The Big Lift™ (Big Lift) is a preschool-third-grade collective impact initiative in San Mateo County, California. The initiative is a partnership of the County of San Mateo, the San Mateo County Office of Education, and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Launched in 2012, the initiative aims to boost children's reading proficiency by third…

In 2019, Child Trends partnered with the Institute for Health Research and Policy of the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC-IHRP), EMT Associates, Inc., and the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) to publish the first comprehensive policy analysis (see ED613844) to explore codified state statutes and regulations covering…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Bridging the Digital Divide." Contents include: (1) Texas Needs an Equitable…

This report explores the impact of schools and other settings working with families to improve learning and achievement. It identifies the key features of highly-effective practice in engaging families in learning and provides examples of quality family learning which are helping to secure better outcomes for children and young people. The case…

As the percentage of diverse students continues to increase, the problem of disproportionate representation of students in special education by race/ethnicity persists (Kena et al., 2014; Zhang, Katsiyannis, Ju, & Roberts, 2014). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) requires states to monitor…

High rates of absenteeism are often an early warning sign for negative long-term outcomes. Typical high school attendance policies, especially those that are punitive in nature, can make attendance problems worse. Fortunately, evidence suggests that even small improvements in student attendance can lead to meaningful outcomes. To support this…

The authors of this article begin with an introduction to the holistic concept of family literacy and learning and its implementation in various international contexts, paying special attention to the key role played by the notions of lifelong learning and intergenerational learning. The international trends and experiences they outline inspired…

A recent report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC) tracks college students over six years and examines their outcomes by race/ethnicity, institutional type, and enrollment intensity. Distinct trends in college enrollment, persistence, and completion emerge among Latino college students, including: (1) Most Latinos…

The state of Washington is home to more than 566,000 children under the age of six. About 306,000 of these children have all available parents in the workforce and, thus, potentially need child care. Like many states in recent years, Washington has committed public and private resources toward multiple efforts to improve early care and education…

This research summary explores READS and the rigorous research behind its development over the years, as well as the program's outcomes and key components. The brainchild of James Kim, a Harvard University education professor, READS provides 10 free, carefully-matched books to third through fifth graders over the summer, along with three key…

The "Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools" online module is intended for all school personnel, including administrators, instructional staff, and non-instructional staff. The module familiarizes school staff with the concept of trauma sensitivity and includes examples of trauma-sensitive strategies that can be employed schoolwide.…

This Handout Packet includes all of the downloadable resources found throughout the Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools online module. Each of these handouts is available for individual download as staff work through the module together during professional development events. Most handouts are relevant to all school staff and two handouts are…

A Family Geography Night (FGN) kit can be used to bring families together, teach about the world, give parents the opportunity to share their beliefs, and participate in the educational system while having fun! Geography is an essential element of twenty-first-century education. More than just maps, geography is the interaction of cultures,…

Based on the success of the Welcome to Kindergarten™ initiative, The Learning Partnership (TLP), a national advocacy organization for public education, initiated a pilot project called Family and Community Engagement Strategy (FACES), in the three Ontario communities of Cornwall, Durham and Sudbury. The overall goal of the FACES Project, funded by…

Student-led conferences are an alternative method of reporting progress to parents. This qualitative phenomenological research study was conducted in order to examine elementary teachers' perceptions of student-led conferences in comparison to traditional parent-teacher conferences in Central and Southern Illinois. Additionally, the study examined…