Publications & ProductsSearch Results: (16-30 of 41 records)
| Pub Number | Title |  Date |
|---|---|---|
| REL 2017188 | Leadership characteristics and practices in South Carolina charter schools
The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify characteristics of charter school leaders in South Carolina, determine how they spend their work hours, understand the time they spend on challenges to their work, and learn who influences their schools' policies. REL Southeast researchers collaborated with the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) and other charter school policymakers and practitioners to develop a survey based on items from the school and principal questionnaires of the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Schools and Staffing Survey. SCDE administered the survey to the 66 leaders in charter schools across the state operating during the 2014/15 school year. Forty leaders provided responses. Results indicate that the leaders have many similar demographic, educational, and employment characteristics and reasons for becoming charter school leaders. They worked an average almost 60 hours per week, spending more hours on activities related to communication with families and on school regulations and policies than on other tasks. Many of them spent time daily on school safety. A majority of the leaders were frequently challenged by state education agency requirements and services and sponsor intervention, but leaders were rarely or never challenged by staffing issues or board intervention. In addition, the leaders reported having more influence than any other entity over most of their schools' policies, except policies related to classroom instruction, academic guidance, athletics, and student assessment, which their staff influenced more and board membership policies that their board influenced more. This study was a first step toward understanding what characteristics and activities of charter school leaders in South Carolina may lead to improved school performance. Further research is needed to link school leadership characteristics and time management practices to school and student performance and other outcomes. |
11/8/2016 |
| REL 2016131 | State policies for intervening in chronically low-performing schools: A 50-state scan
Recent federal initiatives such as School Improvement Grants and Elementary and Secondary Education Act flexibility emphasize the role of state education agencies (SEAs) in improving our nation’s lowest performing schools. However, the actions that SEAs can take are limited by the policies in place in their states. This report provides a summary of current policies in all 50 states related to state interventions with chronically underperforming schools. Laws and regulations were classified into six broad categories of interventions related to: school improvement plans, staffing, closing a school, financial incentives or interventions, the day-to-day operation of the school, and the entity that governs or operates a school. State policies show a great deal of consistency in approaches to supporting the lowest-performing schools, perhaps because many of the interventions align closely with federal guidance for improving chronically low-performing schools. Despite strong alignment of state policies with federal guidance, state policies vary in terms of the breadth of interventions they allow states to implement. About a third of states have policies related to all six categories of interventions. Seven states have policies allowing interventions falling into only two or three of the six categories. State policies also vary in the specific interventions allowed within each category. This report can help state education leaders and policymakers learn how other states are approaching the challenge of turning around their lowest-performing schools, which can facilitate communication among states considering similar approaches. |
6/28/2016 |
| NCES 2015118 | Documentation for the School Attendance Boundary Survey (SABS): School Year 2013-2014
The School Attendance Boundary Survey (SABS) data file contains school attendance boundaries for regular schools with grades kindergarten through twelfth in the 50 states and the District of Columbia for the 2013-2014 school year. Prior to this survey, a national fabric of attendance boundaries was not freely available to the public. The geography of school attendance boundaries provides new context for researchers who were previously limited to state and district level geography. |
8/17/2015 |
| REL 2015071 | How Methodology Decisions Affect the Variability of Schools Identified as Beating the Odds
Schools that show better academic performance than would be expected given characteristics of the school and student populations are often described as "beating the odds" (BTO). State and local education agencies often attempt to identify such schools as a means of identifying strategies or practices that might be contributing to the schools' relative success. Key decisions on how to identify BTO schools may affect whether schools make the BTO list and thereby the identification of practices used to beat the odds. The purpose of this study was to examine how a list of BTO schools might change depending on the methodological choices and selection of indicators used in the BTO identification process. This study considered whether choices of methodologies and type of indicators affect the schools that are identified as BTO. The three indicators were (1) type of performance measure used to compare schools, (2) the types of school characteristics used as controls in selecting BTO schools, and (3) the school sample configuration used to pool schools across grade levels. The study applied statistical models involving the different methodologies and indicators and documented how the lists schools identified as BTO changed based on the models. Public school and student data from one midwest state from 2007-08 through 2010-11 academic years were used to generate BTO school lists. By performing pairwise comparisons among BTO school lists and computing agreement rates among models, the project team was able to gauge the variation in BTO identification results. Results indicate that even when similar specifications were applied across statistical methods, different sets of BTO schools were identified. In addition, for each statistical method used, the lists of BTO schools identified varied with the choice of indicators. Fewer than half of the schools were identified as BTO in more than one year. The results demonstrate that different technical decisions can lead to different identification results. |
2/24/2015 |
| NCES 2014356 | 2011-12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) Restricted-Use Data Files
This DVD contains the 2011-2012 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) restricted-use data files. The 8 files (Public School District, Public School Principal, Public School, Public School Teacher, Public School Library Media Center, Private School Principal, Private School, and Private School Teacher) are provided in multiple formats. The DVD also contains a 6-volume User's Manual, which includes a codebook for each file. |
11/6/2013 |
| REL 2012123 | Changes in Student Populations and Teacher Workforce in Low-Performing Chicago Schools Targeted for Reform
This 2006-11 REL Midwest at Learning Point Associates report, Changes in student populations and teacher workforce in low-performing Chicago schools targeted for reform, examines changes in student populations and teacher workforce in 31 chronically low-performing Chicago public schools. These schools were selected for district-led reform interventions following five distinct types of reform models. |
4/23/2012 |
| NCES 2010363 | 2007-08 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) and 2008-09 Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS) (CD ROM) Restricted-Use Data with Codebook
The restricted-use codebook contains the count of responses for each data item and all components of SASS in 2007-2008 and the 2008-2009 TFS. The TFS data and User's manual are the added features to this re-release of the 2007-2008 SASS restricted-use ECB. |
9/7/2010 |
| REL 2010015 | Where Do English Language Learner Students Go to School? Student Distribution By Language Proficiency in Arizona
Research suggests several circumstances in which a school may face greater challenges in effectively teaching its English Language Learner (ELL) students and in closing the achievement gap between ELL students and those who are native English speakers: if it has high concentrations of ELL students; if it has many socioeconomically disadvantaged students; or if it is located in an urban or rural, as opposed to suburban, area. Research also suggests that an open-enrollment program in a district may increase the concentrations of both ELL and socioeconomically disadvantaged students in some schools. This technical brief analyzes Arizona's 2007/08 student-level data to determine how concentrations of ELL students vary across its schools and vary by the school characteristics listed above. |
8/30/2010 |
| REL TR01208 | Characteristics of California School Districts in Program Improvement: 2008 Update
This descriptive analysis updates an earlier study of California's Title I school districts in program improvement. California's accountability system continues to identify problems at the district level overlooked at the school level. |
10/1/2008 |
| WWC IRDPNC08 | New Century High Schools
The New Century High Schools Initiative is a program designed to improve large, underperforming high schools by transforming them into small schools with links to community organizations. New Century High Schools each have about 400 students; the small size is intended to foster strong relationships between students and educators. These schools commit to a broad set of educational principles, but are free to make their own choices about curriculum. |
8/26/2008 |
| REL 2008055 | Characteristics of California School Districts in Program Improvement
This descriptive analysis provides a statistical profile of California's Title I school districts in program improvement. As an independent analysis of these districts in the aggregate, it is intended to inform the context for district improvement as California rolls out and refines its district intervention strategies. |
7/28/2008 |
| REL 2008054 | Characteristics of Arizona School Districts in Improvement
This descriptive analysis provides a statistical profile of Arizona's lowest performing school districts, which can inform the context for district improvement as Arizona rolls out and refines its district intervention strategies. |
7/21/2008 |
| NCES 2008309 | 2003-04 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) and 2004-05 Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS) (CD ROM) Restricted-Use Data with Electronic Codebook
The restricted-use codebook contains the count of responses for each data item and all components of SASS in 2003-2004 and the 2004-2005 TFS. The TFS data and User's manual are the added features to this re-release of the 2003-2004 SASS restricted-use ECB. |
10/31/2007 |
| NCES 2006313 | Characteristics of Schools, Districts, Teachers,
Principals, and School Libraries in the United States: 2003-04 Schools and Staffing Survey
The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) is the nation’s most extensive sample survey of elementary and secondary schools and the teachers and administrators who staff them. This report introduces the data from the fifth administration (2003-04) of SASS. It is intended to give the reader an overview of the SASS data for the school year 2003-04 through tables of estimates for public, private, and BIA-funded schools and their staff. For example, one of the findings from the data is that 77 percent of public school districts required full standard state certification in the field to be taught when considering teaching applicants. Also, 82 percent of all public school teachers reported having 4 or more years of full-time teaching experience. These highlights, and others in the report, were not selected to emphasize any particular issue, and they should not be interpreted as representing the most important findings in the data. They are simply examples of the kinds of data that are available in the 2003-04 SASS. In addition, complex interactions and relationships have not been explored. |
3/23/2006 |
| NCES 2005865 | Developments in School Finance: 2004
This report contains papers presented at the 2004 annual NCES Summer Data Conference. Discussions and presentations dealt with such topics as measuring school efficiency, analyzing the return on education investment, calculating education costs per student, and assessing the financial condition of school districts. |
7/25/2005 |
Page 2
of 3
