This report describes the final evaluation of a condensed work schedule, the Summer 2009 4-Day Work Week (S4-DWW), adopted by The School Board of Broward County, Florida. The goal for the program was to close the entire district for 1 day each week to reduce utility costs. Except for a few cases, district schools and offices were closed on Fridays…

This article discusses assumptions often made by principals in K-12 schools regarding the role of literacy coaches and the presumed effects that coaching will have on teacher knowledge and practice as well as on student achievement. For the purposes of this article, a literacy coach is a content-area expert who assists teachers with instruction in…

Employing multiple approaches and data sources, School Improvement Model (SIM) researchers have worked with selected districts nationwide to implement a new 360-degree feedback model favored by many companies. This article describes how 360-degree feedback (from students, peers, self-evaluation, supervisors, parents, and student achievement) can…

Describes four-tier accountability system developed in the Dallas Independent School District through a districtwide planning process. Tier One focuses on the school level; Tier Two involves the district improvement plan; Tier Three relates to school-effectiveness indices; Tier Four involves the development of teacher-effectiveness indices.…

In March 2003, the Corpus Christi Independent School District (CCISD) received a Curriculum Management Audit report from the Texas Curriculum Management Audit Center of the Texas Association of School Administrators. One of the findings of this audit was that CCISD lacked a clear comprehensive management plan to define and guide the design,…

The Stupski Foundation has focused on the implementation of a comprehensive aligned instructional system as a critical lever for district reform. In the challenging environment of urban education, reforms focusing on only one system component (i.e., assessment, curriculum materials, professional development, resource utilization, regulatory…

A core component of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001) is the provision of free after-school tutoring services, labeled "supplemental educational services" (SES), to eligible students. Importantly, an explicit NCLB requirement makes each state responsible for evaluating individual SES providers with regard to effectiveness in…

To provide a safer learning environment in Broward County (Florida) Public Schools, secondary school students have become involved in a crime- and drug-prevention program called Youth Crime Watch. Structured as a school-based extracurricular activity, this program provides a forum for discussing drug and crime prevention, establishing…

Teachers from 20 schools in Spring Independent School District in Houston, Texas, are attempting to solve students' learning difficulties by using a study-team process. Teams are changing instructional practices to motivate students to read, addressing individual student cases to improve language expression, and assessing different methods to help…

Describes Dade County (Florida) Public Schools' evaluation of its 1991-92 Professional Orientation Program. Generally, the program's major components were being implemented appropriately. Beginning teachers were favorably impressed with the support teams and the program itself, except for the training videotapes and enrollment paperwork. The…

Examines the status of Broward County (Florida) Public Schools high school students, who must satisfy the district's algebra requirement in order to graduate. Data indicate that the majority of district students are meeting the new, higher standards; 80% of seniors in school year 1998-99 had previously completed the algebra requirement. (MLH)

The Delaware Performance Appraisal Process includes indicators that contain subjective terminology and are open to various interpretations, leading to concerns about interrater reliability and professional staff morale. The Lake Forest School District developed a two-pronged approach that retains the three-observation method while eliminating the…

Describes the Broward County (Florida) Research and Evaluation Department's assessment of a Sylvan Learning Systems remedial reading program employed in two district schools during 1993-94. Sylvan staff adequately equipped both sites, appropriately used diagnostic tests for placing students, implemented motivation and direct-instruction…

Discusses results of an evaluation of the conflict-resolution/student-mediation program in region II of the Dade County (Florida) Public Schools during 1992-93. Describes staff training, conflict-resolution instruction for students, the nature and extent of student mediation, and measurable program results. Although school behavior indicators…

Volunteer tutoring programs resembling a Delaware school's HOSTS Program will probably succeed if a certified reading specialist supervises tutors; tutors receive ongoing training and feedback; tutoring sessions are structured and contain basic elements; tutoring is intensive and consistent; quality materials are used; student assessments are…