Parent and community involvement has always been a part of the public education system; from its inception in the early American colonies, local community control was a hallmark of schools. Today, with mandates present in the No Child Left Behind Act, the Race to the Top legislation, and amidst more pressing international comparisons, educators…

This document is from a featured presentation at the 2018 annual conference of the Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT). The public schools are a fundamental element of our democratic society, and they have been the pathway to opportunity and a better life for generations of Americans. But at present, the American public school system is…

The process of effective teaching--teaching that directly leads to student learning of standards-based content--is tenuous at best and easily disrupted by contextual and behavioral factors. In this commentary, I discuss the role of student support and mediation in teacher effectiveness and curricular reform. The most vocal students in physical…

Driven by Race to the Top funding and quickly designed and deployed in 2010-2011, a new teacher evaluation policy in Tennessee altered principals' supervisory practices regarding their use of time for observation and reporting, their interaction with teachers, and the methods for giving teachers performance ratings. In addition, student test score…

We reviewed and synthesized 35 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2014-2018 that investigated district leaders', principals', and/or teachers' interpretations of and experiences with Race to the Top teacher evaluation systems. We analyzed evidence of how educators' prior experiences, beliefs, values, organizational contexts, and…

Set in a collective bargaining state in the Northeastern U.S., this exploratory case study investigated how a sample of 12 public school principals interpreted new teacher evaluation processes required by Race to the Top (RTTT). Principals reported that the RTTT evaluation system disrupted established routines and contractual guidelines for…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2014 describes Massachusetts' accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Massachusetts will implement to address those challenges. Massachusetts continues to make progress implementing its 2012-2015 Early Learning Plan, developed to…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2014 describes Maryland's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Maryland will implement to address those challenges. Maryland has received one of twenty "Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Fund Grant" (RTTT-ELC)…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2014 describes California's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies California will implement to address those challenges. California's RTT-ELC implements a unique approach that builds upon its local and statewide successes to…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2014 describes Pennsylvania's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Pennsylvania will implement to address those challenges. Following accomplishments, this report presents: (1) Successful State Systems; (2) High-Quality,…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2014 describes Delaware's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Delaware will implement to address those challenges. At the end of Year Three of the Early Learning Challenge Grant, Delaware continues to make significant progress…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2014 describes Colorado's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Colorado will implement to address those challenges. As outlined in the grant statement of work, Colorado is implementing the following projects and has identified…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2014 describes New Jersey's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies New Jersey will implement to address those challenges. In December 2013, New Jersey was awarded $44.3 million to implement the Race to the Top-Early Learning…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2014 describes Wisconsin's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Wisconsin will implement to address those challenges. During the second year of the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) in Wisconsin, there have…

This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2014 describes Minnesota's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Minnesota will implement to address those challenges. Minnesota has made great strides in year three of the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grant to…