Among all in-school factors that impact student learning, teachers carry the most weight -- but school leaders are not far behind. Decades of research have proven the positive influence principals can have on student achievement, school climate and teaching quality. New evidence suggests that their impact may be even greater than previously…

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), requires state education agencies to establish and implement standardized, statewide entrance and exit procedures for English learners (ELs). WIDA provides the English language proficiency placement and annual assessments administered in…

In this brief, the perspectives of special education administrators from Massachusetts and Indiana, who have been engaged in college-based transition services (CBTS), are shared. It summarizes the conversations they had during a fall 2019 Think College webinar and a follow-up discussion in summer 2020. Each administrator has had extensive…

This article describes a learning partnership between district or county leaders and school leaders to create a system of principal professional learning that came to life in principal learning communities across a district or multiple-district region. For more than a decade, Learning Forward has engaged with district-level leaders as learning…

The purpose of this reflective essay is to encourage the discussion of community-engaged scholarship (CES) that does not progress as planned. Insufficient attention is given to lessons gleaned from missteps and outright failures experienced by scholars in the field, which results in a paucity of documented cases and recommendations for…

A small undergraduate liberal arts college explored a model, grounded in the literature, to develop a shared vision for its science and math general education curriculum that focuses on scientific literacy skills. This process has allowed us to produce shared general education learning goals across our eight science and math departments, conduct…

For much of the last two decades, beginning with the passage of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in 2002, the top political leaders have shown concern about children stuck in failing public schools. NCLB required districts to do something -- not enough, but something -- about those schools. Millions of children still languish in low-performing schools,…

This article describes the design and development of a set of interventions for the training and support of adjunct instructors in a rapidly growing online graduate program at a large, Midwestern research university. These interventions were designed to improve teaching preparation and assistance provided to our adjuncts. During this effort, the…

Of the many inequities in the education system, gaps in access to strong teaching have proven to be among the most stubborn. That is not to say that there are not excellent teachers in high-poverty schools. Research shows an indisputable and wide-spread pattern in schools and districts across the country: Low-income children and children of color…

Fort Wayne Community Schools continue to increase student learning and meet state and national standards and expectations annually based on several factors that have made a difference for educators within the system: district and principal leadership, learning teams, effective learning designs, and deep commitment to a culture of learning. Fort…

There is no denying that combining two schools, or even opening a new school, is loaded with challenges and frustrations as well as high expectations. Principal Tracy Shafer saw a rural school consolidation as an opportunity to use professional development to create a community focused on student learning, meeting the need for high-quality…

Just as director sets stage and oversees theater production, middle-level administrator plays behind scenes, ensuring that school's message is clearly developed and focused on adolescents' needs. Actors must understand and integrate message into their roles and transmit it properly to audience/students. Article honors four outstanding…

A project was conducted to develop a technical assistance package to assist state and local policy agencies and schools in needs assessment and planning projects as outlined in the Indiana State Plan for vocational education. Of top priority is the development of instrumentation and a system indicating in measurable terms the job requirements…

Examined the implementation of nine pilot school-to-work high schools, highlighting planning models, curricular changes, and effects of program implementation on principals' roles. Surveys and interviews with principals and site coordinators indicated that changes in curricula were visible and heavily encouraged by respondents. Without their…

Two post-secondary correctional educators discuss how they have enhanced the rehabilitation of a diverse population of adult male offenders, including whites, African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans, by incorporating diversity initiatives into their instruction and curricula at two correctional facilities in Northwest Indiana. One way…