Technology as a catalyst for change: the role of professional development

This paper presents an analysis of results from an evaluation of The Centers for Quality Teaching and Learning, a professional development program placing technology in the context of student-centered instructional practices. This analysis focuses on the relationship between the professional development and teachers’ use of technology in their classroom and their general instructional practices. The results from this study indicate teachers increased their use of technology in ways viewed as more constructivist, regardless of their broader instructional practices. One possible explanation may be the instructional context of the professional development that teachers experience

How to assess student performance in history: going beyond multiple-choice tests

The purpose of this document is to help teachers implement effective assessment strategies when teaching history. The primary audience for this publication is third through twelfth grade teachers who cover the topic of history in their instruction. Secondary audiences include school administrators, district and state curriculum staff, or individuals providing professional development

Understanding factors that influence teen mothers’ doula utilization: A qualitative study

In this study, we examined factors that influenced doula use among adolescent mothers in a community-based childbirth education and doula program. We used a qualitative case study approach to gather perspectives from adolescent mothers and doulas through semistructured interviews, field observations, and a focus group. These women collectively revealed multiple themes related to doula use among adolescent mothers, including relationship development and barriers to doula use at the individual and structural levels. Effective training and support for doulas that serve adolescent clients can improve these mothers' birth experiences, and program planners in the United States and other countries can use process evaluations to improve doula programs for adolescent mothers

Retention and satisfaction of novice teachers: Lessons from a school reform model

In many countries, novice teachers, or those with fewer than four years of experience, have a higher turnover rate than do more experienced teachers. Using teacher employment data, we examine whether schools in an American whole-school reform model are better able to retain novice teachers. Using survey data, we investigate whether novice teachers in a particular school reform model are more satisfied with school leadership than their peers in traditional high schools. In this reform model, early college high schools, high schools are located on college campuses and students have the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree or two years of credit in the state university system. This model emphasizes a shared mission and shared leadership. We find that early colleges had a higher turnover rate than their neighbor schools, and a higher percentage of early college teachers were novices. However, these novice teachers were not more likely to leave than novice teachers in traditional schools were. Early college novice teachers received more personalized support and were more satisfied with school leadership than their peers in traditional high schools. Under certain conditions, schools can have higher retention rates for novice teachers

Turning around a low-performing high school: Learning from the story of Jones Senior High School

Turning around a low-performing school is complex and challenging work. This monograph tells the story of Jones Senior High School, a rural school that increased its achievement from less than 65% passing to approximately 90% passing. Included in this monograph are tips and tools that were developed by the principal and instructional coach who led the turnaround

Learning from failure: a discussion guide on high school reform

This discussion guide is designed to provide information about what hasn’t worked in the past and the lessons we have learned. It can be used by teams of practitioners, policymakers, and members of the community who are in the midst of school reform efforts at the high school level. Reading and working through this guide will help those teams engage in a dialogue about how to ensure success at their school. This document summarizes some existing literature and research on the reasons behind the failure of many school reforms. It also provides questions for people to consider as they develop or implement their own reform efforts

Early college puts youth on a college track

Early colleges are a rapidly spreading effort to increase students’ access to postsecondary education. Think of them as a proven college transition program for traditionally underrepresented students

Early Colleges: Redesigning high school for college readiness

This chapter provides an overview of recent literature on college readiness and the emergence of the early college model. Using quantitative and qualitative data from an experimental study of early colleges in North Carolina, researchers describe the positive effects found on various indicators of college readiness

Success in the college preparatory mathematics pipeline: Impact of policies and practices employed by three high school reform models

This paper examines the relationship of the policies and practices employed by 3 high school reform models – Early College High Schools, Redesigned High Schools, and High Schools That Work – with student success in college preparatory mathematics courses by the end of the 10th grade. Data on policies and practices collected through a survey of school principals in North Carolina are combined with administrative data on student course-taking and performance. The examined policies include course-taking requirements, rigorous instruction, academic support, personalization, and relevance. Results show that implementation of these policies varies across models and that higher levels of implementation of combinations of these policies are associated with improved outcomes

Expanding the start of the college pipeline: Ninth grade findings from an experimental study of the impact of the early college high school model

Early college high schools are a new and rapidly spreading model that merges the high school and college experiences and that is designed to increase the number of students who graduate from high school and enroll and succeed in postsecondary education. This article presents results from a federally funded experimental study of the impact of the early college model on Grade 9 outcomes. Results show that, as compared to control group students, a statistically significant and substantively higher proportion of treatment group students are taking core college preparatory courses and succeeding in them. Students in the treatment group also have statistically significantly higher attendance and lower suspension rates than students in the control group