A Working Model for Evaluating Academic Excellence in Geoscience Education, Undergraduate, and K-12

This article discusses a model for academic excellence in the geosciences which can be used for K-12 and undergraduate education. The model combines criteria for excellence derived from studies of the National Research Council, the National Academy of Sciences, and other national professional organizations. It consists of two major components: opportunity for students to learn, and attainment at the highest structural and multidimensional levels. The author concludes that this model will be most useful as a working model for evaluation, as a reference for comparison, and as a guide for reaching excellence in geoscience education efforts. Educational levels: Graduate or professional

Basic Skills for Complex Lives: Designs for Learning in the Community College

Outlines the Strengthening Pre-collegiate Education in Community Colleges project's activities, results, and lessons learned, including five principles for teaching underprepared students. Recommends an institution-wide focus and faculty collaboration

The Connection Strategy: Preparing Young People to Succeed in College and Beyond

Describes the P-16 approach of linking education strategies from preschool through college graduation to better prepare low-income minority students. Discusses academic content, state policy strategies, and P-16 network efforts in Atlanta

Village Building and School Readiness: Closing Opportunity Gaps in a Diverse Society

Examines a community's impacts on child development and frames strategies to build early learning systems in poor minority neighborhoods. Stresses combining services with community-building and developing a diverse early education workforce from within

Technology Solutions for Developmental Math: An Overview of Current and Emerging Practices

Reviews current practices in and strategies for incorporating innovative technology into the teaching of remedial math at the college level. Outlines challenges, emerging trends, and ways to combine technology with new concepts of instructional strategy

Beyond Financial Aid: How Colleges Can Strengthen the Financial Stability of Low-income Students and Improve Student Outcomes

Completing education beyond high school is essential to Americans' well-being and economic success. But rising costs and inadequate financial resources hinder too many students from earning postsecondary credentials. This guidebook identifies six key strategies for improving services for low-income students. The report showcases promising approaches that colleges and universities are already employing, and offers these ideas as guides for all institutions. It also features an institutional self-assessment designed to help postsecondary institutions determine their effectiveness in serving low-income students and take steps toward improving their practices

Digital and Media Literacy: A Plan of Action

Outlines a community education movement to implement Knight's 2009 recommendation to enhance digital and media literacy. Suggests local, regional, state, and national initiatives such as teacher education and parent outreach and discusses challenges

Supporting Youth in Transition to Adulthood: Lessons Learned from Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice

The Georgetown Public Policy Institute's Center for Juvenile Justice Reform and the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative collaborated to publish this paper that describes case assessment, case management, and other practices implemented in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. The practices highlighted have shown promise in improving outcomes for the transition-age population

Improving Early Literacy in PreK-3: Lessons Learned

In 2011, The McKnight Foundation partnered with a set of districts and schools in the Twin Cities area, all serving high-needs students, on a PreK–3 literacy initiative. The Pathway Schools Initiative aims to dramatically increase the number of students who reach the critical milestone of third-grade reading proficiency, an indicator predictive of later academic outcomes and high school graduation. This report focuses on findings from Phase I of the Pathway Schools Initiative (2011–2015).The McKnight Foundation selected the Urban Education Institute (UEI) at the University of Chicago to serve as the initiative's intermediary. UEI was tasked with providing the intellectual, conceptual, and managerial leadership for the initiative as well as professional development and technical assistance focused on literacy and leadership to the Pathway districts and schools. UEI anchored this support on two, validated diagnostic tools developed at the University of Chicago: the Strategic Teaching and Evaluation of Progress (STEP) developmental literacy assessment and the 5Essentials Survey.Participating Pathway schools and districts carried out the day-to-day work of the initiative. They used grant funds to expand or refine their PreK programs; hire additional staff such as program managers, literacy coaches, classroom aides, and family engagement liaisons; and purchase high-quality instructional materials, such as classroom libraries or tablets.An advisory group, the Education and Learning National Advisory Committee (ELNAC), was established in 2010 to help inform decisions about the initiative. SRI International has served as the initiative's evaluator since 2010