The purpose of this mixed method, Case Study research was to explore the teacher's perceptions, efficacy, and belief systems. The researcher using a primary survey and a collection of secondary extant data endeavored to uncover the teachers' responses for efficacy, beliefs and perceptions of student achievement. The Effective Schools (Edmonds,…

Parents, advocates, and educators have widely publicized NCLB as the most significant piece of legislation that affects the education of students with disabilities since the passage of the first IDEA legislation in 1975. Prior to NCLB, IDEA 1997 required the inclusion of students with disabilities in state and district assessments; however,…

Student mobility has been a long-standing concern to educators and researchers because of the negative impact that changing schools can have on students, teachers, and schools. High levels of student mobility can create a sense of upheaval and constant change at the school level, and schools typically have few established practices in place to…

This study examined superintendents' or designees' perceptions in light of NCLB (2002) and to understand parental involvement through the lens of Epstein's Framework of Parent Involvement (1992, 1995, 2002). The central problem was that despite parental involvement legislation, implementation and effectiveness of policies, and programs varies…

This mixed-methodological study examined changes in perceptions of teachers (n = 70) engaged in a two-year professional development program designed to meet the unique needs of English Language Learners (ELL), and changes in ELL students' (n = 235) math and reading achievement scores. The study was conducted in two urban middle schools in Kansas…

We present a case study of how our College has risen to the challenge brought about by the unintended consequences of the No Child Left Behind Act. We describe the steps in our journey, including framing research questions responsive to community needs, providing support for faculty to embrace "engaged" scholarship, and working with…

Urban paraprofessionals are often overlooked but key participants in the optimal functioning of schools. In light of the recent changes and increasing demands regarding paraprofessional qualifications stipulated by the "No Child Left Behind Act" (NCLB), this study focuses on urban bilingual paraprofessionals and their beliefs about work…

Zavadsky describes effective practices she has observed in the five urban school districts that were finalists for the 2005 Broad prize--practices required or catalyzed by No Child Left Behind. The article lists three key NCLB-driven strategies these schools used to raise student achievement and close achievement gaps: clarifying and aligning…

This is the second book in the series examining student achievement. The chapters in this book reflect the scholarly papers presented at the July 2006 Education Policy, Leadership Summer Institute (EPLSI) by K-16 educators, researchers, community advocates, and policymakers who work in urban communities. The Institute serves as a place where…

In 2000, Cook, Murphy, and Hunt published a multilevel study of Chicago inner-city schools in order to evaluate James Comer's School Development Program (SDP). One main finding was that SDP reduced the rate of change and final posttest mean when delinquency was assessed annually between Grades 5 and 8 using a self-report measure of acting out. The…

The end of the school year marks a deadline for states to meet a federal requirement that most teachers be "highly qualified." However, the cutoff holds little threat these days. Even one-time proponents of the provision are conceding their disappointment and are fixing their sights on new ways to raise teacher quality. Advocates vary in…

This study positioned the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2002 as a reified colonizing entity, inscribing its hegemonic authority upon the professional identity and work of school principals within their school communities of practice. Pressure on educators and students intensifies each year as the benchmark for Adequate Yearly Progress…

Schools in New York City are continually pressed to meet the demands of an ever-increasing multicultural population, compounded by the pressures exerted by the No Child Left Behind legislation and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Indicated is a need for multicultural understandings within teacher education programs,…

"Reopening the school as a public charter school" is Option #1 on the list of NCLB's restructuring alternatives for failing schools. But this has not proved a popular choice. NCLB made the bold assumption that states and districts would voluntarily turn over the reins to charter operators. The authors of the legislation must have…

Despite efforts to bridge the racial achievement gap, far too many school children continue to fare poorly in our nation's public schools. Oftentimes urban and low income students are negatively labeled as low-achieving, disadvantaged, and struggling. Because of this, such students frequently receive inferior or deficient information from school…