ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
School District Consolidation Study in 10 Michigan Counties: Is District Consolidation Cost Effective? What Is the Alternative to Consolidation? Working Paper #15. Revised
Author: Shakrani, Sharif M.
Date: 2010-09-03
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Educational Finance,School Districts,Consolidated Schools,Counties,School District Reorganization,Cost Effectiveness,Student Transportation,Mathematical Models,Academic Achievement,Tables (Data)

As Duncomb and Yinger (2001) have stated, &quot;School consolidation represents the most dramatic change in education governance and management in the United States in the twentieth century. Over 100,000 school districts have been eliminated through consolidation since 1938, a drop of almost 90 percent (NCES 1999, Table 90). This longstanding trend continues throughout the country, largely because consolidation is widely regarded as a way for school districts to cut costs&quot; (p. 1). The study described in the present paper applies Duncomb and Yinger's methods to Michigan data, looking as possible to financial consequences of consolidation of school districts at the county level. Research data sets for 10 counties in Michigan are used to estimate cost-saving effects of consolidation, as in the Duncombe and Yinger study. It appears that significant savings can be achieved in consolidating school districts at the county level. The coordination of services also produces cost savings for the districts assuming participation in a county level (ISD) coordination of services. These findings are consistent with other research studies in New York and Indiana. However, consolidation studies conducted in Arizona and New Jersey indicated that the fiscal savings hoped for did not materialize to the extent expected. Overall, consolidation seems to make fiscal sense, particularly in rural and small districts. The coordination of services seems more palatable to Michigan communities and also produces significant reduction in cost of services such as transportation and operation. The results of this study should be of interest to state and local elected officials, to state education agency staff, and to public school administrators. The Future of School Districts Consolidation in Michigan is provided in an addendum. (Contains 1 footnote.) [This study was funded by the Booth Newspapers of Michigan.]
Reflections on School District Consolidation in Michigan. Working Paper #16
Author: Ballard, Charles L.
Date: 2010-10-25
Type: Opinion Papers
Subjects: School Districts,Teacher Attitudes,Costs,Public Policy,School District Reorganization,Local Government

In recent years, Michigan has seen a great deal of discussion of consolidation of school districts. In this brief essay, the author hopes to make clear that it is &quot;impossible&quot; to come to a definitive, airtight conclusion that is beyond controversy. School district consolidation, like so many other issues of public policy, is &quot;inherently&quot; controversial. This is because the decision of whether to consolidate does not rest solely on dispassionate analysis of data. Inevitably, the decision must also be based on values. In discussions of consolidation, the most frequently cited benefit is the reduction in expenditure that might occur when two or more districts are merged. The costs of consolidation that are cited most often are the loss of local control of education, and possibly the loss of institutions that have helped to shape the identity of the local community. This description of the salient benefits and costs has been very brief. Nevertheless, it raises a host of questions. Perhaps the biggest of these questions is how to value local control and local identity. Clearly, the answer will depend on the values of the person who is making the evaluation. The author will provide some thoughts, based on his own values. But once again the author must emphasize that other people, with other values, could reach different conclusions. (Contains 5 footnotes.)
The Role of State Courts in Securing School Facility Adequacy and Equity. Policy Report 31
Author: Mason, Mary L.
Date: 2010-02-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Educational Finance,Educational Facilities,Court Litigation,State Courts,State Schools,Educational Facilities Improvement,Educational Facilities Planning,State Legislation,State Policy,State Action,Funding Formulas,Alignment (Education),Partnerships in Education,Government Role,Resource Allocation,Financial Needs

This report examines the problem of school facility disparities in Michigan and the prospects of litigation to address this problem. First, the authors briefly review evidence of the important impact of school facilities on students, teachers, and communities. They then provide an overview of litigation aimed at state school finance systems across the U.S. The authors examine Michigan law as it relates to these issues. They present data reflecting Michigan's capital facilities problem and consider how it might be viewed by the courts. They conclude by noting the essential role of the courts, acting in concert with the state's legislative and executive branches, in establishing a policy context in which Michigan can finally address its school facility problem. (Contains 1 figure, 1 table, and 8 notes.)
One-Shot Deal? Students&apos; Perceptions of Assessment and Course Placement in California&apos;s Community Colleges
Author: Venezia, Andrea
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Community Colleges,Two Year College Students,College Readiness,Student Placement,Student Evaluation,Educational Policy,Student Attitudes,Educational Practices,Interviews,Surveys,School Counselors,High School Students,Access to Information,Knowledge Level,Evaluation Methods,School Counseling,Counselor Role,Focus Groups

There is substantial work being done--in California and nationwide--to develop college readiness standards; expand concurrent enrollment programs; communicate clearly about the key cognitive strategies necessary for postsecondary success (e.g., analytical thinking); improve student supports; and implement other approaches to improve students' postsecondary readiness and success. This report focuses on assessment and placement processes, pivotal pieces of this picture because they determine which level of courses students will be placed in when they begin community college. This study had two main purposes. One was to examine and describe the set of policies and practices that shape assessment and placement in California's community colleges. The other was to hear directly from students--whose voices are crucial yet generally missing in the policy process--about their assessment and placement experiences. The authors then compared the policies' supportive intent with the reality of the students' experiences--as well as with observations from counselors and matriculation officers--to draw conclusions about how the policies and practices may need to be adjusted. These findings add to a body of research showing that California's K-12 and community college systems are not currently structured to support successful transitions from high school to community college for a large proportion of students. An appendix presents the methodology used in this study.
Guide to a Student-Family-School-Community Partnership: Using a Student &amp; Data Driven Process to Improve School Environments &amp; Promote Student Success
Author: Burgoa, Carol
Date: 2010-11-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Partnerships in Education,Educational Environment,Educational Improvement,School Community Relationship,Focus Groups,Resilience (Psychology),Barriers,Stakeholders,Family School Relationship,Success,Adolescent Development,Middle School Students,Planning

This guide presents a data-driven, research-based process--referred to as the &quot;school-community forum process&quot;--for increasing youth voice, promoting resilience, strengthening adult-youth connections, and ultimately, for improving schools. It uses a &quot;student listening circle&quot;--a special type of focus group involving eight to ten student participants who respond to five or six questions determined from data on resilience and non-academic barriers to learning. A separate listening circle is conducted with each of the primary stakeholder groups in the school-community (family, school staff, and community members). This forum process helps these groups hear and better meet the needs of students to promote the healthy development of youth, and their success in school and life. It is also a powerful process for actually demonstrating a resilience practice that brings forth the wisdom of youth, and the support of adults in improving school environments and student success. The guide is meant to help adults who work with youth in school- and community-based organizations, and is based on lessons learned in the Student-Family-School-Community Partnership Project carried out at a San Francisco Bay Area middle school. This guide aims to help parents, educators, and community members better understand the critical role of resilience in improving student success and school climate, and shows them one way to capture and use the power of student voice and community involvement in improving schools and fostering youth resilience. Contains a list of Resilience and Youth Development resources. The following are appended: (1) Data Sheet Example; (2) Resilience Handout Example; (3) Resilience and Youth Development Framework Model; (4) Forum Evaluation (Student Participant Form) Example; (5) Forum Evaluation (&quot;Listener&quot; Form) Example; (6) Listening Circle Agreement; (7) School Listening Circle Question Handout; (8) Community Listening Circle Question Handout; and (9) Home Listening Circle Question Handout. [This document was created by Bonnie Bernard and Carol Burgoa, and was written with the assistance of Jamie Hillenberg.]
An Analysis of States&apos; 2008-09 Annual Performance Report Data for Indicator 2 (Dropout)
Author: Office of Special Education Programs (ED/OSERS)
Date: 2010-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Dropout Prevention,Disabilities,Dropouts,Special Education,Dropout Rate,Educational Improvement,Evidence Based Practice,Geographic Regions,Technical Assistance,Training,Professional Development,Data Collection,Intervention,Educational Policy,Graduation Rate,State Programs,Computation,Change Strategies,Positive Behavior Supports,Data Analysis,Program Development,Cooperative Planning,Evaluation,Secondary School Students,Educational Indicators,Surveys,Agency Cooperation,Transitional Programs,Reentry Students,Individualized Education Programs

The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) was assigned the task of compiling, analyzing and summarizing the data for Indicator 2--Dropout--from the FFY 2008 Annual Performance Reports (APRs) and the revised State Performance Plans (SPPs), which were submitted to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) on February 1, 2010. The text of the indicator is as follows: Percent of youth with IEPs dropping out of high school. This report summarizes the NDPC-SD's findings for Indicator 2 across the 50 States, commonwealths and territories, and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), for a total of 60 agencies.
An Analysis of States&apos; 2008-09 Annual Performance Report Data for Indicator 1 (Graduation)
Author: National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD)
Date: 2010-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Dropout Prevention,Disabilities,Dropouts,Special Education,Dropout Rate,Educational Improvement,Evidence Based Practice,Geographic Regions,Technical Assistance,Training,Professional Development,Data Collection,Intervention,Educational Policy,Graduation Rate,State Programs,Computation,Change Strategies,Positive Behavior Supports,Data Analysis,Program Development,Cooperative Planning,Evaluation,Secondary School Students,Educational Indicators,Surveys,Agency Cooperation,Transitional Programs,Reentry Students,Individualized Education Programs,Family Involvement,Middle School Students,High School Students

The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) was assigned the task of compiling, analyzing, and summarizing the data for Indicator 1--Graduation--from the FFY 2008 Annual Performance Reports (APRs) and amended State Performance Plans (SPPs), which were submitted by States to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) on February 1, 2010. The text of the indicator is as follows: Percent of youth with IEPs graduating from high school with a regular diploma. This report summarizes NDPC-SD's findings for Indicator 1 across the 50 States, commonwealths and territories, and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), for a total of 60 agencies.
Making It Count: Strategies for Improving Mathematics Instruction for Students in Short-Term Facilities. Strategy Guide
Author: Leone, Peter
Date: 2010-08-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Skills,Youth,Juvenile Justice,Delinquency,Institutionalized Persons,Correctional Institutions,Intervention,Guides,Teaching Methods,Mathematics Activities,Learner Engagement,Classroom Environment,Teacher Expectations of Students,Relevance (Education),Educational Games,Screening Tests,Diagnostic Tests,Progress Monitoring,Direct Instruction,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Drills (Practice),Questioning Techniques,Problem Solving,Mnemonics,Faculty Development

This guide is designed to support the development of mathematics proficiency for youth in short-term juvenile correctional facilities. Mathematics proficiency includes mastery and fluency in foundational numeracy; an understanding of complex, grade-appropriate concepts and procedures; and application of those competencies to solve relevant, real-life problems. It is primarily designed to help practitioners implement research-based, effective mathematics instruction in short-term facilities, defined as institutions that typically house youth detained in juvenile corrections or other residential facilities for periods of 90 days or less. A secondary audience includes local juvenile justice facilities program coordinators, facility administrators, and state Title I, Part D, coordinators. This guide provides recommendations, strategies, and examples for teachers that increase the likelihood that students will become more proficient at understanding mathematics and applying existing and emerging skills. Just as important, the guide can help teachers promote the self-confidence of students in their ability to use mathematics to solve problems. An annotated bibliography is included.
Meeting the Literacy Needs of Students in Juvenile Justice Facilities. Strategy Guide
Author: Salinger, Terry
Date: 2010-08-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: At Risk Persons,Correctional Institutions,Institutionalized Persons,Juvenile Justice,Reading Skills,Writing Skills,Literacy Education,Delinquency,Child Neglect,Guides,Intervention,Student Motivation,Learner Engagement,Educational Environment,Relevance (Education),Classroom Environment,Interaction,Teacher Student Relationship,Screening Tests,Progress Monitoring,Student Records,Vocabulary Development,Content Area Reading,Content Area Writing,Reading Comprehension,Instructional Materials,Resource Allocation,Faculty Development

Like educators around the country, staff in juvenile justice facilities recognize the serious academic challenges that many of their students face because of low levels of literacy achievement. This &quot;Adolescent Literacy Guide&quot; provides guidance to administrators and teachers who want to increase opportunities for students in juvenile justice facilities to improve their literacy skills. A secondary audience is Neglected and Delinquent program coordinators at the local and State level. The recommendations and strategies in this guide can be applied in short-term detention facilities and in juvenile correctional or other residential facilities where students stay for 90 or fewer days. The guide contains five recommendations, each of which is explained and then followed by action-oriented strategies for implementation. All the recommendations are grounded in educational research and best practice. The guide ends with a short list of valuable resources for additional support.
Response to Intervention (RTI): Funding Questions and Answers. Information Brief
Author: National Center on Response to Intervention
Date: 2010-12-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Response to Intervention,Educational Finance,Disabilities,Equal Education,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Special Education,Program Implementation,Special Education Teachers,Time on Task,Educational Diagnosis,Screening Tests,Faculty Development,School Districts,School Psychologists,Referral

The purpose of the Individuals with &quot;Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B&quot; grants is to assist States, outlying areas, freely associated States, and the Secretary of the Interior to provide special education and related services to children with disabilities. States must ensure that all children with disabilities residing in the State within the State's mandated age range have access to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). The National Center on Response to Intervention receives questions from the field on a regular basis about how to fund Response to Intervention (RTI). This document provides written responses from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) on the use of &quot;Individuals with Disabilities Education Act&quot; (IDEA) funds for the implementation of RTI and answers eight commonly asked questions on funding RTI.
Developing an RTI Guidance Document. Information Brief
Author: National Center on Response to Intervention
Date: 2010-10-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Response to Intervention,Guides,Information Dissemination,Educational Methods,At Risk Students,Student Needs,Behavior Problems,Learning Problems,Intervention,Prevention

Based on the lessons learned from providing support to states developing guidance documents, the National Center on Response to Intervention has created &quot;Developing an RTI Guidance Document.&quot; Included in this tool are frequently asked questions about guidance documents and a template to help states, districts, and schools develop their own documents.
Adopting Rigorous College- and Career-Ready Standards and High-Quality Assessments. Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin. Volume 4, Number 2
Author: Times, Chris, Ed.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: College Readiness,Career Readiness,College Preparation,Educational Assessment,High School Graduates,College Bound Students,Public Schools,Academic Achievement,Success,Achievement Gap,Expectation,Common Core State Standards,Educational Change,Secondary Education,Postsecondary Education,Accountability,Alignment (Education),Educational Indicators,State Policy,College School Cooperation,Community Colleges,Benchmarking

This edition of the eBulletin highlights the issues of raising standards, ensuring access to rigorous curricula and assessments, and ensuring that every child is both work and college ready upon graduation. With the increased emphasis placed on these issues in recent years through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and through a growing body of research in this area, the nation is actively addressing the issues of college and work readiness. Articles in this eBulletin include: (1) Adopting Rigorous College- and Career-Ready Standards and High-Quality Assessments (Kathleen Theodore and Robyn Madison-Harris); (2) Providing Standards, Resources, and Support to Ensure That All Students Graduate College and Career Ready (Cynthia Brown, Gloria Turner, and Mary Lou Meadows); (3) Raising Standards to Prepare Students to Succeed (Kathy Cox and Glenda Copeland); (4) Advancing Education in Louisiana (Ken Bradford and Darlene Morgan Brown); (5) Equipping Students with College Readiness and Workplace Skills (Jean Massey and Debra Meibaum); and (6) South Carolina Course Alignment Project (Robin Rivers and Sandra Lindsay).
Helping Children Cross Cultural Boundaries in the Borderlands: Arts Program at Freese Elementary in San Diego Creates Cultural Bridges
Author: Brouillette, Liane
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary School Students,Art Education,Multicultural Education,Magnet Schools,Elementary Schools,English Language Learners,Elementary School Curriculum,Puppetry,Interviews,Elementary School Teachers,Art Teachers,Administrators,Integrated Curriculum,Theater Arts,Language Arts,Academic Standards,Partnerships in Education,Community Organizations,Teaching Experience,Safety,Conflict

This article describes the unique multicultural arts program that has developed at Freese Elementary School, located only 20 minutes from the United States-Mexico border, in the southeastern corner of the San Diego Unified School District. The Arts and Culture Magnet Program at Freese grew out of the need build bridges in a neighborhood where rapid demographic change had created explosive tensions. The magnet program teaches visual and performing arts, literacy, and social studies through in-class artist residencies, workshops, field trips, and assemblies that have been developed in collaboration with local arts organizations. Through the arts, Freese has become a bright and cheery school where children are busy learning, an island of hope in a neighborhood beset by conflict.
The Role of Coaching by Teaching Artists for Arts-Infused Social Studies: What Project CREATES Has to Offer
Author: Wilcox, Ruth A.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Coaching (Performance),Artists,Art Education,Social Studies,Professional Development,Seminars,Books,Clubs,Elementary Education,Elementary Schools,Elementary School Students,Grade 5,Qualitative Research,Interviews,Observation,Educational Change,School Culture,Lesson Plans,Academic Standards,Evidence Based Practice,Interdisciplinary Approach,Ethnography,Best Practices,Change Agents,Teacher Collaboration

One strategy used by Project CREATES to enhance the fusion of social studies with the arts was to provide various forms of professional development to artists and teachers (Montgomery, Otto, &amp; Hull, 2007), including seminars, book clubs, and on-site Arts Resource Coaches. The purpose of this study was to describe the role of the coaches as they worked with teachers, arts educators, and community artists to infuse the arts in elementary school curricula, specifically social studies for fifth graders. Using qualitative methods over a seven-year period, data included interviews, artifacts, field notes, and observations. Themes that emerged from the analysis included four types of connections resulting in school culture changes. Two types of connections to the curriculum were found, including facilitating lesson plans that have local, state, or national content standards and the implementation of evidence-based instructional practices. Additionally, coaches assured the collaboration and connections between teachers and artists, and they were catalyst for connecting community artists and arts agencies to the schools. In so doing, the coach acted as the catalyst for change to the school culture and teacher transformation. Implications for professional development of teachers and artists are discussed.