Reading ability is one of the most crucial skills learned in elementary school, a primary focus for students in these years. Around the third grade, though, students start transitioning to a skill they will need the rest of their academic and work career--reading to learn. Students begin demonstrating their learning by taking high-stakes…

The purpose of this study was to find out how W. S. King School, a school for African American students that operated during segregation, impacted student learning and thereby, influenced the community. Because the former all-black W. S. King School was known to have produced graduates who went on to become successful, productive citizens in…

Tonya Kales came to Ashley Park PreK-8 as its principal (2009-2013), and confronted a school at the end of its rope. Ashley Park was a beautiful facility, but there was no learning going on in the building, it was a chaotic environment for both kids and adults. It was a hostile environment--had adults that were totally incompetent in their…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine principals' perceptions with respect to teacher leadership and the opportunities or barriers to leadership roles that teachers encounter within a school. Understanding the perspectives of principals with respect to teacher leadership and the opportunities or barriers to leadership could…

The purpose of this report is to describe what the authors learned from studying eight teacher career advancement initiatives implemented across a variety of contexts, including urban, suburban, and rural districts; high poverty and affluent districts; and in schools/districts both with and without strong union presence. They describe key…

This case study reports on the work of Denise Watts, who in 2011 was the newly named Project L.I.F.T. executive director and a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools zone superintendent. She approached Public Impact for help in meeting the new Project L.I.F.T. (Leadership and Investment for Transformation) goals. Facing urgent needs for real change, Watts…

K-12 education research has become increasingly concerned with technology's impact on students' attention in the classroom, particularly with regard to laptop computers and other mobile devices (Gay & Hembrooke, 2004; Jackson, 2008; Mann, 2008; Kraushaar & Novak, 2010). While this classroom technology has created many positive implications…

Universities and schools are struggling with the critical issues surrounding teacher quality, student learning, and the gap between research and practice. This study employed a collective case-study design to explore the impact of leadership teams and school-university partnerships on teacher leadership, professional development, and overall…

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) on October 23-24, 2008, to conduct interviews with individuals who play important roles in the university's teacher preparation program. These interviews, along with additional documentation provided by UNCG and identified by…

Two-year case study of how teachers and administrators at K-5 school in North Carolina created a more supportive school climate that resulted in a steady improvement in student performance. (Contains 16 references) (PKP)

A recent case study examined how the organizational changes from junior high to middle school influenced the science program for a large North Carolina school system, focusing on teacher preparation, time allocation, interdisciplinary instruction, equipment allocation, and information and leadership issues. Science instruction was enhanced under…