In this study, we examine which student and school characteristics predict students' perceptions of the school climate. Our data come from a survey administered to nearly 3,000 students in grades 4-12 in 18 charter schools throughout the country. The survey asks students about their perceptions of seven distinct aspects of the school's culture and…

Much scholarly work describes a culture of low expectations in low-income, urban schools, the challenges these teachers face managing student behavior, and why these problems so strongly influence teacher turnover. By contrast, some urban charter schools, particularly those associated with high achieving Charter Management Organizations (CMOs),…

This case study consists of a real database project for a charter school--Scholar's Academy--and provides background information on the school and its cafeteria processing system. Also included are functional requirements and some illustrative data. Students are tasked with the design and development of a database for the purpose of improving the…

This article describes lessons learned from an applied literacy course in which preservice teachers partnered with a local middle school to teach literacy actively through podcast and digital graphic novel creation. Future teachers need equity-focused, production-centered, interest-driven connected learning (Ito et al., 2013) and connected…

This article describes how there are specific tools and techniques used by teachers in synchronous-live-virtual classroom environments. Those items were investigated in this article. Data was collected from semi-structured, one-on-one interviews conducted with a purposeful sample of twelve identified "highly-qualified" teachers at a…

NGSS Early Implementers is a four-year initiative created to help eight California school districts and two charter management organizations, supported by WestEd's K-12 Alliance, implement the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Designed for professional developers and administrators, this report describes 10 tools and processes that are…

This article discusses the results of an empirical study that examined young bilingual students' discussions of picture books dealing with gender themes in a Spanish/English bilingual classroom. The study focused on the reading of five picture books by sixteen 5-year-old Mexican-origin children at a small charter school. The data were collected by…

The Wisconsin Department for Public Instruction (DPI) is required to submit this report to the Legislature regarding the status of existing charter schools, the number of petitions for new charter schools, and the action taken by school boards and the DPI on petitions for new charter schools. This report offers the results of new charter school…

Key findings from the current survey: (1) many California parents see school closures for COVID-19 as somewhat of a problem and are concerned with providing productive learning at home; (2) an overwhelming majority of parents approve of school districts' handling of closures and Governor Newsom's handling of K-12 education; and (3) as optimism…

This is the seventh edition of EdChoice's "Schooling in America Survey." Each year, researchers poll the general public on a range of issues in K-12 education. In 2019, the polling results are based on a nationally representative sample of the general public that includes 1,810 online and phone interviews. Over time, EdChoice has…

Despite the historical purposes of World Literature and the inclusion of 'global citizenship' in many school mission statements, World Literature, in many high schools, remain reviews of British and American literature. The dominance of English language texts in World Literature reflects and perpetuates British and American political hegemony and…

This annual survey--developed and reported by EdChoice and interviews conducted by our partner, Braun Research, Inc.--measures public opinion and awareness on a range of K-12 education topics, including parents' schooling preferences, educational choice policies, the federal government's role in education and more. We report response levels,…

Key findings from the current survey: (1) Most Californians say charter schools are an important option for parents in low-income areas--but many express concern that charters divert funding from traditional public schools; (2) More than half of residents across regions say teacher salaries in their community are too low; and (3) Majorities…

This community-based, participatory action research study examined the outcomes of parent participation in the Best Classroom Project, an organized group of parents in Detroit seeking the best school options for children about to enter kindergarten. These parents' residency and school choices have emerged against the grain of public schools that…

The Walton Family Foundation was at a pivotal point in early 2015. After investing $1.3 billion in K-12 education over the previous two decades, executive and board leadership were reflecting on past work, and charting a course for the Foundation's strategic direction based on key learnings from their investments in education. The Walton Family…