ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Promoting Quality Teaching: New Approaches to Compensation and Career Pathways. Perspectives from Accomplished California Teachers
Author: National Board Resource Center at Stanford University
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Compensation (Remuneration),Tenure,Teacher Salaries,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,State Policy,State Programs,Program Descriptions,Vignettes,Educational Quality,Teacher Motivation,Change Strategies,Educational Planning,Personnel Management

This report identifies what are thought to be smart ways to redesign career paths and compensation for California teachers. It is known which changes are most likely to improve both teaching quality and student achievement, because these changes address what really matters in schools and what motivates teachers. These are not the traditional and popular merit-pay designs touted by many school reformers. The following 3 topics are discussed: (1) A New Approach to Teacher Pay and Career Pathways; (2) How We Got Where We Are Today; and (3) Our Plan for California. An appendix presents &quot;Examples of Effective Models.&quot; A section on Teacher Biographies is also included. (Contains 37 endnotes.)
Highly Qualified Teachers and Paraprofessionals in Charter Schools: A Guide for Charter School Authorizers. No Child Left Behind Policy Brief
Author: O'Neill, Paul T.
Date: 2006-01-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Charter Schools,Teacher Effectiveness,Credentials,Compliance (Legal),Teacher Certification,Teacher Competencies,Experienced Teachers,Alternative Teacher Certification,Special Education Teachers,Faculty Development,Elementary School Teachers,Middle School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Paraprofessional School Personnel,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Elementary Secondary Education,Teacher Qualifications,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Federal Aid,Academic Achievement

The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (&quot;NCLB&quot; or &quot;the Act&quot;) defines an aggressive, ambitious and multi-faceted approach for increasing student achievement and closing the achievement gap. Premised on the correlation between student academic achievement and teacher quality, NCLB demands that all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, disability or income, have quality instructors in their classrooms. To do so, NCLB establishes mandatory credentialing standards for teachers and paraprofessionals, in both traditional and charter schools alike. This Policy Brief explains NCLB's credentialing requirements and applicability to teachers and paraprofessionals working in charter schools (Part I) and examines authorizer responsibilities for ensuring compliance with these requirements in the charter schools they oversee (Part II). It includes a Model Checklist for Monitoring Compliance with NCLB Credentialing Requirements. (Contains 9 resources and 7 endnotes.)
Finding the Right Prescription for Higher Education's Ills: Can Health Care Provide Answers?
Author: Eckel, Peter D.
Date: 2012-01-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Higher Education,Educational Finance,Health Services,Workshops,Change Strategies,Costs,Financial Support,Industry,Public Policy,Educational Policy,Educational Technology,Information Technology,Social Influences,College Students,Competition,Accountability,Labor Force,Income,Environmental Influences,Leadership Responsibility,Educational Quality,Educational Change,Health Insurance

The symptoms being experienced by higher education are well known: rising
costs, declining public confidence and support, new competitors, and questions about quality and value. Do prescriptions exist to address these symptoms, or are they precursors to something more serious for higher education? The health-care metaphor, while telling, is also apt. Health care as an industry has faced challenges similar to those of higher education and has undergone significant change in search of healing itself. In the fall of 2011, the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) conducted a series of workshops grounded in lessons from the health-care industry and focused on leading change. The audience was college and university senior leaders, who today face a confluence of difficult choices and strategic opportunities for their institutions in the coming years. The goal: Engage leaders in exploring how to initiate necessary change at the campus level and industrywide. The workshop conversations offered a unique opportunity to examine health care as an industry change model for higher education. A key question shaping the workshop discussions was how higher education might adapt lessons learned from change efforts launched within the health-care sector. A summary of those deliberations are contained within this report. The following are appended: (1) Stories on Health-Care Change; (2) Change-Management Exercises; (3) Workshop Participants; (4) Panelist and Facilitator Biographies; and (5) Resources for Further Reading.
Successfully Authorizing Blended Charter Schools. Authorizing Matters. Issue Brief. Cyber Series
Author: Ableidinger, Joe
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Charter Schools,Blended Learning,Models,Evaluation,School Administration,Educational Finance,Special Education,Educational Legislation,Best Practices

This issue brief is part of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers' (NACSA's) &quot;Cyber Series,&quot; which addresses issues in policy and practice that relate to authorizing online and blended charter schools. This brief aims to improve authorizer understanding and oversight of blended charter schools, which combine digital learning with instruction in brick-and-mortar locations. It begins with an explanation of the variety of blended charter school models, followed by a brief discussion of key issues for authorizer awareness and consideration in the blended charter school context, with attention to both initial approval and ongoing oversight. The brief then provides more specific guidance on evaluating proposals for blended charter schools. Finally, it provides general recommendations for overseeing and evaluating blended charter schools. (Contains 1 table and 22 endnotes.)
School Quality in the Cloud: Guidelines for Authorizing Virtual Charter Schools. Authorizing Matters. Issue Brief. Cyber Series
Author: Lin, Margaret
Date: 2011-10-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Charter Schools,Educational Assessment,Virtual Classrooms,Electronic Learning,Elementary Secondary Education,Blended Learning,Enrollment,Student Mobility,Special Education,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Individualized Education Programs,Academic Standards,Conflict of Interest,Attendance Patterns,School Districts,Educational Quality,Program Proposals

This Issue Brief, an update of &quot;Authorizing Virtual Charter Schools: Rules of the Road on the Digital Highway&quot; by Gregg Vanourek, is part of NACSA's Cyber series, which addresses issues in policy and practice that concern authorizing online schools and blended learning. It aims to improve authorizer understanding and oversight of online charter schools generally, with particular focus on strengthening authorizer practices in evaluating proposals for virtual charter schools.The brief aims to improve authorizer understanding and oversight of online charter schools generally, with particular focus on strengthening authorizer practices in evaluating proposals for virtual charter schools. Provided is guidance to authorizers in evaluating proposals for online charter schools--including identifying key application questions and review practices to evaluate virtual charter applicants' plans and capacities. The brief concludes with general recommendations for overseeing and evaluating online charter schools. A list of selected sources is included. (Contains 1 footnote and 9 endnotes.)
Authorizing Online Learning. Viewpoint
Author: Patrick, Susan
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Online Courses,Electronic Learning,Distance Education,State Programs,Educational History,Educational Trends,Charter Schools,Educational Legislation,Enrollment,Educational Finance,Educational Innovation,Educational Quality,Educational Opportunities,Educational Administration,Elementary Secondary Education

During this decade, American education will shift from print to digital, from
flat and sequential content to engaging and adaptive, and from batch
processing to personalized learning. There will also be a slow enrollment shift from traditional district-operated schools to schools and programs operated by organizations authorized under contracts or charter. As chief executive officer and chair of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL), the authors believe that one of the most important drivers of this historic shift is online learning. It is growing by more than 40 percent annually and creating new full- and part-time options for students and families. This paper refers specifically to online schools where instruction is delivered remotely by live teachers on a full- and part-time basis, also known as virtual or cyber learning. In many states, online learning began as a state-sponsored program with dedicated line item funding that became unsustainable with growth (because students were being double funded). To provide scalable, quality full- and part-time options, more than half of the states have authorized statewide charter or contract schools. However, most charter school legislation was drafted in the early 1990s and did not contemplate online opportunities. This paper deals with the three key questions that state policymakers and authorizers need to answer: (1) Who will operate and authorize online schools? (2) How will students be enrolled? and (3) How will they be funded? It concludes with advice on innovation and quality in online learning.
Public School in St. Louis: Place, Performance, and Promise
Author: National Association of Charter School Authorizers
Date: 2009-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Public Schools,Urban Schools,School Location,Charter Schools,Educational Demand,Enrollment,Elementary Schools,Middle Schools,High Schools,Educational Quality,School Demography,Magnet Schools,Neighborhood Schools,Educational Facilities,Urban Demography,School Effectiveness

This report compares the demand for public education in St. Louis during the 2007-08 school year with both the supply and location of public schools operated by St. Louis Public Schools and charter schools. The geographic areas of analysis are the city of St. Louis and its zip codes. The first four sections of this report contain background information necessary to understand the results of the research and the key findings. This background includes the Introduction, the History and Role of the Voluntary Interdistrict Coordinating Council (VICC), a Demographic and Enrollment Overview, and the Methodology and Glossary of Terms. The results of the research begin on page 17. Seven appendixes include: (1) Detailed Methodology; (2) Elementary School Current Enrollment Service Level and Service Gap Based on Tier 1 Neighborhood Capacity; (3) Middle School Current Enrollment Service Level and Service Gap Based on Tier 1 Neighborhood Capacity; (4) High School Current Enrollment Service Level and Service Gap Based on Tier 1 Neighborhood Capacity; (5) Overall Current Enrollment Service Level and Service Gap Based on Tier 1 Neighborhood Capacity; (6) VICC Enrollment as a Percent of Public School Enrollment by Zip Code and Grade; and (7) Attendance Areas of Tier 1 Neighborhood Schools. (Contains 14 endnotes, 4 figures, 9 tables, and 5 maps.) [Research for this report was conducted by IFF.]
NCLB Title I Accountability and Charter School Authorizer Obligations. No Child Left Behind Policy Brief
Author: Haft, William
Date: 2004-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,Charter Schools,Accountability,Academic Achievement,Educational Administration,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Educational Indicators,Federal Programs,Program Implementation,Educational Objectives,State Departments of Education

On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly known as No Child Left Behind (&quot;NCLB&quot;). This law dramatically affects how all schools, including charter schools, are held accountable for the academic performance of their students. Since the passage of NCLB, there has been much speculation in the charter school community generally, and among authorizers specifically, on how the provisions of this federal law will affect how authorizers hold charter schools accountable for performance. This Policy Brief reports on and makes several recommendations on the obligations of charter school authorizers in relation to the implementation of NCLB Title I accountability. (Contains 7 endnotes.)
An (Updated) Primer on Virtual Charter Schools: Mapping the Electronic Frontier. Authorizing Matters. Issue Brief. NACSA Cyber Series
Author: Vanourek, Greg
Date: 2011-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Charter Schools,Technology Uses in Education,Electronic Learning,Blended Learning,Student Needs,Educational Trends,Governance,Virtual Classrooms,Educational Administration,Student Characteristics,Misconceptions,Educational Finance,Educational Quality

The Internet has had a profound effect on everyone's lives, work, politics, and commerce--and increasingly, on the schools. Virtual schools have arrived, creating new opportunities for students, and also a set of challenges to the notions about schooling and the policies that govern public education. The potential application of technology in education may change the way that current versions of schools and schooling are limited in time and space. Will future technological innovations revamp educational conceptions of time, like class periods, grade levels, six-hour school days, and 180-day school years? These units of time, as well as physical school buildings, classrooms, and district boundaries, still define &quot;school&quot; for the vast majority of students. Will this change in the coming years? These are no longer unusual questions. Online and blended schools challenge some of the most basic assumptions about schooling. They no longer place groups of children of the same age in an assigned grade with a teacher and chalkboard in a room for 50-some minutes at a time in 180 six-hour days. With virtual schools, there has been a move to learning that is not bound by time, space, and pace, liberating education systems from the confines of rigid blocks of time and uninspired configurations of space to better meet the needs of students. While the potential for true educational transformation is great, one must begin by creating a shared understanding of what online and blended learning is, and how it is best implemented. This is the first in a series of briefs aimed at improving authorizer practices for virtual charter schools. This paper will define concepts in online learning, including full-time and blended learning, and will discuss recent trends in growth and governance of various types of online learning and virtual charter schools. (Contains 3 figures, 4 endnotes, and a glossary of key virtual school terms.)
District Superintendents and the School Improvement Problem of Addressing Barriers to Learning
Author: University of California, Los Angeles. Center for Mental Health in Schools
Date: 2011-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Improvement,Barriers,Superintendents,School Districts,Administrator Role,Environmental Influences,Learning,Neighborhoods,Family Influence,Peer Influence,Educational Environment,Individual Characteristics,Student Needs,Systems Approach,Change Strategies,Family School Relationship,Institutional Mission,Leadership Responsibility,Educational Policy

This report begins with conclusions drawn from a wide range of research, reports, and other sources that convey what superintendents say is driving their work. The focus first is on what they identify as the challenges and frustrations of the job and what they say are factors interfering with student progress. Then, discussion turns to the insufficient way the majority of districts appear to address barriers to learning and teaching, and what some trailblazing superintendents are doing to be more productive in this arena. Finally, implications are outlined for a central office organization that can more effectively enhance equal opportunity for all students to succeed at school and beyond. Appended are: (1) Pioneering Initiatives are Underway!; and (2) Center Developed Resource Aides for Developing and Implementing a Comprehensive System of Learning Supports. (Contains 2 exhibits.)
WWC Review of the Report &quot;Charter School Performance in New Jersey.&quot; What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2013-10-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Charter Schools,Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Comparative Analysis,Program Effectiveness,Achievement Gains,Standardized Tests,Scores,Public Schools,Traditional Schools,Effect Size,Language Arts

The study examined the effect of 60 New Jersey charter schools on annual student achievement growth in reading and math. The study was based on data from a large sample of students in grades 3-8 during 5 school years (2006-07 through 2010-11). The study authors matched charter school students to students attending traditional public schools based on test scores and demographic characteristics. This matching process was conducted separately for each of the 5 study years. At least one match for 77% of charter school students in the sample (a total of about 16,500 students) could be identified. Study authors assessed the effectiveness of the charter schools by comparing average 1-year achievement gains of charter and comparison students on standardized reading and math tests. This calculation was based on the pooled sample of students in grades 3-8 across the 5 study years. The study authors reported that 1-year reading and math achievement gains of students in the charter schools were significantly greater than those of comparison students in traditional public schools. Charter school effects in Newark were positive, statistically significant, and larger than for New Jersey overall, while charter school effects for the other major cities in New Jersey were negative and statistically significant in reading and zero in math. The authors also examined charter school effects separately for Newark (a major city in New Jersey) and a collection of other major cities (Camden, Jersey City, Paterson, and Trenton). The research described in this report meets WWC evidence standards without reservations. Appendices include: (1) Study Details; (2) Outcome Measures for Each Domain; (3) Study Findings for Each Domain; and (4) Supplemental Findings by Domain. (Contains 1 endnote and a glossary of terms.) [The following study is reviewed herein: Center for Research on Education Outcomes. (2012). &quot;Charter School Performance in New Jersey.&quot; Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University.]
School Improvement: A Functional View of Enabling Equity of Opportunity. A Center Policy &amp; Practice Brief
Author: University of California, Los Angeles. Center for Mental Health in Schools
Date: 2011-08-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Improvement,Public School Adult Education,Child Development,Barriers,Governance,School Effectiveness,Educational Policy,Learner Engagement,Academic Achievement,Educational Quality,At Risk Students,Disadvantaged Youth,Environmental Influences,Family Influence,Peer Influence,Student Characteristics,Educational Change,Change Strategies

The ongoing dilemma for those expected to improve schools is how to meet our society's basic aims for public education in ways that level the playing field. The dilemma is exacerbated by the need to do more with less. This brief approaches these matters in the context of three direct functions that are essential to school improvement: (1) facilitation of learning and development, (2) addressing barriers to learning and teaching, and (3) managing resources and school governance. The emphasis is on the short shrift given in school improvement planning to developing a unified and comprehensive system for addressing barriers to learning and teaching. In particular, the brief outlines what is involved in transforming current student and learning supports into such a system, highlights pioneering work underway across the country, and cites resources for moving forward. An appendix presents: &quot;Pioneering Initiatives are Underway!&quot; (Contains 1 exhibit.)
A Priority Research Agenda for Understanding the Influence of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Technical Report
Author: Heck, Daniel J.
Date: 2011-11-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Research Needs,Agenda Setting,State Standards,Influences,Mathematics Curriculum,Mathematics Education,Best Practices,Needs Assessment,Case Studies,Feedback (Response),Inquiry,Educational Indicators,Alignment (Education),Program Descriptions,Teacher Surveys,Interviews,Position Papers,Content Analysis,Focus Groups,Educational Change,Improvement Programs

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) were developed as part of a broader effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers to develop common state standards in key subjects. Released in 2010, the CCSSM are intended to provide a blueprint for the mathematics that students should learn, and when they should learn that mathematics, to ensure that they are well prepared for college and careers when they graduate from high school. States, districts, schools, and teachers may choose to follow, or not follow, that blueprint; and those that do will likely differ in how they interpret it, what they plan to do about it, and their capacity to implement their plans. As a result, and because of considerable differences among school contexts and student populations, common standards are not likely to lead to the same results, either in implementation or in impacts on students. The goal of this project was to suggest a set of priorities for research that would provide the field with a reasonably broad and deep understanding of the influence of the CCSSM, including whether, how, and under what conditions the initiative results in improved student learning in grades K-12 and enhanced college/career readiness. This report provides background information on the CCSSM and on a framework for investigating the influence of standards developed by a committee of the National Research Council. The report then describes how we went about developing a priority research agenda; and concludes with the resulting recommendations for research on the influence of the CCSSM. The following appendices are included: (1) Potential Pathways of Influence: Teacher Preparation Domain; (2) Sample Indicators of Alignment; (3) Lines of Inquiry and Review Feedback; (4) Contributors; and (5) Other Research Areas of Interest for Understanding the Influence of the CCSSM. (Contains 5 footnotes, 1 table, and 2 figures.) [This report was written with the assistance of William O. Fulkerson, Adrienne A. Smith, and Shayla M. Thomas.]