Policy makers at the federal level have embraced an educator effectiveness agenda, which in turn has driven many states across the country to rapidly develop and implement new and more complex teacher evaluation systems. It is increasingly clear that the success of these nascent teacher evaluation systems partly depends on the will, skill, and…

Using assessment data to determine student growth has become an integral part of the accountability movement, and researchers and educators are currently examining how new rules impact the academic assessment of gifted learners. In 2008, the Association for the Gifted's Annual Symposium at the Council for Exceptional Children Convention focused on…

Federal policies (e.g., 2002 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act [ESEA] and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) posit that teacher quality is a potential leverage point for improving student achievement (U.S. Department of Education, 2010). Moreover, in the Race to the Top competition, teacher effectiveness must…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed into law in December 2015, is the latest reauthorization of one of the most influential pieces of federal education legislation, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The law had not been reauthorized since 2001 when the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was signed, and ESSA is the result of…

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, schools were held almost exclusively accountable for absolute levels of student performance. But that meant that even schools that were making great strides with students were still labeled as "failing," just because the students had not yet made it all the way to a "proficient" level…

The Growth Model Pilot Project (GMPP) was initiated to allow states to experiment with adjustments to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) status accountability system in order to improve the validity of AYP determinations by giving schools credit for students who are making significant growth. The pilot allowed states, districts, and schools to…

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) initiated the Growth Model Pilot Project (GMPP) in November 2005 with the goal of approving up to ten states to incorporate growth models in school adequate yearly progress (AYP) determinations under the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act" ("ESEA"). After extensive reviews, nine states…

This article is a case study of compensatory education as it was developed and implemented by an innovative urban school principal in the early 1960s. I argue that while the compensatory education movement was often marred by pejorative-sounding language and inegalitarian ideas, especially as it was shaped and expanded by policy makers and…

This policy brief examines standards-based approaches that hold promise for shaping a common vision of skilled teaching commensurate with the national goal of preparing all students for college and careers. Numerous studies confirm that teachers are the most significant school-based factor in improving student achievement, particularly for the…

As President Bush nears the end of his tenure, his administration is putting its final stamp on the No Child Left Behind Act and trying to lay the groundwork for the law's future. This article reports on the latest effort of President Bush's administration that will allow as many as 10 states to create alternative interventions for schools that…

This volume contains advocacy briefing papers presented at the 15th Annual National Indian Education Association (NIEA) Legislative Summit held February 15-15, 2012 in Washington, DC. The following papers are included: (1) Become a Powerful Advocate; (2) NIEA Legislative Priority for 2012: Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education…

Section 9401 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended, authorizes the Secretary of Education to grant waivers of ESEA requirements to state educational agencies (SEAs), local education agencies (LEAs), Indian tribes, and schools in order to assist them in increasing the quality of instruction for students and…

Six years after the No Child Left Behind Act became law, many states still haven't completed one of its most important tasks: establishing a testing system that meets the law's requirement that they track all students' progress toward proficiency in reading and math. Although the progress has been slow, U.S. Department of Education officials and…

PACEREPORT, established under terms of an ESEA Title III grant from the U. S. Office of Education to the Owensboro City Schools, Owensboro, Kentucky, is published to provide Title III project directors with a continuing source of news and information on educational innovation. This issue concentrates on 8 specific inservice case studies including…