"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Graduation for All, A Right and a Responsibility: National Campaign to Focus on Increasing High School Graduation…

Since 1987, more than 1,100 high schools in 35 states have adopted the High Schools That Work (HSTW) improvement design. The effectiveness of selected school and classroom practices included in the HSTW design was analyzed to identify implications for federal policy, the conditions that improve students' chances for success, and practices that…

Despite some improvements over time, national statistics point to a continuing gap in the average English literacy and numeracy achievement of Australian indigenous students when compared with non-indigenous students. A longitudinal study by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has been monitoring growth in the English literacy…

Those who advocate for developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) do so based on the conviction that these classroom practices enhance children's development and facilitate learning. This ERIC Digest examines recent research on DAP and social-emotional and cognitive development, and describes what we have learned about DAP in early childhood…

The Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center is engaged in a continuing effort to understand implications of an array of trends and policies affecting the state. This report examines the status of Kentucky's teacher workforce and offers recommendations on ways to enhance it. The five chapters are: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Teacher…

Data derived from "Raising Quality and Achievement" development projects, started in 1999 in more than 80 colleges in England led to conclusions about successful strategies to raise achievement and improve retention and about the meaning of college improvement. The projects were described in the form of case studies. A number of…

This guide has been prepared to support planning for improvement in enterprise in education. It has been designed for use by classroom teachers, school managers and staff from a wide range of agencies involved in enterprise in education, reflecting the increasing emphasis on multi-agency approaches and integrated strategies to meet pupils' needs.…

Reveals that teacher expertise, facility condition, and instructional materials affect Kenyan primary school quality, indicated by student performance on the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE). Finds these factors produce higher CPE scores among urban students. Compares two rural districts, Nyeri and Bungoma. Ties Nyeri's students' higher CPE…

This volume contains papers submitted to the 11th Annual International Conference of the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society (BCES), held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 14-17 May 2013, and papers submitted to the 1st International Distance Partner Conference, organized by the International Research Centre "Scientific Cooperation,"…

This study sought to demonstrate that Michigan middle-grades schools can become more effective learning environments for young adolescents. A total of 224 Michigan schools participated in a teacher and administrator survey, 101 of which also conducted student surveys, reaching over 45,600 students in the fifth to ninth grades. Part 1, "Early…

This study was commissioned to determine how the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is working, what outcomes children and youth with disabilities are achieving, and how the system can be improved in the context of current education reform initiatives. Key policy themes addressed include individualized education programs, least…

This report reviews the status of certain aspects of public higher education in Colorado in order to provide educators, public policymakers, and the public a measurement of the performance of Colorado college students and the higher education system as a whole. Data is provided on students, degrees, faculty, and higher education finance. The…

Interviews conducted in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District sought answers for improving educational quality in the district, which has the highest dropout rate, the lowest holding power, and the lowest standardized test scores in Kentucky. Members of the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development interviewed 155 people from 15 of…

These three volumes contain articles related to (1) improving educational productivity (lessons from economics); (2) school-to-work (STW); and (3) reduced class size, offering recommendations from national invitational conferences. Topics include making schools work; tax revolts and school performance; market pressure and the impact on…

The report describes the Center for Education, Diversity, & Excellence (CREDE), a national research and development center operated cooperatively by the University of California, Santa Cruz and the Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students. CREDE's…