To raise the achievement of every student in the state, Maryland implemented "Achievement Matters Most," a new plan for public elementary and secondary schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. This Russian-language guide for parents outlines the goals and…

To raise the achievement of every student in the state, Maryland implemented "Achievement Matters Most," a new plan for public elementary and secondary schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. This Spanish-language guide for parents outlines the goals and…

To raise the achievement of every student in the state, Maryland implemented "Achievement Matters Most," a new plan for public elementary and secondary schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. This Vietnamese-language guide for parents outlines the goals and…

To raise the achievement of every student in the state, Maryland implemented "Achievement Matters Most," a new plan for public elementary and secondary schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. This Urdu-language guide for parents outlines the goals and…

This study looks at the interview responses of teachers and administrators in five secondary schools in Ontario (Canada) to government-initiated accountability strategies. Several questions were posed: (1) What were the perceived effects of these strategies? (2) What motives did teachers and administrators ascribe to the government for introducing…

Argues that the role of educational standards that has emerged from the National Education Summit is fundamentally misunderstood, does not address the issue adequately, and that using increased standards as a negative incentive is detrimental to students by punishing them for noncomplience. Explains the importance of student-centered standards,…

Describes a continuous school-wide effort begun in 1994 by Nogales High School (Arizona) to improve student writing. Nogales students in 2000 and 2001 scored at or above the state averages on the writing assessment portion of the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS). Advocates involving all teachers from all disciplines in the effort to…

Examines the effectiveness of recognition and reward programs in holding schools accountable for the academic performance, various ways of measuring student academic performance, and the effects of incentive systems on teacher morale. Issues related to evaluating recognition and reward programs and questions related to how incentive programs can…

The Research for Better Schools Urban Education Project provides a different framework from current education-reform efforts for restructuring urban schools and improving educational quality. This volume organizes a set of invited papers according to the Urban Learner Framework themes of cultural diversity and learning, unrecognized abilities and…

This paper reports on a project designed to improve student achievement through better communication between parents/guardians and teachers of 7th-grade math students in a large, north-central Illinois urban community. Analysis of probable-cause data revealed that no structured means of communication existed. Attempts to communicate were thwarted…

This paper describes the Success for All Program and items that need be considered when the program is implemented in elementary schools. The program includes one-to-one tutoring; frequent assessment; a family support team; innovative curriculum approaches in reading, writing, and language arts; and other interventions. Discussion expands on…

To address the seemingly intractable problem of improving student outcomes in its lowest performing schools, the Philadelphia School Reform Commission asked the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) to be one of seven outside organizations (collectively referred to as educational management organizations or 'EMOs') that would manage a total of 45…

This is the national evaluation of the PUSH for Excellence Project, a Federally funded educational demonstration program carried out in schools in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Chattanooga, Memphis, and Kansas City. The report presents the latest findings on the status of program implementation, and provides diagnostic information that PUSH-EXCEL…

Over the past several years, high school graduation rates in the United States have come under intense public scrutiny fueled by a renewed interest in high school reform as well as higher public school accountability requirements. At this time, two issues dominate the debate over high school graduation rates: First, there is a need for a common…

Argues that one flaw in America's school system that inhibits it from preparing students for successful futures is the unidimensional representation of students only by their achievements. Contends just as much attention needs to be given to students as social beings. (GR)