and what has not in the five years since the original studies were completed, and reaffirm the importance of a long-term agenda for reform in California's education system that is guided by solid evidence and rigorous analysis. [This report was supported by the California Education Policy Fund.]
Programs for Middle School Math: An Inventory of Existing Technology. Working Paper
Author: Saultz, Andrew
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Middle Schools,Secondary School Mathematics,Mathematics Instruction,Educational Technology,Technology Integration,Computer Software,Computer Uses in Education

In this working paper, Andrew Saultz of Michigan State University inventories the current landscape of technology programs available for middle school math. The working paper is not intended as a "consumers' guide" to technology programs, and the descriptions of some specific programs are not fully accurate or current. Readers who are interested in specific programs should consult the providers directly; web addresses are included in the working paper. The working paper also does not provide an all-inclusive list of every mathematical program available, as this is a rapidly evolving industry; rather, Saultz's report is intended to demonstrate the wide variety of existing programs. The paper makes clear that a large and growing number of options currently exist for policymakers and educators looking to incorporate technology into the teaching of middle school mathematics. The paper also notes that only few of these programs have yet been subjected to rigorous evaluation of their effectiveness with students.
School Finance Reform: A Weighted Pupil Formula for California. Report 1
Author: Perry, Mary
Date: 2012-05-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Funding Formulas,Finance Reform,Educational Finance,Expenditure per Student,Educational Policy,Policy Analysis,Educational Legislation,State Legislation,Resource Allocation,School Support,State Aid,School Districts,Politics of Education,Educational History,Administrative Principles,Educational Equity (Finance),Financial Policy

Governor Jerry Brown has called for a major overhaul of California's school finance policies. His proposal for a weighted pupil funding system would simplify the rules that govern the distribution of funds to schools and school districts, while targeting a larger share of available resources to the schools and students with the greatest needs. In this policy report Mary Perry offers an overview and analysis of the policy change that the Governor has proposed. She reviews criticisms of California's current school funding system, the basic principles that define a weighted pupil funding formula, the key features of Governor Brown's proposal to the Legislature, and some of the political and practical issues raised by a move to weighted pupil funding.
Using Data to Guide State Education Policy and Practice. Issue Brief
Author: National Governors Association, Center for Best Practices
Date: 2012-02-15
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Expenditures,Data Collection,Individualized Instruction,Educational Policy,Data Analysis,School Districts,Policy Formation,State Government,Academic Standards,Academic Achievement,Stakeholders,Intervention,Educational Finance,Correlation,Access to Information

In fewer than 10 years, states and districts have taken bold steps to build and improve systems that collect data about students, staffing and expenditures, but the data do not often provide adequate information to guide policy and practice. Increasing amounts of data are now available to parents, educators, researchers and policymakers. However, it has not been fully utilized because critical data are not collected, which can limit policymakers and educators ability to diagnose problems and offer solutions. This brief offers practical policy options to remove those obstacles and ensure the right data are being captured and interpreted. This brief outlines how governors can promote the greater use of data in their states by: (1) Collecting more actionable data designed to meet identified stakeholder questions, such as information on students' mastery of standards, the effects of academic interventions on student performance and a clearer link between school and district expenditures and student performance; (2) Linking multiple data systems through the adoption and use of common, open data standards; and (3) Providing new tools for aggregating and analyzing data that ease educators' ability to offer individualized instruction and support policymakers' ability to monitor performance. (Contains 15 endnotes.)
New Models of Teacher Compensation: &quot;Lessons Learned from Six States&quot;. Issue Brief
Author: National Governors Association, Center for Best Practices
Date: 2011-12-20
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Expertise,Faculty Development,Models,Teacher Salaries,Compensation (Remuneration),Merit Pay,Academic Achievement,Correlation,Teacher Effectiveness,Teacher Evaluation,State Legislation

Governors and other state leaders have shown an increasing interest in creating new models of teacher compensation that would reward educators based on their contributions to student learning. To support this interest, the National Governors Association (NGA) hosted a policy academy focusing on that issue. The policy academy provided teams with assistance and advice from NGA Center staff, access to other experts and an opportunity to network with other states confronting similar issues and challenges. During the academy, state leadership teams recognized some common challenges, allowing them to learn from each other, share best practices and commit to some common principles that could guide their efforts. This paper looks at those discussions. (Contains 28 endnotes.)
Creating a College and Career Readiness Accountability Model for High Schools. Issue Brief
Author: National Governors Association, Center for Best Practices
Date: 2012-01-29
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: High Schools,Federal Legislation,Incentives,Educational Change,Federal Government,Educational Environment,Accountability,College Preparation,Job Skills,Models,High School Students,Educational Legislation,Educational Improvement,Academic Achievement,Educational Quality,School Districts,Evaluation Methods,Graduation Rate,At Risk Students

The federal government announced in late 2011 that as an alternative to waiting for Congress to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the U.S. Secretary of Education would consider requests from states to waive certain requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). The opportunity to request waivers carries with it a requirement that states develop new systems of accountability that support educators, improve academic achievement, and close achievement gaps. The federal waiver process presents a unique opportunity for states to create accountability systems that focus on preparing students for college and careers. After careful consideration of current state and district accountability models for high schools and conversations with a number of state education leaders about accountability, this issue brief recommends that states consider the following principles when designing a college career readiness accountability system for high schools: (1) Use multiple measures to determine school and district performance in the areas of assessment, graduation, college and career readiness, and school environment; (2) Provide incentives for preparing the hardest-to-serve students for college and career, including comparing the performance of schools and districts with similar student populations; and (3) Set realistic targets for accountability measures that are grounded in research and realistic given past school or district performance. Proposed State High School Accountability Measures are appended. (Contains 24 notes.)
The Role of Informal Science in the State Education Agenda. Issue Brief
Author: Thomasian, John
Date: 2012-03-29
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Careers,Science Activities,Informal Education,Summer Programs,Science Interests,Museums,Elementary Secondary Education,STEM Education,Student Interests,After School Programs,Science Teaching Centers,Science Careers,Faculty Development,Expertise,Specialists,Academic Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Science Achievement

Many governors have launched initiatives to raise student proficiency in math and science and encourage youth to pursue careers in STEM fields (i.e., science, technology, engineering, and math). Individuals with strong STEM skills play vital roles in technological innovation and economic growth and are rewarded with more secure jobs and higher compensation throughout their lifetimes compared to those without such skills. Many obstacles stand in the way of improving STEM outcomes, not the least of which is increasing the number of students who are interested in entering the STEM pipeline. Students must be motivated to pursue STEM. They must have time, resources, and opportunities to learn and practice STEM skills. And they must see the connections between STEM knowledge and the real world so they can envision careers. Given that students in grades 1-12 spend only about 18.5 percent of their waking hours in formal classroom environments, spread across multiple subjects, there simply is not enough time for many students to learn STEM skills, apply them, and understand how they relate to potential STEM careers. Informal science can help students overcome those obstacles by generating interest in science, stimulating inquiry through organized activities outside the classroom, and exposing youth to the opportunities that STEM knowledge presents. Informal science experiences can help students see how their continued investment in STEM education opens doors to an exciting future. This paper reviews the value of informal science activities, which can occur at after-school and summer programs for children, in science centers and museums, through virtual programs over the internet, and through science competitions, to name a few examples. The paper also discusses how states can maximize the role of informal science in the state education agenda, and take advantage of a resource that can help achieve the states' STEM goals. (Contains 30 endnotes.)