This chapter presents findings from a national research study with a sample of nearly twenty thousand first-year students on how students' experiences and campus programs affect key academic outcomes of the first year. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

The future of Greece's well-being will depend on improving educational performance to boost productivity and improve social outcomes. In the current economic context, with the need to get best value for spending, Greece must and can address inefficiencies in its education system. The challenges are significant. For example, Greece lags behind many…

"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) House Passes FY 2007 Funding Measure: Education Programs Slated to Receive Additional Funding; (2) President Bush…

Accountability for student learning is the key focus of New Mexico's system of school improvement. The Public Education Department's commitment to continuous improvement is evident in the steps taken to refine the 2007-2008 School Improvement Framework to reflect No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements. The School Improvement Framework was…

Identifying an instructional leader as a principal who engages in activities that significantly affect the learning that goes on in the school, this article profiles an elementary school principal recognized by the Oregon Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development as one of the state's most effective instructional leaders. The author…

Presented here are reviews of the reports from the National Institute of Education (NIE) on the Compensatory Education Study (an evaluation of compensatory education programs in the United States). Ernest House's article addresses the evaluation study directly. It covers the study's assessment of funding allocations, program administration,…

Data from the first two years (1975-76 and 1976-77) of a three year study of Demonstration Compensatory Education Projects are presented in this report. The demonstration study was designed to produce evidence about proposed changes in the allocation of Title I funds. Of the thirteen districts chosen for the study, eleven elected to change their…

The Center for Mental Health in Schools has explored new infrastructure mechanisms designed to ensure that schools pay more systematic attention to how they use resources for addressing barriers to student learning and promoting healthy development. This report highlights key infrastructure mechanisms for enhancing education supports and stresses…

This report follows closely on the footsteps of the previous 7 editions published by American Legislative Exchange Council in presenting the basic facts about public elementary and secondary education in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report contains more than 90 tables and 25 figures that display, in various ways, more than 100…

The relationship between school funding and student achievement is not clear. Therefore, policymakers should concentrate more on how resources are distributed, rather than on how much money is available. They should also explore the importance of adequate resource levels and equitable distribution schemes. A sidebar outlines the characteristics of…

Effective professional development requires that the district take charge to develop a comprehensive strategy. Districts must be able to describe the strategy and organize to meet their goals. A balanced strategy includes compensation, planning time, teachers' job structure and responsibilities, and professional learning opportunities. Districts…

This report presents findings from an investigation into relationships between academic achievement and the distribution of fiscal resources among rural school districts in Oregon. The investigation was prompted by earlier-reported findings suggesting the critical nature of both achievement gaps and resource gaps among rural school districts in…

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

As part of a Title I demonstration project, sixteen school districts were chosen to change their compensatory education Federal fund allocation procedures by substituting an educational definition of need for the formerly used income definition. The purpose of this report is threefold: (1) to describe the demographic characteristics of the…

Each year the principals of approximately 1,400 elementary schools participating in the /I/D/E/A Change Program are sent a questionnaire that focuses on the principal's assessment of program implementation and selected effects. This paper summarizes data collected during three school years--1973-74, 1974-75, and 1975-76. The size of the responding…