The U.S. Department of Education funds various types of technical assistance centers with the goal of providing the expertise and resources needed by state education agencies (SEAs), regional education agencies, and local education agencies (LEAs) to effectively implement federal education programs. Given the complexity of technical assistance for…

One objective of the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) School Improvement Grants (SIG) and Race to the Top (RTT) program is to help states enhance their capacity to support the turnaround of low-performing schools. This capacity may be important, given how difficult it is to produce substantial and sustained achievement gains in low-performing…

Teacher evaluation has emerged as a major focus for reform at the highest levels of education policymaking, and for good reason. Most evaluations are based on scant evidence of actual effectiveness, produce inflated ratings, and provide teachers with little useful feedback. This paper offers policymakers and practitioners important "lessons…

This publication provides a comprehensive inventory of initiatives undertaken by European institutions and international organizations to assist the transformation of higher education and research in East Central Europe. Section 1 contains five papers, each highlighting one of five institutions that have developed innovative approaches to address…

This paper provides an overview of U.S. Department of Education programs authorized and funded under federal law. It includes information as well on the laboratories, centers, and other facilities funded by the Department that provide important resources for education. Each entry, which gives a brief overview of a program or resource, is listed…

This descriptive report examines the strategies of the six Southeast Region states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina) to improve high school graduation rates and student achievement and to increase the number of students leaving high school with the skills and knowledge necessary for the twenty-first…

With the creation of the Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) in 2000, the National League of Cities (NLC) strengthened its capacity to assist municipal officials in their efforts to improve the quality of public education and develop programs and initiatives that help ensure the successful development of youth. As part of…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA) requires districts with schools that have not met state performance goals for 3 consecutive years to offer their low-income students supplemental educational services (SES), such as tutoring, if these schools receive Title I funds. SES are provided outside of the regular school day by a state-approved…

A rural school administrator functions in many roles including disciplinarian, extracurricular supervisor, community liaison, curriculum leader, interpreter of state department regulations and fiscal director. New technologies in education have given even more roles to the administrator. The need to keep abreast of the plethora of educational…

Contends that there is a growing world market in education that has particular importance for Russia and Europe. Discusses the growing numbers of higher education students who study in other nations. Presents a list of recommendations that provide a foundation for Russia's future participation in international education. (CFR)

Describes the Somalia Nomad Education Program. States that social studies is the core of the program which has a primary goal of developing national unity. Discusses successful features of the program and its vulnerability to political and economic events. (CFR)

Drawing on interviews, documents, and eight studies, this policy research study offers information and recommendations in order to fulfill the responsibility of the National Council on Educational Research to establish general policies for, and review the conduct of, the National Institute of Education (NIE). Questions guiding this study are: the…

This document reports on a 5-year project developed by the Department of Education of the U.S. Virgin Islands to create a useful information and technical assistance system for professional personnel to bring about educational change and growth. The project was based on the original Interstate Project in Dissemination model (with the exception…

Recommendations of the Maryland Task Force on Gifted and Talented Education concerning the current status and future needs of gifted and talented education are presented. Recommendations are offered concerning the following issues: appropriate recognition of giftedness and services for all gifted and talented students, world-class curricular…

Between 1970 and 1976, with continued funding and personnel support from the Agency for International Development (AID), Paraguay instituted major rural educational reforms encompassing curriculum revision, teacher training and retraining, training of administrators and supervisors, new school construction, and provision of teaching materials and…