This brief is designed to promote collaborative leadership in the work of transforming low performing urban schools into successful schools. The brief is organized into several topics, which include framing the challenge (concentrated disadvantage, concentration effects, and savage inequalities); encouraging educators and partners to promote the…

Systemic change in education refers to many facets of a community working together to support and improve how well children learn. This study examines the perceptions of teachers involved in systemic change as math and science resource teachers. In Duval County, Florida, a group of teachers were hired to assist systemic change as part of a 5-year…

Investigated the impact of Professional Development School (PDS) activities on elementary student writing and mathematics achievement (using collaborative teacher research) after 2 years of school and university researcher participation, describing processes and outcomes of two PDS writing and mathematics skills programs. Focus group interviews…

To refocus its professional development plan, Chaska Middle School East (Minnesota) looked at where student achievement was lagging. Using the Killion back-mapping model, a student-focused, data-driven, multi-step process by which teachers gather and study student data to determine where professional growth, development, or training is most…

Principals are the leaders of their schools, they are responsible for both student and professional learning. With thought, organization, and communication, welcoming and assisting beginning teachers as they enter their new profession can be done efficiently and effectively. An administrator who not only understands the difficult induction year,…

Scratch the surface of a successful school and you will find a web of interactions that is the root of its success. Who is it that envisions, inspires, cajoles, and rallies all the various players in and around a school toward any improvement goal? Often it's a superintendent, a principal, a professor, a special teacher, or a parent. In a word,…

The Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP) sets forth a vision for technology immersion in Texas public schools. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) originally directed more than $14.5 million in federal Title II, Part D monies toward funding a wireless learning environment for high-need middle schools through a competitive grant process. A concurrent…

To learn more about district and school decision making for No Child Left Behind (NCLB) restructuring, the Center on Education Policy (CEP) turned to California, a state with a substantial number of schools in restructuring and several state and regional supports for making decisions about restructuring. In the summer and fall of 2005, CEP…

As part of a national Middle Start initiative led by the Academy for Educational Development (AED), Mid South Middle Start is committed to working with high-poverty schools in the Mid South Delta region to build their capacity to foster students' academic excellence, support the development of young adolescents, and achieve social equity in…

This study examined whether the Chicago Annenberg Challenge promoted improvement in schools it supported and in student achievement and other outcomes; factors that might explain improvement or lack thereof among Annenberg schools; and what could be learned from the Challenge's experiences. It highlighted the period between 1996-1997 through…

Describes a 3-year study of 18 elementary and 7 middle school teams involved in development and implementation of building-level programs designed to support students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms. The teams used co-teaching as an integral part of their service delivery models. Benefits and problems are discussed. (Author/CR)

A Portland (Oregon) elementary school, formerly designated a local "crisis school," has improved academic achievement through a combination of Total Quality Management, high expectations, and tough love. Quarterly assessments enable staff to keep track of each student and guide instructional decisions. Small classes, on-site professional…

This study evaluated an in-class service model for third graders at risk of school failure in 13 schools. The model included collaborative consultation, cooperative teaching, parent involvement, and strategic and adapted instruction. Significant effects were found on writing scores for students at risk (but not students with learning disabilities)…

Evaluated the impact that an association with the Teachers College of a midwestern university had on student achievement at schools designated as Professional Development Schools (PDSs). Data were collected from the state mandated achievement test and from ratings of the PDSs. Comparison of PDS and non-PDS sites showed no significant differences…

Studied the effects of interdisciplinary teaming versus departmentalization on student achievement in middle schools. Found no significant differences for reading, math, science, and social studies achievement. Results suggest that team teaching merits further investigation as a potential strategy for mediating the student achievement loss…