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College Credits; Dual Enrollment; High School Students; Disproportionate Representation; Career Development; Low Income Groups; Postsecondary Education; Educational Change; High Schools; Barriers; Access to Education; Public Policy; Program Effectiveness; Educational Policy; Grade Point Average; Graduation Rate; College Choice; Academic Achievement

Abstract:
In 2008, The James Irvine Foundation launched the Concurrent Courses initiative to make dual enrollment programs--which allow high school students to take college courses and earn college credit--available to low-income youth who struggle academically or who are from populations historically underrepresented in higher education. This work advances its Youth program goal of increasing the number of low-income youth in California who complete high school on time and attain a postsecondary credential by age 25. When the initiative began, evidence already pointed to the benefits of dual enrollment for the high-achieving students normally exposed to these programs. In recent years, educators and policymakers have become increasingly interested in the potential of dual enrollment to improve educational outcomes for a broader range of students. At the same time, there is growing evidence that giving the programs a career focus adds relevance and interest and can re-engage students who may not envision themselves on a path to college and career. This aspect of the initiative reflects the core components of Linked Learning, Irvine's approach to comprehensive high school reform. In a time when the need for higher levels of education is rising, the Foundation is pleased to report good news: Evaluation of the Concurrent Courses initiative reveals that the participating students--those facing serious barriers to education and advancement--had better high school and college outcomes than comparison students. This report documents findings that initiative participants were more likely when compared to similar students who did not participate to graduate from high school, enroll in a four-year college and persist in postsecondary education. They also accrued more college credits than comparison students and were less likely to enroll in basic skills courses in college. The report also offers lessons learned through the initiative, including recommendations for effective dual enrollment practice and for public policies that would expand adoption of this beneficial approach to educational achievement. Appended are: (1) Site Summaries; and (2) Data Sources. (Contains 5 tables, 8 figures and 16 endnotes.) [For related reports, see "Dual Enrollment for All: Reasons and Ways to Make It Work. Lessons for Educators and Administrators from the Concurrent Courses Initiative" (ED533755) and "Dual Enrollment: Helping Make College a Reality for Students Less Likely to Go. Recommendations for Policymakers from the Concurrent Courses Initiative" (ED533753).] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Charter Schools; Vocational Schools; Feedback (Response); High School Graduates; Graduation; High Schools; Statewide Planning; School Restructuring; Public Schools; Geographic Location; School Districts; Trend Analysis; Educational Change; Success; Change Strategies; Comparative Analysis; Educational Indicators; High School Equivalency Programs; Standardized Tests; Scores; Reading Achievement; Mathematics Achievement; Algebra; Mathematics Instruction; Dual Enrollment; Science Instruction; Course Selection (Students); College Entrance Examinations; Advanced Placement; Postsecondary Education; Enrollment Trends; Public Colleges; Private Colleges; Community Colleges; Grade Point Average; College Credits; State Colleges; Technical Education; Out of State Students; In State Students; Remedial Programs; Language Arts

Abstract:
The State of Florida Department of Education provides pre-and-post-graduation data for public high school graduates throughout Florida. These data were used for the present report to produce data sets for all M-DCPS regular high schools and charter high schools graduating students in 2009 and 2010. Summary data for the district are also provided. These data can be used to track the success of secondary school reform efforts at the school level. Several data elements presented here are already being tracked by the district and are not considered new. However, additional data are presented which can shed further light on the extent to which the district is preparing graduates for the world-of-work and for post-secondary education. Data for 2009 and 2010 are arranged side-by-side and grouped by region, first for the District and State followed by summaries for individual schools. The results for 20 indicators are presented including 13 pre-graduation indicators and seven post-graduation indicators. Data Sources and Definitions for the Indicators are appended. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Urban Schools; High Schools; Secondary Education; Global Approach; Labor Market; Young Adults; Educational Change; Employment Opportunities; Educational Opportunities; Educational Improvement; Educational Policy; Educational Trends; College Readiness; High School Students; Influence of Technology; Lifelong Learning; Policy Analysis; Relevance (Education); Dropouts; College Preparation; Career Development; Vocational Education; Case Studies; Vocational High Schools; Dual Enrollment; Virtual Classrooms; Educational Technology; Web Based Instruction; Standards; Role of Education; Economic Factors; Advanced Placement Programs

Abstract:
Pressing Forward: Increasing and Expanding Rigor and Relevance in America's High Schools is organized to place secondary education, specifically the goals of preparing young adults to be college and career ready, in contemporary perspective, emphasizing the changing global economy and trends in policy and practice. High school students must be equipped with tools they need during and beyond high school for mapping their futures in a global and flat world that demands workers prepared to take up 21st century careers. Following Thomas Freidman and other writers on the topic, this book takes as its core premise that the world has been irrevocably altered by technology and that technology takes a prominent role in shaping post-secondary education and career opportunities. The challenges facing education and educators in a flattened world can best be addressed by creating opportunities for students who are ready for a world in which they are expected to pursue learning throughout their lifetimes, understand and use technology, engage in active civic lives, function well in ethnically diverse workplace settings, and be willing to take risks. Most of all, however, these individuals must be very well prepared during high school by taking advanced level mathematics, science and other challenging coursework, while at the same time actively engaging in collaborative, creative endeavors that prepare them to continuously reinvent themselves to stay ahead of automation and outsourcing. The book will be a unique and useful contribution to the education reform and policy literature as it examines secondary education at an historical moment--the convergence of significant education spending and focus on high school reform. Developed from diverse authors' research programs on secondary education, the chapters in this volume highlight both changing and steadfast features of high schools, questioning if attempts to foster change--whether tinkering around the edges or inventing a new way--adequately address shortcomings in equity and excellence found in American high schools. This book begins with a preface and contains the following: (1) Pathways in America's High Schools (Becky Smerdon, Aimee Evan, Kathryn Borman, and Arland Nguema); (2) State Policies to Increase Rigor and Relevance in High Schools (Jennifer Dounay Zinth); (3) Educational Policy in Practice: Implementing the "AP for All" Movement in Two Florida High Schools (Ashley Spalding, Aimee Eden, and Rebekah Heppner); (4) Adding "College-Ready" Coursework to a "Career-Ready" Pathway: Implications for Dropping Out of High School (Ben Dalton and Robert Bozick); (5) CTE Schools and Labor Market Outcomes in Young Adulthood: A Case Study in a Large Urban School District (Ruth Curran Neild and Vaughan Byrnes); (6) Dual Enrollment: A Bridge Between High School and College (Kellie Kim and Becky Smerdon); (7) Student Experiences in Early College Schools (Susan Cole, Helen Duffy, Kaeli Keating, and Andrea Berger); (8) Virtual High Schools: Forging Another Pathway with Web-Based Schooling (Kellie Kim); (9) From Sticks to Carrots to Getting it Done: How Converging Visions and Common Action are Generating New Standards of Practice for American High Schools (Kristine Kilanski, Becky Smerdon, Nettie Legters, and Aimee Evan); and (10) Preparing Students for Life after High School (Becky Smerdon, Kathryn Borman, and Aimee Evan). Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Competition; School Choice; Scholarships; Private Sector; Program Design; Educational Vouchers; Private Schools; Program Development; Program Implementation; School Restructuring; Educational Development; Educational Policy; Case Studies; Performance Factors; Barriers; Change Strategies; Educational Change; Educational Assessment; Audits (Verification); Educational Demand

Abstract:
The Indiana Choice Scholarship Program has the potential to be the largest school voucher program in the country. Though the authorizing legislation capped enrollment in the program at 7,500 for its first year (the 2011-12 school year), that cap was increased to 15,000 for this year, and will be removed for all subsequent years. With careful management, the program has the opportunity to infuse the Hoosier state with a level of choice previously unrealized across the nation. However, without some careful planning and thoughtful consideration of salient program design details and the informal market infrastructure necessary for the program to thrive, the Indiana Choice Program will not be able to reach its full potential. Private school choice in the United States, writ large, has not sparked the types of systemic changes that advocates envisioned when the first choice plans were enacted. Though the gold-standard analyses of choice programs have found positive results, they have been modest and mostly confined to the students participating in the program. When Milton Friedman first made the economic argument for school choice in the 1950s he envisioned choice and competition increasing quality and decreasing cost for education in both the public and private sector, as it has in the private markets of innumerable goods throughout history. However, it appears that for a variety of reasons, choice has not sparked the supply side responses that the economic models predicted. Why has this happened? Why has choice failed to live up to its hype? In short, functioning choice markets do not simply emerge from the ether. They must be cultivated, both on the demand and supply sides. Too often, advocates have pushed an "if you build it, they will come" program design that has neglected many of the necessary conditions for markets to function. Strong program design can establish the playing field on which choice and competition can drive change, but without the support of institutions and organizations within states, the innovative capacity of any program will be greatly curtailed. In this way, the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program can serve as an interesting case study in the cultivation of choice markets. The newness and enormous potential of the program offers a unique opportunity for a meaningful conversation on school choice markets, both how to design them and how to ensure that they function. By examining both program design and the emergence of the institutions and organizations that are necessary to make markets work, the Hoosier State can be used as a model for the potential for choice programs around the country. (Contains 9 footnotes and 2 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Strategic Planning; Focus Groups; Partnerships in Education; Educational Change; STEM Education; Program Implementation; Case Studies; Educational Policy; Regional Characteristics; Regional Programs; Interviews; Barriers; Change Strategies; Program Effectiveness; Educational Assessment; Educational Indicators; Stakeholders; Program Attitudes; Formative Evaluation

Abstract:
This is a case study of the implementation of state STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) policy over the period of the first 18 months of building a regional STEM partnership. Fullan's change theory is the framework used to determine progress and associated challenges with building a regional STEM educational partnership and establishment of STEM schools through a sustained education reform effort. Key stakeholders who were involved in leading this effort participated in focus groups, as well as individual interviews. Archival documentation was also used. Findings indicate implementation of STEM policy in this state experienced some barriers because of the nature of funding and timeline, as well as the competing agendas and interests of partners who did not have the opportunity to develop common vision and strategic plans prior to implementation. Implications for STEM policy decisions and implementation of other efforts through Race to the Top and other federal funding sources are discussed. (Contains 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Credentials; Developmental Studies Programs; Evidence; Measures (Individuals); Nonprofit Organizations; Community Colleges; Grants; Educational Change; Remedial Instruction; Two Year College Students; Interviews; Program Evaluation; Program Effectiveness; Qualitative Research; Statistical Analysis; Outcomes of Education; Partnerships in Education; Program Implementation; Intervention; College Instruction; Student Needs; Educational Policy; Professional Development

Abstract:
There is wide agreement that the well-paying jobs of the future will require postsecondary credentials. But for many students attending community college, developmental (or remedial) classes in reading, composition, and/or mathematics--the courses that students often must complete before they can enroll in courses that confer credit toward a degree--pose an often-insuperable barrier to progress. While over half of all community college students are judged to need at least one developmental class, the majority of students who are referred to developmental education do not complete their prescribed sequence of remedial courses, much less persist and obtain a diploma or certificate. To address this issue, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation created the Developmental Education Initiative (DEI) in 2009; Lumina Foundation for Education funded the evaluation. Fifteen colleges that had been early participants in Achieving the Dream (AtD): Community Colleges Count, a national community college reform network dedicated to evidence-based decision-making, were selected to receive grants of $743,000 each over a three-year period. The institutions are highly diverse in size, location, and the characteristics of the students they serve. The purpose of the DEI grants was to enable the colleges to scale up existing interventions, or establish new ones, that would help students to progress through developmental courses more rapidly and more successfully or to bypass these courses altogether. DEI funding also financed state policy teams that sought to influence state higher education legislation and policies. MDC, a North Carolina-based nonprofit organization, was selected as managing partner of the demonstration and in this role monitored and assisted the colleges, organized communications, and convened regular meetings of demonstration participants. Six other organizations made up the partnership that provided leadership and support for the colleges. Among these, MDRC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy research organization, was asked to evaluate the demonstration, with the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers College, Columbia University, serving as evaluation partner. The directive to the evaluators was to examine the implementation of the DEI at the participating colleges. This report--the second and final report from the evaluation--relies on a combination of qualitative data (primarily interviews with key personnel conducted during the course of site visits to all 15 institutions and through periodic telephone calls with project directors) and quantitative data (information on participation and on student outcomes that the colleges regularly collected). It addresses three main questions: (1) To what extent did the colleges scale up their chosen developmental education reforms to serve more students?; (2) What factors affected the colleges' ability to expand their programs and practices?; and (3) To what extent were the colleges' strategies associated with improvements in student outcomes? The report also considers ways that participation in the DEI influenced the colleges more broadly. For these reasons, it may be of interest to other colleges looking to scale up reforms (especially reforms that are related to instruction and the provision of student supports), as well as to funders concerned about how best to support community colleges in bringing promising ideas to scale. Technical Appendix is included. Individual chapters contain footnotes. (Contains 16 tables and 6 figures. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Learner Engagement; Program Effectiveness; Foreign Countries; Educational Change; Instructional Leadership; Institutional Characteristics; Effective Schools Research; Best Practices; Educational Practices; Models; Educational Policy; Policy Analysis; Change Strategies; School Community Relationship; Transitional Programs; Student Placement; Leadership Effectiveness; Opinions; Performance Based Assessment; Evaluation Utilization; Case Studies; Concept Mapping

Abstract:
The purpose of the Research and Mapping for MCEECDYA Project: Student Academic Engagement was to examine the characteristics of schools with a low Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) from all jurisdictions that were identified to be making a difference to student academic and to identify the key drivers and characteristics of successful models of practice for increasing and sustaining student academic engagement. The study had two broad research questions, related to the issues of student academic engagement in low ICSEA schools. These questions were: (1) What are the key drivers and characteristics of successful models of practice for increasing and maintaining student engagement?; and (2) What are the policy implications of these findings for effective, sustained reform at the jurisdiction and national levels? The study examined a sample of low ICSEA schools from across Australia. A case study approach was used to explore school practices in the area of student academic engagement in order to identify which strategies had been successfully employed. The six most important overall findings from the case study schools were as follows: (1) Each of the 12 schools demonstrated that their success in improving student academic engagement in schools was due to the synergy of the special initiatives they undertook; (2) Achieving such synergy is dependent on insightful and effective school leadership working to a distributed leadership model; (3) NAPLAN has made a major impact on improving engagement in these schools by drawing attention to the need to monitor and review student performance and work within evidenced base practice; (4) The National Partnership program has also had a major impact, assisting these schools to improve student academic engagement through the development and implementation of targeted initiatives; (5) All successful schools have used a whole of school data management approach to improve student performance in literacy; and (6) There have been common practices in all successful schools across the areas of: (a) leadership; (b) learning culture; (c) curriculum and pedagogy; (d) management of resources; (e) community partnerships; and (f) collegial professional learning. Appended are: (1) Case Study Reports; (2) Case Study Proforma; (3) Interview Questions for Key Senior Officer/Manager; (3) National Partnership Programs; and (4) National Reform of Indigenous Education. A glossary is included. [This paper was written for the Australian Education Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs Senior Officials Committee (AEEYSOC).] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Admission (School); Educational Change; High Schools; School Restructuring; Theory Practice Relationship; Urban Schools; School Choice; Small Schools; Case Studies; Administrative Organization; Administrative Change; Disadvantaged; Outcomes of Education; Program Effectiveness; Educational Policy; Philanthropic Foundations; Private Financial Support; Cohort Analysis; Data Collection; Longitudinal Studies; Graduation Rate; Interviews; Comparative Analysis; Surveys

Abstract:
Over the last decade, New York City (NYC) has been the site of a systemwide high school reform effort that is unprecedented in its scope and pace. Since 2002, the school district has closed more than 20 failing high schools, opened more than 200 new secondary schools, and implemented a centralized high school admission process in which approximately 80,000 students a year indicate their school preferences from a wide-ranging choice of programs. At the heart of these reforms lie the new schools that are often referred to as "small schools of choice" (SSCs)--small, academically nonselective, public high schools that were opened between 2002 and 2008. Serving approximately 100 students per grade in grades 9 through 12 and open to students at all levels of academic achievement, the SSCs were created to serve the district's most disadvantaged and historically underserved students. By taking advantage of a naturally-occurring lotteries in the NYC Department of Education's high school application process, MDRC researchers are able to estimate the effects of enrolling in SSCs on students' future academic outcomes using a sample of over 20,000 students. In this proposed panel, Rebecca Unterman, an author on MDRC's small schools of choice studies, will share the project's most recent findings and discuss the team's experiences working to bridge the gap between policy and practice in New York. The other panelists, experienced policymakers in NYC, will provide their perspective on the effects of the study (and other research) on their practice. (Contains 5 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Grants; High Schools; Elementary Schools; Case Studies; Program Effectiveness; Program Evaluation; Middle Schools; Program Implementation; African American Students; Hispanic American Students; Low Achievement; Low Income; English Language Learners; Special Education; Asian American Students; White Students; Federal Legislation; Educational Improvement; Improvement Programs; Educational Policy; Federal Programs; Educational Indicators; Scheduling; School Effectiveness; Educational Finance; Charter Schools; Vendors; Mathematics Achievement; Reading Achievement; Comparative Analysis; Data; Decision Making; Barriers; School Culture; Education Service Centers; Technology Integration; Educational Technology; Alignment (Education); Urban Schools; Principals; School Administration; Interviews; Educational Change; School Districts; Professional Development

Abstract:
Two schools in Michigan received ARRA SIG (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act School Improvement Grants) funds to enable them to implement their improvement efforts. This paper describes the outcomes of these two ARRA SIG recipient schools: (1) Phoenix Elementary-Middle School; and (2) Arthur Hill High School. The experiences of these non-recipient schools are also described: (1) Marion Law Academy; and (2) Saginaw High School. [For the main report, "Opportunities and Obstacles: Implementing Stimulus-Funded School Improvement Grants in Maryland, Michigan, and Idaho," see ED532799.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Demonstration Programs; Inclusion; Postsecondary Education; Two Year College Students; Student Attitudes; Mental Retardation; Self Determination; Self Concept; Community Colleges; High Schools; Dual Enrollment; Partnerships in Education; Interviews

Abstract:
In 2010, the U.S. Department of Education announced an initiative to improve transitioning to postsecondary education (PSE) for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) by funding the model comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) program. The TPSID provides for grants to create or expand inclusive comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs for students with ID. The authors provide a descriptive report of one such TPSID-funded demonstration in the state of Hawai'i and share preliminary feedback from student participants, agency and institutional partners, and project staff. The authors' interviews with the participants and collaborators provided insights and perspectives of the challenges inherent in implementing such a demonstration model. They found that student participants with ID, who were culturally and linguistically diverse, relished the opportunity to participate in PSE and were motivated by the opportunity to learn, meet new people, and contribute to their families. Interagency partners valued the process and benefits of interagency teaming, with most reporting that participating in collaborative teaming resulted in a shift in their views on inclusion of students with ID in PSE. The authors concluded that the implementation of an inclusive PSE transition model can be a transformative process for students with ID, PSE institutions, and support agencies. Furthermore, that collaborative interagency teaming is a powerful method to inform and empower the implementation of change and stimulate and facilitate new opportunities and approaches to improve transition outcomes for students with ID. (Contains 8 tables, 1 figure and 1 footnote.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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