ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Back on Track to College: A Texas School District Leverages State Policy to Put Dropouts on the Path to Success
Author: Allen, Lili
Date: 2010-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: High Schools,Graduation Rate,Dropout Rate,School Districts,Out of School Youth,Continuation Students,High School Equivalency Programs,Dropout Programs,State Regulation,Program Descriptions,Program Design,College Preparation,Effective Schools Research,Outreach Programs

In the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District has achieved a startling success over the last two years: it has recovered and graduated over 600 dropouts and put them on a clear pathway to college. Just a few years ago, low graduation rates, struggling high schools, and poor staff and student morale characterized this predominantly Hispanic and low-income tri-city community. Since then, the dropout rate has plummeted and the graduation rate is rising steadily. Under the leadership of Dr. Daniel King, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo illustrates how Texas districts can use innovative state policy to improve graduation rates by reengaging and graduating out-of-school youth. Pharr-San Juan-Alamo teamed up with South Texas College to create the College, Career, and Technology Academy (CCTA), a college-connected dropout recovery school that puts into action policies Texas has created over the past five years. Through CCTA, former dropouts complete their high school diploma and seamlessly transition into college courses when they are ready. The design is both effective and efficient. Students focus only on what they need for graduation and for college-readiness, and they begin college courses while finishing their high school requirements. Texas policies that encourage districts to recover dropouts, provide state funding for students who are over compulsory school age, and promote college-connectedness for students still in high school created the environment for a successful back-on-track program, like CCTA. This case study spotlights how the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District has leveraged policies and conditions that the Texas Legislature put into place and achieved extraordinary outcomes in not only graduating students but also in facilitating smooth transitions to postsecondary education and training. (Contains 4 endnotes.)
A Policymaker's Guide to Early College Designs: Expanding a Strategy for Achieving College Readiness for All
Author: Hoffman, Nancy
Date: 2010-10-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Measures (Individuals),Federal Government,Public Policy,High Schools,Higher Education,College Preparation,Acceleration (Education),Dual Enrollment,Educational Planning,Educational Policy,Program Implementation,Public Officials,Academic Achievement

Today, states and the federal government recognize the potential of early college designs to improve the economic prospects of future generations. But individuals are just beginning to put in place public policies that promote and support early college designs on a significant scale. Jobs for the Future (JFF) prepared this guide to help policymakers make informed decisions as they plan for and implement early college designs. It outlines what it would take to systematize and scale up early college course taking, extending the benefits to all high school students, secondary schools, and colleges across the country. JFF developed the advice and recommendations seen here from its collaborations with many talented and committed school and college leaders, teachers, other experts in practice and policy, and state policymakers. JFF's goal is to spur policymakers to adopt the lessons learned since the first early college high school opened its doors in 2002. The guide has two sections. The first section lays the groundwork, explaining early college designs, the policies needed to support them, and the status of efforts to develop these programs in states today. The second section provides the "how to": implementation vehicles, quality mechanisms, financing strategies, and the data required to track and measure outcomes. (Contains 3 tables, 1 figure and 20 endnotes.)
Students as Co-Constructors of the Learning Environment: Building Systemic Approaches for Youth Engagement
Author: Academy for Educational Development
Date: 2011-01-10
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Learner Engagement,Student Participation,Case Studies,Leadership,High School Students,School Districts,High Schools,Educational Improvement,Student Attitudes,Student Empowerment,Educational Policy

This paper presents inspiring stories of two school districts--Boston and Sacramento--that are changing their high schools through districtwide student engagement initiatives. These stories illustrate years of hard work, dedication and partnership by many young people, advocates, advisors, teachers, principals and district personnel. Each district, in its own way, developed a strategy to authentically listen to, partner with, and engage young people in ways that have allowed them to take leadership roles in improving their schools. Boston and Sacramento are two of many districts that have invested in working side by side with students. Though often challenging, their commitment to engaging students and creating opportunities for youth voice has made a real difference: new student-centered policies are being implemented, adult attitudes are changing, and schools are beginning to look more like the places that students envision them and need them to be. These case studies demonstrate that this type of authentic youth engagement requires both a broad support network and more importantly a few dedicated individuals who are able to advocate fearlessly for its inclusion. In Boston and Sacramento, these advocates have been adult champions who are skilled strategists, knowledgeable educators, and effective youth workers who were able to find that delicate balance of support and empowerment. The experiences of Boston and Sacramento also suggest that meaningful, districtwide student engagement in school policies and initiatives requires a true partnership between a diverse group of young people--some of whom may be unsure about how to find their voice in the adult-dominated world of schools--and the adults who sit on school boards and traditionally create district policies. These case studies demonstrate that, with the appropriate amount of support and training, these young people, regardless of where they begin, will be able to step up, take action, and represent their peers by voicing their opinions and advocating for change. (Contains 27 footnotes.) [This paper was co-published by Youth on Board.]
Small High Schools at Work: A Case Study of Six Gates-Funded Schools in New York City. A Report to the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation
Author: Fancsali, Cheri
Date: 2010-02-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: High Schools,College Preparation,Educational Quality,School Personnel,Teaching Methods,Philanthropic Foundations,Case Studies,Small Schools,Program Evaluation,Surveys,Interviews,Focus Groups,Observation,Classroom Environment,Instructional Effectiveness,Academic Support Services,Pupil Personnel Services,Measures (Individuals),Urban Schools,Nonprofit Organizations,Expertise,Student School Relationship,School Attitudes,Family School Relationship

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) conducted a case study of six public high schools in New York City as part of a multifaceted evaluation of a small schools initiative funded by the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation. Through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, the authors gathered information and opinions from the schools' principals, teachers, support staff, and students. They also conducted observations of classes and meetings to gather data about practices related to such vital matters as personalization, classroom instruction, college preparation, and staff collaboration. The Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation initiative tapped the expertise of intermediary organizations that provided direct supports to schools. An important part of this case study, then, was to explore how the intermediaries supported schools and how school personnel perceived the intermediaries' interventions. Guided by the research literature on effective school and classroom practices, the case study looked for evidence of the following practices related to high-quality education: (1) Intermediary support; (2) Personal and academic support; (3) Effective instructional practices; and (4) College preparation. All of the case-study schools conveyed a college-going culture to students and parents through multiple methods, and students indicated that they got the message. All of the case-study schools offered students college access activities (such as preparing for and taking entrance exams and completing college and financial aid applications) and attended to college readiness skills (the skills and abilities required to do college-level work) in their classrooms to some extent. Nonetheless, the case-study data suggest that schools approached college preparation differently. Specifically, some schools used an integrated approach while others used a compartmentalized approach. The findings of this case study suggests that some schools were more successful than others in providing personal and academic support for students, delivering effective instruction, and promoting college preparedness. The support of the intermediary organizations seemed to be a key factor in the relative success of these schools. Appendices include: (1) All Instruments Used in Case Study of Gates Small High Schools; and (2) Response Rates &amp; Respondent Characteristics. Individual sections contain footnotes. (Contains 6 figures and 24 tables.)
Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology and Transition Planning: Planned Transitions Are Smooth Transitions!
Author: Hess, Jacqueline
Date: 2010-05-07
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Assistive Technology,Developmental Stages,Family Programs,Adjustment (to Environment),Transitional Programs,Special Needs Students,Community Information Services,Guides,Accessibility (for Disabled),Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),Related Services (Special Education),Individualized Education Programs,Change Strategies,Individualized Family Service Plans,Educational Legislation,Strategic Planning,Educational Resources

The purpose of this guide is to help families prepare for those times during which their child moves from one environment to another and from one developmental stage to another. The focus of the guide is on the role of assistive technology (AT) during those times--how to consider a child's evolving AT needs, how to identify and address the AT issues that will arise as a child makes a transition, and how to develop and implement an AT transition plan. This guide includes the following sections: (1) An Introduction to Transition Planning and Assistive Technology; (2) How Make a Successful Transition with Assistive Technology; (3) Laws Governing Accommodations and Transition in Birth-12 & Postsecondary Settings; (4) Glossary of AT and Transition Terms; and (5) Additional AT and Transition Resources.
Bilingual Infant/Toddler Environments: Supporting Language & Learning in Our Youngest Children. A Guide for Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Programs
Author: Stechuk, Robert A.
Date: 2006-06-00
Type: Guides - General
Subjects: Disadvantaged Youth,Caregivers,Toddlers,Infants,Agricultural Laborers,Migrants,Language Acquisition,Child Development,Bilingualism,Early Intervention,Guides,Access to Education,Access to Health Care,Migrant Education,Second Language Learning,Parent Role

This Guide is specifically intended for staff in Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs, which are funded to provide comprehensive child development services to the children of migrant farm workers from birth through compulsory school age. The authors attempt to navigate the research on first and second language acquisition and development on infants and toddlers, consistent with the Head Start definition of "infants," (i.e., children younger than 36 months of age) (ACF, 1996). They also identify and attempt to respond to key questions and concerns obtained from MSHS program staff. At its core, this Guide aims to integrate information about children's developmental progress in acquiring one or more languages in infancy with practical considerations of how adult caregivers can best support that development. The author's aim is to produce as practical and as meaningful a resource as possible. Bilingual Infant/Toddler Environments (BI/TE) MSHS Program Questionnaire is appended.
Going Green: The Vital Role of Community Colleges in Building a Sustainable Future and Green Workforce
Author: Feldbaum, Mindy
Date: 2009-01-12
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Economic Progress,Web Sites,Community Colleges,Climate,Job Development,Sustainable Development,Labor Force Development,College Role,Energy Conservation,Energy Education,Technology Education,Educational Policy,Public Policy,Educational Strategies,Educational Practices,Educational Resources,Emerging Occupations,Partnerships in Education,Occupational Clusters,Occupational Information

The emerging transition to a low-carbon and sustainable economy holds great promise for economic growth and prosperity, innovation, and job creation. New green technologies and discoveries--coupled with new demand and forward-thinking public policies that advance sustainability and encourage public-private investments--are starting to transform the economic landscape as products, services, and jobs are reoriented toward a greener future. Community colleges are at the forefront of this growing momentum for action on climate change, sustainability, and green workforce development. Across the country, colleges are exercising leadership and meeting their social mandate to create a thriving, healthy society by modeling ways to eliminate global warming emissions, creating living classrooms on campuses, integrating sustainability principles into curricula, and educating and preparing workers for new, reoriented, or emerging jobs in the clean energy economy. This report examines the growing role of community colleges in a low-carbon, clean energy economy, and: (1) provides examples of innovative strategies and practices used by community colleges to address climate change, environmental stewardship, and green workforce development; (2) offers information on the fastest growing sectors and jobs in the clean energy/green economy that provide strategic opportunities for community colleges and their students; (3) stimulates the dialogue on the role of community colleges in creating a sustainable future; and (4) presents useful Web sites and resources for further information. Appendices include: (1) Web Sites on Climate Change and Promoting Sustainability; and (2) Web Sites on Educating and Preparing a Green Workforce. (Contains 37 endnotes.) [This paper was written with Hollyce States.]
Strengthening Education to Drive Economic Development: A Manual for Replicating &quot;The CEC Experience&quot; in Your Community
Author: Yoder, Karla
Date: 2006-12-00
Type: Guides - General
Subjects: Credentials,Economic Development,Educational Needs,Courses,Technical Institutes,College Credits,Adult Students,Education Work Relationship,Educational Experience,Work Ethic,Vocational Education,Dual Enrollment,Educational Assessment,Educational Planning,Program Implementation,Models,High Schools

The Central Educational Center (CEC) is a unique educational experience worth replicating in Georgia and nationally. It is a bold experiment--offering required academic courses and state-of-the-art technical and occupational courses to high-school students with the opportunity for dual-enrollment college credit while still in high school. Open to any high school student in the county, CEC is a career and technical center incorporating the region's technical college. There students also develop a work ethic, engage in work-based learning opportunities, and tackle real-life problems with adult students enrolled in the same technical college classes. A school experience like CEC gets students motivated to achieve and provides them the advice and credentials they need to enter fulfilling and rewarding careers. Today, the CEC experience is being replicated by other communities in the state of Georgia and hundreds from around the world have come to visit or requested information, interested in educational and economic revitalization of their own. With this level of interest in mind, the Georgia State Department of Education has funded this manual to provide information on how to replicate the CEC experience in one's community, whether in Georgia or elsewhere in the country. The manual provides a detailed history of the creation of CEC and explains how to work with partners to rethink educational needs in one's community, use a special design and development process called ADDIE, and put in place the replication effort with strategies and practical steps, based on the experience of CEC and other replicating communities. Individual sections contain footnotes.
Improving the Skills and Credentials of Migrant, Seasonal and American Indian/Alaska Native Head Start Teachers: Building from Within
Author: Cavanagh, Sean
Date: 2010-02-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Expertise,Credentials,Preschool Education,American Indians,Alaska Natives,Economically Disadvantaged,Disadvantaged Youth,Teacher Qualifications,Preschool Teachers,Academic Achievement,Educational Improvement,Teacher Effectiveness,Access to Education,Rural Areas,Transfer Policy,College Credits,Language Proficiency,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Migrant Workers,Cultural Awareness,Seasonal Employment

For over four decades, the federal Head Start program has provided millions of young children from impoverished backgrounds with access to early childhood education and basic health services. By some important measures, Head Start has helped put children on the path to academic and economic success. Teachers in the Head Start program play a crucial role in this process, by laying the foundation for preschoolers' future academic and social development. Recognizing this, policymakers and early childhood advocates have made improving the academic caliber of Head Start, and boosting the overall qualifications of the program's teaching staff, a priority. Yet many teachers and teacher assistants working in Head Start's migrant and seasonal and American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities--among the nation's most economically disadvantaged populations--face significant obstacles in pursuing college degrees and professional training. These obstacles include: (1) Lack of access to two- and four-year colleges in their rural and remote communities; (2) Difficulty transferring credits among those institutions; (3) Lack of year-round employment in teaching, where programs are seasonal; (4) An unfamiliarity with college processes and cultures; and in some cases, and (5) Lack of proficiency in English, which can make enrolling and succeeding in credit-bearing college courses extremely difficult. These teachers are a crucial, and yet underutilized resource within the Head Start community. Migrant and seasonal and AIAN Head Start teachers bring distinct cultural and linguistic backgrounds and skills--as well as an abiding passion and commitment--to their work with young children and families. Many of these teachers grew up in the Head Start communities they now serve. This paper describes the hurdles that teachers in these communities face in pursuing degrees and credentials; puts the challenges they face in context; and offers promising practices and recommendations that can strengthen this teacher corps and build the Head Start program's cultural and linguistic expertise. Individual sections contain footnotes.
AED in the United States of America
Author: Academy for Educational Development
Date: 2007-01-17
Type: Reference Materials - Directories/Catalogs
Subjects: Educational Development,Parent Participation,Marketing,Educational Change,Parent School Relationship,Behavior Change,Child Development,Child Health,Educational Improvement,Environmental Education,Health Promotion,Disabilities,Special Needs Students,Labor Force Development,Communicable Diseases,Technical Assistance,Outcomes of Education,Migrants,Charter Schools,Service Learning,American Indians,Teacher Education,Teacher Role,Educational Assessment,Citizenship Education

The Academy for Educational Development's (AED's) work in the United States includes programs with many of the nation's major foundations on issues of education reform, parental involvement in the schools, youth development and bridging the distance between school, work, and successful university education. The projects described here cover a wide range of educational innovations, including efforts at middle- and high school reform, parent involvement, charter schools, service learning, and proven tools for school self-assessments.  Ensuring that children with disabilities participate fully in school, work, and community life has been a special focus of our work, along with a commitment to early care and education for populations such as migrant workers and American Indians. In recognition of the critical  role that teachers play in improving the educational outcomes of students at all levels, AED is also focusing considerable attention on efforts to transform university-based teacher preparation. The projects described are divided into the following categories: (1) Education; (2) Environment and Transportation; (3) Health; (4) Research & Evaluation; (5) Social Marketing, Communications, and Behavior Change; and (6) Youth Development. An index is included.
Pursuing Excellence in Teacher Preparation: Evidence of Institutional Change from TNE Learning Network Universities
Author: Rogers Poliakoff, Anne
Date: 2011-01-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Evidence,Educational Development,Colleges,Organizational Change,Educational Change,Educational Policy,Educational Indicators,Teacher Education,Teacher Education Programs,Higher Education

The purpose of this report is to document evidence of institutional change in teacher preparation among universities participating in the Teachers for a New Era (TNE) Learning Network. The report is based upon a cross-case analysis of individual case studies of nine universities, conducted by Academy for Educational Development (AED) researchers. The analysis searches out common themes across these universities around four research questions identified in this report. These research questions are: (1) Is there evidence of institutional change along the lines of the TNE design principles in the preparation of teachers at these institutions?; (2) What are the primary categories of change being undertaken on each campus?; (3) What are the indicators of these institutional changes?; and (4) What aspects of the TNE Learning Network, if any, are reported to have triggered or enhanced the occurrence of change or supported its continuation? This report aims not to compare these teacher preparation programs, but rather to document parallels across their institutional experiences, highlight emerging questions and challenges, and, based upon these observations, suggest next steps in policy and programmatic practice. Appendices include: (1) TNE Learning Network Member Institutions; and (2) AED Research Team. (Contains 4 footnotes.)