Launched in 2012, The Big Lift is a collective impact initiative extending from preschool to third grade that aims to boost children's reading proficiency in San Mateo County, California, through four different types of activities, called "pillars": (1) High-Quality Preschool, (2) Summer Learning, (3) School Attendance, and (4) Family…

The Washington State Board of Education (SBE) issues an annual report to the Governor, the Legislature, and the public, in accordance with the Charter School Act, RCW 28A.710.250. The statute requires the annual charter school report to include the following: (1) the performance of the state's charter schools during the preceding school year,…

Across the country, urban school districts are opting to close under-enrolled schools as a way to consolidate resources. Motivated by a reported $1 billion deficit and declining enrollments in depopulating neighborhoods, the Chicago Board of Education voted in May 2013 to close 49 elementary schools and one high school program located in an…

The State Board of Education (SBE) issues an annual report to the Governor, the Legislature, and the public, in accordance with Washington State's Charter School Act (RCW 28A.710.250). This is the fifth annual report on the performance of the charter schools. RCW 28A.710.250 requires that the SBE, in collaboration with the Charter School…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "School Holding Power." Contents include: (1) Texas Higher Education Law Aims to…

Finding time for job-embedded professional learning is one of the most frequently cited challenges with implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). With "Establishing Time for Professional Learning," practitioners and education leaders use tools to identify current allocations of time for professional learning, analyze how that…

This enlightening handbook offers current, international perspectives on the conditions in communities, contemporary practices in schooling, relevant research on teaching and learning, and implications for the future of education. It contains diverse conceptual frameworks for analyzing existing issues in education, including but not limited to…

Charter schools are largely viewed as a major innovation in the public school landscape, as they receive more independence from state laws and regulations than do traditional public schools, and are therefore more able to experiment with alternative curricula, pedagogical methods, and different ways of hiring and training teachers. Unlike…

This report addresses the reporting requirements of Public Law 26-26 and the provisions of "No Child Left Behind" ("NCLB") as described in the Guam Department of Education Board adopted "District Action Plan" ("DAP"). Public Law 26-26, Section 3106 states that "No later than thirty (30) days following…

This study surveyed 45 selected primary and secondary schools in Botswana which aimed to identify how parent and community involvement in the governance of schools affect teacher effectiveness and improvement of learner performance. The study started from January 2005 to December 2006. Literature review, administration of questionnaires, interview…

This handbook was created to serve as a guide for all programs. It describes mentor roles, responsibilities, and successful individuals engaged in one-to-one relationships in mentoring programs. It describes mentor roles, responsibilities, and successful strategies and techniques designed to assist mentors in their work as role models and trusted…

"The Achiever" is a monthly publication for parents and community leaders from the Office of Communications and Outreach, U.S. Department of Education. This issue contains the following articles: (1) Spellings, Education Community Discuss President's Agenda; (2) Arts Integration at Oklahoma School Provides Multiple Paths for Learning;…

These guidelines, presented in five chapters, propose a framework to support the planning, designing, constructing, and renovating of school science facilities. Some program issues to be considered in the articulation of a science program include environmental concerns, interdisciplinary approaches, space flexibility, and electronic…

A case study of school-community collaboration in an elementary community school in Israel follows up an environmental education (EE) school-based curriculum that involves the parents and community members in various indoors and outdoors activities. The collaboration was established in the framework of the Community School Approach. In these…

The Hawaii State School Readiness Assessment is a critical component of the School Readiness Task Force's strategy to improve school readiness and student achievement. This tool provides annual school and system level accountability for Hawaii's investments in early childhood programs and services. This profile offers aggregated school level…