The relationship between good teaching and student achievement elevates the importance of teacher quality in the eyes of parents, educators, and policymakers. While some teachers may have a special gift to help students learn, good teaching encompasses critical elements, such as knowledge of the learning process, child development, teacher…

What types of instructional experiences help K-8 students learn science with understanding? What do science educators, teachers, teacher leaders, science specialists, professional development staff, curriculum designers, and school administrators need to know to create and support such experiences? "Ready, Set, Science!" guides the way with an…

The history and structural evolution of VOICE for Hearing-Impaired Children is described. Located in Toronto, Ontario, VOICE is the largest parent-support group of its kind in North America. Through its chapters and associated parents groups, it has implemented social and educational policy advocacy and various service delivery models. (Author/VW)

The chart presented in this paper offers an overview of the special education process. It is not designed to show all steps or the specific details. It shows what happens from the time a child is referred for evaluation and is identified as having a disability, through the development of an individualized education program (IEP). The process…

This book asks what would it means to take democracy seriously in today's debates about school reform. Its six chapters offer case studies, examples, and conversation starters for teachers, administrators, and citizens who wish to build on the contribution of each and every citizen. The first chapter explores the current emphasis on economic…

The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of recent educational reform efforts in Washington State and to determine what educators believe to be the most important future areas of focus. In particular, the researchers wanted to determine whether school-wide improvement efforts (i.e. School Improvement Plans (SIPs), School Improvement…

The appeal process to the Special Educational Needs Tribunal in the United Kingdom is explained for parents who disagree with decisions of Local Education Authorities (LEAs) about a child's special educational needs. Conditions under which an appeal can be made to the Tribunal are identified, as are issues not appropriate for the Tribunal. The…

Three situations of sexual harassment, typical of the complaints received by various departments and offices on all Indiana University campuses, are presented. According to the National Advisory Council on Women's Educational Programs, "academic sexual harassment is the use of authority to emphasize the sexuality or sexual identity of a…

This biweekly newsletter contains news and information about school improvement in the United States. It is designed expressly for parents and families. This issue highlights two new policies under the No Child Left Behind Act that will give states and school districts greater flexibility with respect to students with limited English proficiency.…

Reducing the number of students in a class, especially in the early grades, is one approach educators have taken to improve student achievement. Class-size reduction programs have been implemented at the state, district, and individual school levels. This pamphlet defines class-size reduction, provides an overview of class-size reduction research,…

This book presents the argument that teachers need more time for students, more time for planning, and more time for teaching. It claims that the United States should adopt and pay for the model used for public schools elsewhere in the world by having smaller classes, fewer classes per day for each teacher, and more work time for teachers to plan…

As the 2003?2004 academic year began, the financial woes of public colleges took the spotlight on Capitol Hill and in statehouses. Record spending cuts designed to balance state budgets resulted in program cutbacks,unfilled faculty positions, staff layoffs, wage freezes and salary cuts at state colleges and universities. Institutions worked to…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) From No Child Left Behind to Every Child a Graduate: Members of Congress and Staff Vow that High Schools Will Be…

This parent/student guide describes recent changes in admissions policies at the University of California (UC). Traditionally, UC admitted the top 12.5% of high school graduating seniors, but beginning in 2001, the top 4% of students in the graduating class of every high school are eligible if they have completed 11 specific "a-f"…

Between 2001 and 2005, the state of Maine shifted the focus of its statewide high school improvement efforts to include an explicit focus on adolescent literacy. One trigger for that change in focus was a 5-school adolescent literacy initiative previously launched in a rural county under the federal Northeast and Islands Regional Educational…