This playbook addresses the "how" in the continuous improvement process, focusing on schools and communities. It is a step-by-step guide for superintendents, principals, staff, and communities on how to engage in the school continuous improvement cycle while recognizing the unique assets and challenges of communities and their schools.…

The Indiana Department of Education's (IDOE's) Accessibility and Accommodations Information for Statewide Assessments is a document intended for school-level personnel and decision-making teams as they prepare for and implement Indiana statewide assessments. Information is provided for school personnel as a reference to inform guidance on…

Summer learning is a research-based strategy shown to help prevent summer learning loss and support students who may be below grade level to grow before the next school year. Summer learning is also appropriate for all students to accelerate learning. This strategy is particularly important in the summer of 2021 as states, districts, and schools…

A Regional Education Agency (REA) functions as a partner with local districts and the State Educational Agency (SEA). REAs provide training, guidance and support intended to enable school districts to operate efficiently and improve their student outcomes. The primary purpose of this Regional Capacity Assessment (RCA) is to assist regional…

This document is designed to assist districts, administrators, and educators with all phases of the West Virginia COVID-19 2020 reentry planning process. This is a living, iterative, document that will be updated regularly to best benefit those associated with the grade six through grade twelve education community in West Virginia. This document…

This guide is designed to help district and school site leaders assess the professional learning needs of elementary school teachers to implement research-based recommendations for the instruction of English learner students. It comprises two tools--the Teacher Self-Reflection Tool and the Classroom Observation Tool--and outlines a 10-step process…

The California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS) Toolkit for Instructional Materials Evaluation (TIME) is a suite of tools and processes for evaluating and selecting instructional materials aligned with the CA NGSS. This 11th report in the NGSS Early Implementers Initiative evaluation series is intended for school and district…

The primary purpose of the District Capacity Assessment (DCA) is to assist school districts to implement effective innovations that benefit students. The "capacity" of a district to facilitate building-level implementation refers to the systems, activities, and resources that are necessary for schools to successfully adopt and sustain…

The K-8 Early Implementers Initiative has found that careful planning is critical. With thin planning, unexpected detours or dead ends are likely. However, with solid planning, districts are more likely to achieve their implementation goals and may discover some express lanes for their implementation journey. This evaluation report documents…

This self-study guide provides state and local education agencies and schools with a tool to assess implementation of career readiness practices across a district or secondary school and to plan improvements. It is arranged by implementation areas that have been found to be important to career readiness efforts based on a review of the literature…

Over the course of six years, a diverse group of school districts and charter management organizations in California ran a substantial experiment in implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in elementary and middle grades. WestEd led an extensive evaluation of that effort, the California K-8 NGSS Early Implementers Initiative,…

The "Practical Guide to Blended/Remote Learning and Children with Disabilities" was created by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in response to the situation created by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020. However, it is applicable to other circumstances when blended or remote learning might be necessary,…

The purpose of the District Capacity Assessment (DCA) Technical Manual is to provide background information on the technical adequacy of the DCA (Ward et al., 2015). This current version draws upon a rich history and background of previous work assessing district capacity. Notably, the current version includes significant modifications from…

This toolkit was developed to assist principals in structuring their thinking about the return to school, in whatever form it takes. It offers tools and tip sheets, the context for using them, and suggestions for actions principals might consider. The toolkit is organized around four sections: (1) Change (staying current in understanding changes…

The goals of this rubric are to help State education leaders confirm areas of strength and identify areas of need and provide suggested steps for sharpening strategies, building capacity and enhancing reach. The rubric is divided into five sections, representing the five core areas of focus State Education Agencies (SEAs) should consider when…