Closing the Achievement Gap is made up of six articles. The first paper examines Cleveland's restructuring initiative in light of two theories on early adolescent development: person-in-environment theory and the focal theory of change. This is followed by a study that illustrates the difference in academic performance between low-income children and their peers, minority children and their classmates, and those schools that serve a majority of children from low-income families an...

First Published in 2005. This is volume 10, number 2 in the Journal of Education for Students Places at Risk (JESPAR). This special issue, tenth-anniversary retrospective, is structured with two arguments: schools can have a strong, positive impact on the education of at-risk children, and effective programs exist or can be developed that can improve the educational experiences of at-risk students. Two book reviews by Shelley H. Billig and Robert J. Stevens round out the issue.

This volume presents the most recent research on Title I federal compensatory education programs. Over the past three decades, Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act has served as the cornerstone of the federal commitment to equality of opportunity. It is the federal government's single largest investment in America's schools. As Title I begins a new century, this book documents the program's history and points to the potential for its future, building on 35 years of researc...

Two powerful forces are driving American's demands for better schools -- one longstanding force is idealistic and the other is "new" and economic. The current group of young Americans is in danger of being the first full generation to consistently make less money and enjoy fewer worldly rewards than their parents. The intersection of idealistic and pragmatic forces has produced an era of calls for reform in U.S. education that is unparalleled -- calls that have resulted in the creation of ...

Top Business Psychology Models is a quick, accessible overview to the fundamental theories and frameworks that will help you understand human behaviour, emotions and cognition at work. Each model is presented in a short and crisply written summary, which could be easily converted into materials for use in training or in coaching conversations. Clear, succinct and well-referenced chapters also offer routes into accessing further information. Free of academic jargon...

"Clears out the bureaucratic techniques of impersonal management and focuses the core of leadership on dealing with school change as a most human endeavor. When all is said and done, the quality of education revolves around the aspirations, commitments, and wellness of teachers giving their best."—Carl Glickman, Scholar in ResidenceThe University of GeorgiaDevelop a leadership approach that responds to the emotional needs of teachers!

Change the entire school culture with this collaborative method of supervision!For years, the classic supervision model has frustrated both principals and teachers by fostering superior-subordinate relationships, focusing on teacher conformity rather than growth, or producing checklist data that is irrelevant to the curriculum. ***The Three-Minute Classroom Walk-Through***offers a practical, time-saving alternative that impacts student achievement by cultivating self-reliant teache...

School improvement that lasts: find out how with this masterful guide!Common Core requirements, merit-based pay, new teacher evaluations, project-based learning—21st-century learning is a demanding and rapidly changing landscape. Advance from overwhelmed to empowered with Alan Blankstein’s Failure Is Not an Option, used by more than 350,000 educators to create schools that sustain success for every student.New case studies...

"This handbook synthesizes the best of educational research in an easily accessible format. Educators will find it an effective roadmap for leading their schools to organizational excellence, effective instruction, and optimum student achievement."—Brenda P. Dean, Assistant SuperintendentHamblen County Schools, Morristown, TN"The author clearly makes the case for the principal to be THE instructional and curricular leader of his or her school site. Princi...

This resource examines professional development approaches from across the United States to help schools and allied arts groups integrate the arts into an already crowded K–12 curriculum. The authors document the purposes and structures of a broad spectrum of current efforts and programs. Several of these programs have been in place for decades, thus demonstrating their sustainability and effectiveness. Emphasizing the value of collaboration among teachers, artists, educational leade...

This e-book, a collection of articles from Educational Leadership and other ASCD publications explores what it means to “support the whole child.” In these articles, authors ponder the various meanings of support in the classroom, school, and community. This third in a four-book series exploring whole child education ends by emphasizing another maxim of good teaching: Hold high expectations for your students. Our authors agree: With the right supports, students are capable of doing more th...

What will it take to move your high school to the next level?In Becoming a Great High School, former principal Tim Westerberg emphasizes that significant improvement in any high school must start with improving the quality of instruction in the classroom. But the isolated efforts of individual teachers aren't enough. If your school is functioning like "a collection of educational entrepreneurs held together by a common parking lot," it's time for teachers and administrator...