Framework for Understanding the Legal Structure of Texas Public Schools

Texas public school stakeholders consist primarily of students, parents, faculty and staff, administrators, school board members, business leaders, community members, and taxpayers. While each of these stakeholders has a vested interest in the local school district, many fail to understand how public schools came into existence and the legal rationale upon which they operate. The problem lies in the structural complexity of schools, which is prohibitive to a complete understanding by its entire constituency. While the multiple layers of politics and numerous laws and policies that define the Texas public school structure may be necessary for proper operation, the intricacy further exacerbates the ability of many to fully comprehend it. The purpose of this study was to create a framework for understanding the legal structure of Texas public schools to facilitate a more complete understanding by all constituents

Impacts on Teacher Evaluations: The Importance of Building Capacity through Excellence in the Application of the Teacher Evaluation Process

Significant student learning and school improvement are dependent upon the teacher being the centerpiece (Tucker, Stronge, Gareis, & Beers, 2003; National Council of Teacher Quality, 2011). In maintaining the high standards associated with teaching responsibilities, educators are held accountable through performance evaluations. In the United States, teacher evaluations have long been a standard of practice largely determined by individual states and school districts. Additionally, teacher effectiveness has been guided by at least three pieces of national legislation, including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, 1965), the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, 2009), also referred to as the Stimulus or Recovery Act. With the expectation that the nation\u27s universities produce higher quality teachers and school districts hire highly qualified teachers, the profession finds itself under constant, critical scrutiny, most recently concerning the evaluation of teachers

THE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT: A CASE STUDY

Considering the vitally important role that the superintendent plays in the overall functioning and wellbeing of any school district, the filling of that position should never be done in haste. Due to the importance of this process and the time it requires, school districts often employ an interim superintendent. In this single case study, one researcher engaged in qualitative research by actually assuming the role of an interim superintendent in a small West Texas school. The findings that emerged from this study consisted of identifying duties and roles of the interim superintendent in comparison with those of the regular superintendent. Major differences were found in the roles of the two positions

Five Critical Skills Necessary for the Interim Superintendent in Texas

Schools are highly complex places (Goodall, 2013, p.121) and school district-level leadership is integral to student success (Bigham & Nix, 2011; Fertig, M., 2012; Leithwood & Jantzi, 2000; Norton, Webb, Dlugosh, & Sybouts, 1996; Robinson, Lloyd & Rowe, 2008; Wallace, 2002; ). Unfortunately, the mean tenure for superintendents is short - five to six years nationwide (Kowalski, McCord, Peterson, Young, & Ellerson, 2011) and three years in Texas (Bigham, 2011 ). Frequent leadership changes have the potential to disrupt the continuity of education for students in the school district. As these high level administrators move to other positions or retire, with them goes a wealth of understanding and expertise, hence, the need for increased emphasis placed on the most appropriate choice of an interim superintendent in transition to the permanent replacement

Small Texas School Districts’ Response to State Funding Reductions

In response to a challenging state economy, the Texas Legislature implemented the Regular Program Adjustment Factor (RPAF) in 2011, effectively reducing state funding to all Texas school districts. This mixed methods study reveals the effect of the RPAF on a sample of the smallest Texas school districts and their response to decreased state funding – inclusive of reducing staff, implementing tax rollback and bond elections, and securing revenue from other, non-traditional, financing sources, which ultimately served as the largest revenue enhancement – 97 percent of which was comprised of the issuance of capital-related debt

2019 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation has initiated a continuous review of new, peer-reviewed, published cardiopulmonary resuscitation science. This is the third annual summary of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations. It addresses the most recent published resuscitation evidence reviewed by International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation Task Force science experts. This summary addresses the role of cardiac arrest centers and dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the role of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in adults and children, vasopressors in adults, advanced airway interventions in adults and children, targeted temperature management in children after cardiac arrest, initial oxygen concentration during resuscitation of newborns, and interventions for presyncope by first aid providers. Members from 6 International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation task forces have assessed, discussed, and debated the certainty of the evidence on the basis of the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria, and their statements include consensus treatment recommendations. Insights into the deliberations of the task forces are provided in the Justification and Evidence to Decision Framework Highlights sections. The task forces also listed priority knowledge gaps for further research

Clay mineral transport on the inner continental shelf of Georgia

M.S.Herbert L. Windo

The Influence of Local Politics on Educational Decisions

This ex post facto, causal-comparative research study examined student reading performance data within a school district before and after a school district-wide decision to alter the reading curriculum in response to local political pressure from parents.  Data analysis revealed that test scores dropped to a significantly lower level, especially for students who were economically disadvantaged, after the reading curriculum was altered.  This study underscores the importance of making data-driven, rather than politically-influenced, decisions related to pedagogy, curriculum, instruction, and assessment by educational leaders.    &nbsp

The Influence of Local Politics on Educational Decisions

This ex post facto, causal-comparative research study examined student reading performance data within a school district before and after a school district-wide decision to alter the reading curriculum in response to local political pressure from parents.  Data analysis revealed that test scores dropped to a significantly lower level, especially for students who were economically disadvantaged, after the reading curriculum was altered.  This study underscores the importance of making data-driven, rather than politically-influenced, decisions related to pedagogy, curriculum, instruction, and assessment by educational leaders.    &nbsp

Trend Analysis Techniques to Assist School Leaders in Making Critical Curriculum and Instruction Decisions

As educational needs of students change in response to changing demographics, economic factors, workforce needs, and school accountability requirements, school leaders must continually monitor and adjust curricula and associated methods of instructional delivery to increase student learning. The analysis of student performance data is a critical component of curriculum decision-making processes, and the purpose of this study is to demonstrate an application of trend analysis techniques in making curriculum and instruction decisions using historical student performance data. The techniques are demonstrated in relation to a real school problem and are transferrable to similar problems facing other schools. This study underscores the importance school leaders should place on analyzing data when making decisions related to curriculum and instruction.&nbsp