This article reviews the development of a qualitative summative assessment based on the National Theater Standards to evaluate theater education classes. The authors examine the current state of the field of theater education; the use of the assessment; an overview of the results of an arts integration U.S. Department of Education project; and a…

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationships between perceptions of teacher's transformational leadership, organizational support, organizational justice and quality of work life. A model suggesting that teacher perceptions of the transformational leadership behavior of school administrators directly affected their perceptions…

The National Science Foundation GK-12 program, started in 1999, partnered university STEM undergraduate and graduate students with K-12 classroom teachers to co-teach inquiry science "to boost the content of elementary and secondary education and the quality of graduate and undergraduate education at the same time" (Colwell, 1999). The…

Educational success stories are powerful tools that shape the decisions of policymakers. This study explores the ways in which these stories are crafted and how they differ among various educational stakeholders. Using administrator and teacher interviews from a school district which earned accolades for implementation of a 1:1 laptop program,…

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,…

In "A Single Garment", Genevieve Siegel-Hawley explores the leadership, policies, and practices that support contemporary school integration. Drawing on a wide range of sources, as well as her own experience as a parent, former student, and teacher, Siegel-Hawley provides a richly layered account of four Richmond, Virginia schools, each…

Public media stations play a powerful part in connecting families with broadcast and digital resources, local activities, and events that inspire children to learn about the topics that excite them most. The Families Learning Across Boundaries (FamLAB) Project surveyed more than 400 library professionals, 1,550 parents, and 600 pre-K through grade…

We published our first set of Connections Academy efficacy reports containing independently assured efficacy statements in 2018. We went on to build on that body of research, and updated our reporting with new findings in 2021. Our latest study compared Connections Academy students' state test scores in reading and math with students in…

Ethnoracial inequality in educational achievement and attainment is a long-standing feature of the American education system. For example, national reading assessments show that White fourth graders scored nearly a standard deviation higher than Black or Hispanic students on average in 2015 (NCES, 2015). The measurement and analysis of differences…

We draw on novel district-level test score data to describe novel approaches for measuring ethnoracial achievement gaps and assessing trends toward achievement equity from 2009 to 2016. Using SEDA data, we estimate gap trends for each grade over time in each district. We measure trends in both within-district gaps--comparing Black or Hispanic to…

The development of academic English proficiency and the time it takes to reclassify to fluent English proficient status are key issues in English learner (EL) policy. This article develops a shared random effects model (SREM) to estimate English proficiency development and time to reclassification simultaneously, treating student-specific random…

In this study, based on responses to a modified version of Harrelson's School Improvement Survey, the researcher examined the differences, if any, in the perceived support available to PK-8 teachers, instructional coaches, administrators, paraprofessionals, and support staff in a new PK-8 turnaround school in a southern state during the second…

Teacher leaders are often responsible for providing professional development to improve teacher effectiveness and student learning. Leading professional development for teachers can be highly effective when the focus is on student learning in on-going and relevant contexts. This article describes a school-based, teacher-led collaborative process…

"Second Step" is a universal social-emotional learning program designed to decrease antisocial behaviors, increase prosocial behaviors, and increase knowledge about content curriculum. Given the international focus of using Second Step to improve social-emotional skills, it is especially important to provide an updated synthesis on the…

This article examines how one elementary school was divided into two schools--a primary and an intermediate school--because of how policies were interpreted and enacted with regard to high-stakes testing. The grades in which students took high-stakes tests were privileged in terms of receiving monetary resources and support from staff. An emphasis…