The purpose of this study was to determine if the implementation of Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) programs has a positive effect on the retention of quality preschool teachers in Los Angeles County. In prior work, preschool teacher retention is associated with wages, program structure, program process, professional development, and…

Community colleges in the United States face shortages of leaders prepared to assume administrative positions in the 21st century. To respond to this shortage, graduate programs are emerging with a specific emphasis on community college leadership; other graduate programs offer broader curricula focused on educational leadership, policy, or higher…

In recent years, compelling research has found that mastery of early math concepts at a preschool level is a better predictor of later academic outcomes than literacy. Partly driven by these findings, increasing attention is being focused on improving math pedagogy at the preschool level. The issue has assumed added urgency as a result of…

This applied research project was developed to examine the social value return of investment (SV-ROI) of a community rehabilitation provider (CRP) in order to identify services that may optimize employment outcomes, better understand the associated factors affecting the employment outcomes and retention, and explore how vocational rehabilitation…

According to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, states are required "...to ensure that poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers..." Although the NCLB law and State Education Agencies (SEAs) currently offer very clear definitions of…

CSI-USC continues to make sense of what the California statewide data system provides. This fourth annual report gauges multiple measures of academic and financial performance, probing well beyond mere test scores. Ratings in familiar green, yellow, and red cover four areas: financial resources and investment, school quality, student performance…

For more than a decade, the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning has supported the Teaching and California's Future (TCF) initiative to provide California policymakers with objective and timely data on the state's teacher workforce. Each year, the Center publishes a report on the status of teaching profession. This year's report focuses…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the size of high schools, their percentage of SED (socio-economic disadvantaged) students, and API (academic performance index) scores in California, and determine if teacher preparation is a contributing factor. The 2010 API scores and median income of all 52 counties, and the 2010…

In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama declared that charter schools are a way to out-innovate and out-educate our competitors worldwide. The President believes that investment in education must be accompanied by reform, including the expansion of high-quality charter schools. President Obama has challenged states to lift…

The two overarching research questions of this study are: What are the perceptions of high school administrators regarding the effectiveness of their current approach to instructional management? What recommendations do high school administrators have for effective strategies for instructional management? To answer these questions, a qualitative…

This study describes how staff qualifications, decisions on staffing procedures, and professional development opportunities support the recruitment and retention of quality staff members. Four high-functioning programs were identified. Qualitative procedures and instruments were designed to capture staff and parents' academic perspectives about…

This Evidence Based Education (EBE) response describes characteristics of graduation coach initiatives in three states (Georgia, Alabama, and California). Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southeast has received over 19 requests for information on various initiatives, programs or research related to improving graduation rates. For example, the…

This document presents a summary of a larger report that examines California's independent study high schools (alternative schools in which 75 percent or more of students in grades 9-12 are enrolled in full-time independent study). The larger study describes enrollment trends since 2001-02 and the number and characteristics of schools and students…

This examination of California's independent study high schools (alternative schools in which 75 percent or more of students in grades 9-12 are enrolled in full-time independent study) describes enrollment trends since 2001-02 and the number and characteristics of schools and students as well as teacher qualifications in 2006-07. The study used…

Building a stronger teacher workforce requires the thoughtful orchestration of multiple processes working together in a human capital system. This white paper presents a framework that can be used to take stock of current efforts to enhance the teacher workforce in school districts or educational organizations, as well as their underlying theories…