Have you ever encountered a leader who just had the "it" factor? They always knew the right thing to do, and it almost felt like they could read the minds of others and anticipate their needs? What if I told you that these are also things that can be learned and strengthened within oneself based on the emotional intelligence framework?…

The purpose of this study was to test methods that strengthen the comparability claims about annual determinations of student proficiency in English language arts, math, and science (Grades 3-12) in the New Hampshire Performance Assessment of Competency Education (NH PACE) pilot project. First, we examined the literature in order to define…

In 2011, an urban school district that had been cited for excessive and disproportionate suspension by race and disability sought to establish guidelines for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as a remedy. District leaders held a PBIS planning meeting that included a broad collection of stakeholders. As they discussed…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), passed by Congress in 2015, provides an important opportunity for states to broaden their definition of student success. As states begin to implement their ESSA plans, it is timely for them to reflect on ways they can include measures of social, emotional, and academic development; school climate; and related…

In our latest case study, TransformEd describes how California's CORE Districts created a groundbreaking data system that sees students as whole people, not just test scores. The case study provides an in-depth discussion of how social-emotional competencies--a key component of the CORE Districts--were prioritized and assessed. We conclude with…

Cultural proficiency is defined as the wherewithal to understand and possess the skills and behaviors to relate effectively with individuals from various cultures and backgrounds (Cross, Bazron, Dennis and Isaacs, 1989). A culturally proficient leader values difference and the growth that occurs from increased knowledge about those who are…

Federal and state mandates requiring accountability for the achievement of all students--including those with disabilities--coupled with tight budgetary restraints has led to the steady rise in the employment of paraprofessionals in P-12 educational settings. The emergence of the paraprofessional system has led to several challenges. While several…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires state accountability systems to include indicators of "school quality and student success" along with indicators of academic outcomes. The new law provides an important opportunity for states to broaden the definition of student success to include measures of students' social-emotional, as…

This document reflects work that began prior to the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act. In 2015 the Arkansas Department of Education began engaging with stakeholders to determine how the Department could better support students, educators, school and district leaders, and communities in their efforts to improve student outcomes. The…

Following the passage of No Child Left Behind, there has been increased attention among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners on the emergence and implementation of standards-based education. Existing literature documents both the promise of standards-based education and the various potential obstacles to achieving success that teachers,…

Competency education, an educator-led reform, is taking root in schools and districts across the country. In some states, state leadership has cleared the path with policies to advance competency education. This paper seeks to map out the terrain of the district implementation strategies being used to convert traditional systems into personalized,…

The ten professional standards form what Francis Duffy refers to as a "National Framework of Professional Standards for Change Leadership in Education." Each standard has examples of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that the research suggests are important for effective change leadership. Duffy's hope is that this proposed…

The report reviews competency tests designed to evaluate inservice and prospective teachers. The most frequently used instrument is the National Teacher Examination (NTE). It is designed to measure academic preparation in four domains: communication skills, general education, professional education, and subject field specialization, and should be…

Responses from 112 Virginia school principals were used to assess the presence of evaluation system components that assist principals in responding to incompetent teachers. While some evaluation system components were found to predict most of the variance in principals' effectiveness rating of their evaluation systems, none was found to predict…

Almost 200 randomly-selected midwestern junior and senior high school principals responded to a survey on their length of work week, competence in administrative tasks, involvement with central office, autonomy, and job satisfaction. Few significant differences were found between junior and senior high principals. Implications are drawn for…