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…

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 "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…

P.S. 52 Sheepshead Bay School in Brooklyn, New York, serves more than 850 students from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. After scores on the 2014 New York State English language arts assessment were unsatisfactory, first-year principal Rafael Alvarez searched for a way to improve academic outcomes for his…

The Big Lift™ (Big Lift) is a preschool-third-grade collective impact initiative in San Mateo County, California. The initiative is a partnership of the County of San Mateo, San Mateo County Office of Education, and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Launched in 2012, the initiative aims to boost children's reading proficiency by third grade…

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…

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 report chronicles the experiences of high-achieving lower-income students during elementary school, high school, college, and graduate school. Millions of high-achieving lower-income students are found in urban, suburban, and rural communities all across America, reflecting the racial, ethnic, and gender composition of the nation's schools,…

Girls and women live in a world that offers greater choices and opportunities than ever before. However, despite these expanded options, choices to enter into courses of study in mathematics and science are being ignored by many. This limits their understanding, enjoyment, and employment in these fields. This document is designed to help Girl…

Noting that every year, 10 to 12 million children contract head lice, this book aims to demystify and provide information about the problem of head lice infestation of children. The first chapter gives statistical details about the problem and its effects on health. Chapter 2 provides factual information concerning the features, life-cycle,…

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…

Originally developed to respond to the Desert Storm/Persian Gulf War, this resource book provides information designed to help parents, teachers, and service providers to plan and implement a comprehensive response to meeting children's emotional needs during a crisis. Contributors are experts on different kinds of crises that school age children…

Science and technology affect every facet of human life. By the 21st century, society will demand that all of its citizens possess basic competencies in the fundamentals of science and the use of technology. As science increasingly becomes the dominant subject of the work place, it is important to begin developing within children an understanding…