Programs for gifted and talented education should be guided by research-based practices, but states' policies vary in their recommendations for programming, and in how they hold local education agencies accountable for implementing those recommendations. State plans for gifted and talented education rely on the voluntary compliance of districts to…

Despite the substantive body of research on African American Language (AAL), designating it a meaningful, rule-governed language system and the first language of many African Americans, schools in the US have systematically failed to integrate a language policy related to African American English learners (AAELs). In this article, we employ a…

Professional development in science education aims to support teacher learning with the ultimate goal of improving student achievement. A multitude of factors influence teacher change and the effectiveness of professional development. This review of the literature explores these factors and identifies school and district science leaders as a…

The mechanism design approach to student assignment involves the theoretical, empirical, and experimental study of systems used to allocate students into schools around the world. Recent practical experience designing systems for student assignment has raised new theoretical questions for the theory of matching and assignment. This article reviews…

Response to intervention (RTI) is an approach to instruction, assessment, and intervention that enables early identification of students who are experiencing academic or behavioral difficulties. The jurisdictions served by the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands expressed interest in a study of whether and how state education…

This report describes how California is providing direct intervention to improve structures and processes in districts, which is intended over time to improve curriculum, instruction, and student achievement at the school level. For districts subject to federal Corrective Action under NCLB, California's approach is "top down" in that…

Educators often use the term technical assistance to define services delivered or received in the pursuit of school- and district-improvement initiatives. More specifically, technical assistance can be defined as any assistance that identifies, selects, or designs research-based solutions and practices to support school improvement (Mattson &…

This book examines the role of the educational service agency (ESA) in the process of enabling and facilitating rural school improvement. The introductory chapter discusses the continuing significance of rural education, service to rural districts as an explicit reason for establishing ESAs, and the characteristics of several types of ESAs.…

A method is described for the evaluation of information technology (IT) use in school districts. The approach is based on studies of IT evaluation and experience in evaluating IT in several school districts. The proposed approach relies on five components: (1) multiple indicators and measures of performance; (2) balanced attention to…

The article formally defines education and planning, then uses a political science perspective to view the planning process in American school districts, noting for what, for whom, and by whom planning is done; in what specific policy areas planning occurs; and how planning is accomplished. (SB)

Early efforts to reform middle-level education were characterized by the adoption of a set of programs, often those espoused by national advocacy groups. Too often such efforts were driven by changes in student population and adopted without broad participation by teachers, parents, and other community members. This paper relates the story of a…

Presents an historical perspective on the formation of substate governmental and political coalitions. Reports that urban school districts participate in the formation and workings of cooperative regional councils to a very small extent. Advocates further public school participation by presenting eight advantages for schools. (Author/MK)

This report explores the use of policy analysis as a tool for setting computer use policy in a school district by discussing the steps in the policy formation and implementation processes and outlining how policy analysis methods can contribute to the creation of effective policy. Factors related to the adoption and implementation of innovations…

Cooperative purchasing programs among school districts have grown rapidly in the past decade, but significant questions remain about the benefits and drawbacks of such programs. This document presents the results of a project sponsored by the Association of School Business Officials for the purpose of addressing these questions. Comprising…

The literature on transformational leadership is reviewed to provide a theoretical framework for leaders in educational organizations. Our rapidly changing society calls for a new type of educational leadership. Drawing on the work of J. M. Burns (1978) and B. M. Bass (1985) among others, transactional leaders are distinguished from…