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There are currently 87 publications in the catalog.
 This booklet presents an overview of action research as a method for educational inquiry. It answers questions about what is and is not action research, describes the action research process, and offers reflections from two educators on their experiences of using action research in their classrooms to improve their own teaching and their students' learning. | |
| 2000 Print version no longer available | No. d10072 Download publication  |
 This resource collection brings together in one place research from several fields related to the effective support of adolescent literacy development. It is designed for educators to gain knowledge in the field of adolescent literacy, have resources with which to plan or design an adolescent literacy initiative, and identify key resources that would be relevant to a particular project. This publication was developed in partnership with the Center for Resource Management (CRM). | |
2002  Order | No. d10365 Download publication |
Approaches to Writing Instruction for Adolescent English Language Learners: A Discussion of Recent Research and Practice Literature in Relation to Nationwide Standards on Writing
 English language learners in U.S. middle and high schools face significant challenges from state writing assessments, and data suggest that they do not fare well. This report looks at writing standards for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and identifies six major topics and themes in the standards. It also reviews research and practice literature focused on adolescents and second language learning and writing; examines key issues in writing instruction for adolescent ELLs; connects the existing knowledge base to the standards; and recommends further research to improve the ability of ELLs to meet writing standards. | |
| 2005 Print version no longer available | No. d10431 Download publication |
Assessment Portfolios and English Language Learners: Frequently Asked Questions and a Case Study of the Brooklyn International High School
| Describes the advantages and disadvantages of using an assessment portfolio system inclusive of English language learners and answers specific questions about assessment portfolios. A case study on the use of assessment portfolios at the Brooklyn International High School in Brooklyn, NY, is included, along with explanations of the differences between assessment portfolios and other testing programs, and descriptions of how schools have used portfolios with English language learners. | |
| 1999 Print version no longer available | No. d10008 Download publication |
| Provides a representative sampling of resources on assessment policy and their effects on the education of English language learners. The bibliography describes publications that focus on the theory, research, or practical applications of assessment as these topics relate to educational equity generally and to the education of English language learners specifically. | |
| 1998 Print version no longer available | No. d10007 Download publication |
Benchmarks for Success in High School Education: Putting Data to Work in School-to-Career Education Reform
 This book presents an intensive, detailed process for holding accountable all of the players involved in establishing community-connected learning as a whole-school reform strategy - schools, business and community partners, post secondary partners, and school districts.
Benchmarks for Success describes the experiences of school districts in two communities - Boston, Massachusetts, and North Clackamas, Oregon - that are implementing and evaluating community-connected learning. Boston is an example of a district where school-to-career is becoming the rule in its high schools. North Clackamas piloted community-connected learning on a very limited basis, and now has expanded it to include focused programs of study in all the district’s high schools beginning in fall 2000.
By tying real-world performance measures to each stage of program implementation, the benchmarking process provides concrete, realizable steps for which all participants in the reform process can be held accountable.
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| 2000 Order | No. d10154 Download publication |
 This policy report describes emerging efforts by communities such as Boston, Oakland, New York City, and Sacramento to convert large, comprehensive high schools into "education complexes" made up of multiple autonomous small schools under one roof. The authors draw on strategies these communities are undertaking to explore implementation issues concerning school-level autonomies, governance, and leadership of high school reform at the district level. They also delve into the challenges "central office" leaders face in managing a system of learning options that offers a broad range of choices for students and parents. This publication was developed in partnership with Jobs for the Future. | |
| Jobs For The Future 2004 Order | No. z10418 Download publication |
 This booklet provides an overview of block scheduling by presenting examples from schools that have arranged their course offerings to give both teachers and students an extended time period for teaching and learning. The benefits of and concerns about block scheduling are discussed in detail. In addition, further readings and online resources are provided. | |
| 1998 Print version no longer available | No. d10088 Download publication |
| Developed in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Breaking Ranks II: Strategies for Leading High School Reform is an acclaimed roadmap for school change. This publication outlines 31 recommendations for school leaders taking on the challenge of reforming their high schools. Each recommendation falls within the focus of three core areas: 1.Collaborative leadership and professional learning communities; 2.Personalizing your school environment; 3.Curriculum, instruction, and assessment. This handbook can be used by all schools, regardless of their size, geographical location, or where they are on the school improvement continuum. Offering successful research-based practices, real-life examples, a step-by-step approach to change, obstacles to avoid and countless resources, it is a must for all secondary school principals. | |
| National Association of Secondary School Principals 2004 Order | No. z10413 |
 This report traces the development of a School Leadership Team initiative in Bridgeport Connecticut. It includes Bridgeport’s reasons for the initiative, sample guidelines and by-laws for the team, tips for communicating change to staff and the community, two checklists of team tasks, a self-assessment tool, and some lessons learned by the staff in Bridgeport. The story emphasizes positive communication and involvement from all school community groups. | |
| 2002 Print version no longer available | No. r10370 Download publication |
 This Toolkit, developed by Jobs for the Future, takes district reform leaders and their partners through the process of planning a portfolio of excellent schools, thinking through the relationship of the district to potential partners that could become additional engines of reform, and developing their strategies for launching and sustaining new schools for the developing portfolio. | |
| 2006 | No. d10437 Download publication |
 Changing Systems to Personalize Learning is a series of professional development workshops designed to help secondary school change teams increase their understanding of personalization. The Introduction to the Personalization Workshops draws from current research and classroom experience to provide background information on the systems that must change in order to create more personalized environments for teaching and learning.
Introduction to the Personalization Workshops is a highly recommended companion volume to each of the Changing Systems workshops or workshop guidebooks.
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| 2003 Order | No. d10400 Download publication |
 The Personalized Learning workshop guidebook helps high school change teams conduct professional development workshops to develop and assess personalization programs. With a focus on personal learning plans, portfolios, and student presentations, the guidebook leads participants through designing a personalized learning project that can be field-tested in their school, and creating a presentation for staff about how personalization can improve teaching and learning.
Personalized Learning contains topical discussion materials, instructions, graphic organizers, exercises, protocols, and facilitator's guidelines. Includes a CD with printable worksheets.
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| 2003 Order | No. d10414 Download publication |
 Teachers have begun to appreciate the power of personalized teaching, not only to change students' lives, but also to invigorate their own. To begin, or to reinforce this process of change and invigoration, the Teaching to Each Student workshop guidebook helps high school change teams conduct professional development workshops that immerse school staff in the reality of personalized teaching. Through experiential activities, study, and action planning, participants learn to reorient classroom teaching to allow students with different skills, aspirations, and interests to succeed in meeting uniform standards.
Teaching to Each Student contains topical discussion materials, instructions, graphic organizers, exercises, protocols, and facilitator's guidelines. Includes a CD with printable worksheets.
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| 2003 Order | No. d10415 Download publication |
 This publication, produced jointly by The Education Alliance at Brown University and the National Association of Elementary School Principals, traces the origins of the Principals' Leadership Network (PLN), an organization for principals, of principals, and by principals in the northeast and islands region. The piece includes focus-group results that helped clarify the need for a networking organization among principals, descriptions of the PLN's three current action research projects, and proceedings of the 2000 and 2001 regional summits held by the PLN in Providence, Rhode Island and Mystic, Connecticut respectively. | |
| 2002 Order | No. d10372 Download publication |
Claiming Opportunities: A Handbook for Improving Education for English Language Learners Through Comprehensive School Reform
 Despite the concurrent growth of ELL students and CSR, research shows that strategies to improve education for all students through CSR have not adequately considered the needs of ELLs. Claiming Opportunities: A Handbook for Improving Education for English Language Learners through Comprehensive School Reform, addresses the problem by presenting existing research on both CSR and ELL-responsiveness and suggesting how the two educational improvement efforts can be integrated. The handbook provides information, strategies, resources, and tools for using No Child Left Behind's Comprehensive School Reform program as an opportunity to make schools more responsive to and responsible for ELLs. | |
| 2003 Print version no longer available | No. d10404 Download publication |
 High performance skills - problem-solving, information management, communication and negotiation skills - have become increasingly critical to successful secondary, postsecondary and workplace education. Businesses want employees to address complex, real-world problems; high school educators seek to expand beyond traditional curricula and outside school walls. Increasingly, parents are concerned that their children develop cross-cutting skills necessary for success in higher education and high-skill careers.
Competencies That Count provides case studies of selected methodologies that schools and employers use to assess high performance skills, and offers a starting point for those who seek to equip students with a broad range of skills. Whether originating in high schools, designed by corporations to identify quality entry-level employees, or created by collaborations between schools, community-based organizations and businesses, the tools and methods of Competencies That Count inspire educators to try a range of strategies for teaching and assessing high-performance skills. Categories of assessment include: on-demand, multiple choice or short answer tests; self-assessments; competency assessment in the workplace; and competency assessment in adult education settings.
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| 2000 Order | No. d10164 Download publication |
 This poster and activity guide offer three starting points for conversation about engaging families and the community in school improvement. Any school group can use the guide’s questions to stimulate discussions that can help strengthen connections among schools, families, and communities to improve student learning. The full- color poster provides a striking image to inspire schools and their communities to develop strong working relationships. | |
| 1999 Print version no longer available | No. d10038 Download publication |
| This report documents the unique process by which the state of Maine positioned itself for CSRD implementation. Maine focused CSRD exclusively at the secondary school level and carefully intertwined it with the structured secondary reform initiative called "Promising Futures" | |
| 2001 Print version no longer available | No. r10343 Download publication |
 This research paper from the Center for Resource Management (CRM) summarizes initial findings of a case study investigating the process and effects of high school restructuring in five low-performing, urban high schools that are implementing three central elements of systemic reform: (1) establishing smaller and more personalized learning environments, (2) shifting to standards-based curriculum and instruction, and (3) using data to support continuous improvement. The purpose of the paper is to present case study evidence that can contribute to deeper understandings of conditions and practices that either promote or act as barriers to the use of data by school staff, to discuss how disaggregated data are used for improvement in the process of restructuring low-performing high schools, and to examine the policy and practice implications of achieving data use. | |
| 2004 Order | No. d10420 Download publication |
 Today, our students represent an unprecedented level of diversity - in abilities, learning styles, prior educational experience, attitudes and habits related to learning, language, culture, and home situations. The challenge of educating these students requires a commitment to basing these decisions on sound information and the capacity to access and effectively use many types of data from multiple sources. This monograph from the Center for Resource Management (CRM) describes how data can be used to support a school reform process, while also providing practitioners with concrete examples and useful methods to bring about change. | |
| 2001 Print version no longer available | No. d10366 Download publication |
 María Estela Brisk proposes a comprehensive framework for explaining and examining what works in bilingual education. Brisk, a professor at Boston College and a nationally respected scholar in the field, surveys research on bilingual education over the past 30 years, and reveals different trends in the underlying notions of success.
A goal of bilingual research, argues Brisk, should be to understand how different communities employ different paths in implementing successful bilingual education. A given program is successful by the attainment of its students, is challenged by the amount of adverse factors it must conquer, and is exemplary by the quality of its practices. Case study research, reflected in the latest trends, has the potential to cover all areas of her proposed definition of success - student outcomes, educational practices, and social context.
The accumulation of case studies, concludes Brisk, presents a rich, robust picture of bilingual education that can benefit practice and influence policy.
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| 2000 Print version no longer available | No. d10310 Download publication |
 For applied research that requires reflection on complex issues, focus groups represent an increasingly useful approach. This handbook includes a set of tools designed for leading small groups in investigating the status of school reform. Developed as part of a study on the changing roles of state departments of education, these tools have been successfully adapted to discussions of varied but specific reform initiatives in very different state environments, including urban, suburban, and rural areas. At focus groups in which variations of these processes have been used, participants have reported finding conversations informative, provocative, and enjoyable. | |
| 2000 Print version no longer available | No. d10190 Download publication |
 This three-part kit aims to bridge the gap between research and practice with insights on language acquisition and the effects of students’ cultural backgrounds on the learning process. It invites educators at all levels, policymakers, and community members to examine their beliefs, perceptions, behaviors, and educational practices with respect to diversity in education. Each of the three sections contains activities, vignettes, and suggestions for further exploration, including Web sites, videos, and print sources. The interactive content of the kit can be used as a starting point for discussions in classrooms, teachers' lounges, schools, state and district offices of education, colleges of education, and communities at large. | |
| 2002 Print version no longer available | No. d10368 Download publication |
Dynamics of Change in High School Teaching: A Study of Innovation in Five Vermont Professional Development Schools
 Written in an engaging style, this document provides an up-close look at how teachers and students supply the necessary energy to initiate organic change in high schools, and it examines the process by which such innovations can be sustained in the broader educational system. Though all of the examples given were drawn from professional development schools, they could have come from just about any school, as the authors succeeded in keeping the focus on high school reform in general. For this reason, the document’s appeal can be broad - to policymakers, school administrators and researchers as well as practitioners. | |
| 2000 Order | No. d10175 Download publication |
 This publication is part of a series developed by the National Council of La Raza, in collaboration with The Education Alliance, to assist schools in developing their capacity to provide appropriate curricula, instruction, and assessment for English language learners (ELLs), and increase educators' awareness of how to access relevant resources. This guide is designed for teachers, academic coaches, staff developers, and school leaders and provides instructional strategies, techniques, and guidelines helpful for engaging ELLs and other diverse learners. | |
| National Council of La Raza 2005 | No. d10433 Download publication |
 This publication is part of a series developed by the National Council of La Raza, in collaboration with The Education Alliance, to assist schools in developing their capacity to provide appropriate curricula, instruction, and assessment for English language learners (ELLs), and increase educators' awareness of how to access relevant resources. This guide is designed for teachers, academic coaches, staff developers, and school leaders and provides instructional strategies, techniques, and guidelines helpful for engaging ELLs and other diverse learners. | |
| National Council of La Raza 2005 Available only as download | No. d10444 Download publication |
 This is the resource to turn to first when your school is looking for ways to educate a more diverse student population.
* Get up-to-date on common theories, research, and practice important to educating diverse student populations.
* Examine the role of language and its relationship to developing good instructional techniques for ESL learners.
* Focus on cultural perspectives and how they can affect classroom practices.
* Learn how to link your efforts to help minority students with your overall goals for school reform.
* Develop a plan for personal professional development.
This inquiry kit helps educators and schools learn to engage diverse student populations more effectively. | |
| Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) 1997 Print version no longer available | No. z10293 |
 Building on a previous seminar held in March 2005, and recognizing the increased role philanthropic foundations play in public education, the Alliance convened an interactive seminar in Boston on September 29, 2005 with representatives from two foundations: The Stupski Foundation and the KnowledgeWorks Foundation. The main questions for discussion, "How do we ensure that district reform work results in building district capacity to ensure long-term, sustained improvement in teaching and learning in all classrooms?" and "How can we help district offices (and the people who staff them) reconceptualize their role to improve the most effective support for identified schools?" spurred dialogue among "critical friends" about district capacities, policies, rationales, and structures. | |
| 2005 | No. d10432 Download publication |
 Designed for teachers, school leaders, curriculum experts, technical specialists, and anyone else interested in emerging educational technology, this guide gives information needed to understand the basic concepts and to plan and implement electronic collaboration. Topics range from participating in online collaborations and setting up a collaborative environment to moderating a discussion. Discussion groups, the most common online collaborative activity, are also featured.
We’ve also included a list of resources to help you explore the possibilities of electronic collaboration on your own and to assist you in getting the latest information about tools and collaborative projects. Web page addresses throughout the guide offer resources for information on electronic collaboration. | |
| 1999 Print version no longer available | No. d10012 Download publication |
 These case studies describe successful and less-successful schools representing three distinct clusters of school-community demographics. Researchers interviewed and observed 52 grade K-4 teachers in the successful schools and 25 K-4 teachers in the less-successful schools, and they also interviewed the school principals, curriculum coordinators, and librarians; the district superintendents; and, where appropriate, other individuals. This publication, from the University of Vermont, provides an excellent starting point for staff discussions about how to support student literacy development. | |
| 2001 Print version no longer available | No. d10349 Download publication |
Enabling Academic Success for Secondary Students with Limited Formal Schooling: A Study of the Haitian Literacy Program at Hyde Park School in Boston
 Offering a case study of the Haitian literacy program at a public high school in Boston, Massachusetts, the program teaches literacy and numeracy skills to high-school age students with limited formal schooling. This publication includes an historical overview of literacy programs in Boston for students with limited formal schooling and provides background on the Haitian student population in Boston. It goes on to give a detailed description of the goals and instructional approach of the Hyde Park High School Haitian literacy program and discusses measures of student success within the Haitian Literacy Program, in high school generally and in higher education. Appendices contain literacy assessment tools used in the program. | |
| 1999 Order | No. d10053 Download publication |
English Language Learners, the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Project, and the Role of State Departments of Education
| This study examines the attention that several states initially gave to addressing the issues of language diversity in their development and support of the CSRD Program | |
| 2001 Print version no longer available | No. r10338 Download publication |
 In communities across the United States, the conversion of large high schools into small, focused learning communities is gaining currency as an education reform strategy. This joint publication of The Education Alliance at Brown University and Jobs for the Future (with design and production courtesy of the Carnegie Corporation), provides specific guidelines to high school leaders and change agents who seek to implement the small schools strategy. The authors examine preliminary lessons emerging in small schools and districts that have begun to explore the structural, organizational, and political challenges involved in converting a large high school into smaller, more focused and personalized learning communities. Once a school reorganizes into small units, new challenges emerge. How do these new units stay focused on the effective learning practices and principles that "small" makes possible? To explore this challenge, the authors turn to effective small schools, alternative schools, and youth development programs--often on the margins of a school system--that blend cognitive challenge with the caring and connections associated with positive youth development. Such environments are a source of concrete practices and routines that can help teachers and school leaders to provide young people with the range of supports and opportunities needed to succeed in school and beyond.
Once a school reorganizes into small units, new challenges emerge. How do these new units stay focused on the effective learning practices and principles that "small" makes possible? To explore this challenge, the authors turn to effective small schools, alternative schools, and youth development programs--often on the margins of a school system--that blend cognitive challenge with the caring and connections associated with positive youth development. Such environments are a source of concrete practices and routines that can help teachers and school leaders to provide young people with the range of supports and opportunities needed to succeed in school and beyond.
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| Jobs for the Future (JFF) 2002 Print version no longer available | No. d10371 Download publication |
 This research paper is part of a series investigating how online technologies can support the professional learning of K-12 educators. The authors conducted a study that examined the quality of peer-to-peer interaction in an online seminar that engaged coaches from across the country. The Investigations Online seminar helps participants coach elementary school mathematics teachers to implement the Investigations in Data, Number, and Space curriculum. This paper describes the results of the study and the design features of this model for online professional learning. This and the other studies in the series point to key features and findings useful to state and district agencies and designers of online professional development. (See related products: Improving Online Collaborative Learning for Teachers, The Role of Facilitation in Online Professional Development, Topics of Peer-to-Peer Listserv Postings)
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| 2005 Order | No. d10426 Download publication |
 In a large, complex setting like a high school, many conditions and activities are simultaneously at work. Faculty development, school district initiatives, and state and federal policies are just some of the forces that help shape the climate of a school. Systems changes such as block scheduling or transfers in leadership can influence a school’s capacity to function smoothly.
The Montpelier story, an excerpted chapter from the book titled “Dynamics of Change,” explores how one public high school managed to move into an innovative structure featuring personal learning plans for all students. The author is one of several researchers who studied Montpelier’s rippling changes over a period of six years, tracing the flow of events and searching for patterns of activities that supported growing reform. Using a number of images to chart the district’s fluctuations and innovations, Gibson and his colleagues have managed to create a “moving picture” of the flow of energy inside Montpelier High School. The result is a portrait of one school’s process of growing a successful and self-propelling program. | |
| 2000 Print version no longer available | No. d10176 Download publication |
 Provides educators with “how-to” advice on involving English language learners in school-to-career programs. Internships, community service learning, project-based learning and job shadowing programs are discussed, as are solutions to their various challenges. A glossary of terms relating to English language learners and participation in school-to-career programs is also provided to give readers a working vocabulary. | |
| 1998 Print version no longer available | No. d10141 Download publication |
How Can State Education Agencies Support District Improvement? A Conversation Amongst Educational Leaders, Researchers, and Policy Actors
 This report summarizes a symposium held in the summer of 2007 by The Education Alliance and The Urban Education Policy Program. The symposium convened over fifty state education leaders, superintendents and district leaders, researchers, and other educational actors to collectively consider the challenges and possibilities of state education agencies to catalyze and support district improvement. More than a traditional proceedings document, this report contains a detailed analysis of the themes and ideas that were generated by participants, including key areas of agreement among participants, considerations of promise, and points of distinction. The cross-stakeholder discussions resulted in the identification of multiple strategies that can be utilized by state education agencies to leverage their capacity and provide meaningful support to districts and schools. | |
| 2008 Print version no longer available | No. d10441 Download publication |
| Summarizes the findings of the first year of an innovative research project conducted by regional lab staff in Lowell, Massachusetts. The study provides a detailed discussion of the professional development needs that have become the main focus of the work in Lowell thus far. This report is intended for those interested in the role standards play in the education of English language learners and in the influence standards have on professional development in public education generally. | |
| 1998 Print version no longer available | No. d10004 Download publication |
Improving Online Collaborative Learning for Teachers: How Changes to Design Features of the Adolescent Literacy Collaboratory Influenced Participant Retention, Overall Satisfaction, and Engagement
 This research paper is part of a series investigating how online technologies can support professional learning for K-12 educators. This paper describes the design features of Adolescent Literacy in the Content Areas Collaboratory, a professional development activity for teachers from various content areas: social studies, English/language arts, mathematics, and science. The authors discuss the results of their study on changes made between the first and second years of the Collaboratory. This and the other studies in the series point to key features and findings useful to state and district agencies and designers of online professional development. (See related products: Gauging and Improving Interactions in Online Seminars for Mathematics Coaches, The Role of Facilitation in Online Professional Development, Topics of Peer-to-Peer Listserv Postings)
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| 2005 Order | No. d10427 Download publication |
 The Education Alliance at Brown University, working in partnership with Hezel Associates, produced this literature review on instructional coaching to serve as a resource to the PBS Peer Connections Design Team. The Education Alliance scanned and synthesized key themes from the literature on instructional coaching to leverage findings that could be used to guide the Peer Connections Design Team in integrating technology for online professional development. This synthesis is more modest in scope than a comprehensive literature review. It addresses several salient questions about instructional coaches, looking across a variety of research studies and practitioner accounts. Instructional coaching grows out of several trends that have been surfacing in research and practice over the past two decades. These trends include an emphasis on professional collaboration, job-embedded professional development, and differentiated roles for teachers. The report concludes by characterizing the current state of research on instructional coaching, noting that there is a growing body of information about the instructional coaching role, but as yet, little definitive evidence about its impact. | |
| 2006 Available only as download | No. r10442 Download publication |
 Several years of studying family partnerships in several New England schools confirm that even the best schools find it hard to create achievement-focused family programs. It is even more difficult to keep them going. These five conversation guides that make up the “Keep Talking” guidebook will help principals facilitate discussions about family partnerships. They are designed to encourage teachers, parents, and administrators to talk about family and community partnerships in a different way. | |
| 2001 Print version no longer available | No. d10345 Download publication |
 Reviews high quality learning strategies that are rigorous and applied, including a comprehensive overview of project-based opportunities for students. Methods for incorporating school-to-career approaches into teaching practices are presented in six basic steps, and examples of their successful application in real-world contexts are provided. | |
| 1998 Print version no longer available | No. d10027 Download publication |
 Developed in partnership with the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), Language by Video describes how foreign language instructional videos are used in a variety of settings as a supplement or alternative to traditional foreign language instruction with elementary school students. This book will be of special interest to schools and educators considering alternatives for traditional foreign language instruction. The information is presented in a user-friendly format, with practical implications and recommendations as well as suggestions for future research on this timely topic. | |
| CAL (Center for Applied Linguistics) 2004 Print version no longer available | No. z10419 |
Leadership Capacities for a Changing Environment: State and District Responses to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
 Drawing from five separate research studies, this book outlines the policies, structures, and supports that states and school districts in the region (Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New Haven, Connecticut) are creating and implementing to improve student achievement in low-performing districts and schools. The book, a joint product of The Education Alliance at Brown University and RMC Research Corporation, also takes a critical look at the demands on educational leaders in a complex, high-expectations environment following the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. | |
| 2005 Order | No. d10428 Download publication |
 As the student population in our schools becomes increasingly diverse, many teachers need professional development to build cultural competencies-the skills and awareness related to issues such as culture, language, race, and ethnicity. To address this need, Leading With Diversity provides current research-based information on cultural competencies that will help inform the design of professional development. This resource is designed for higher education, state-, and district-level educators and professional developers who are preparing teachers to work with students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This publication was developed in collaboration with Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). | |
| 2005 Print version no longer available | No. d10436 Download publication |
Learning into a Statewide System of Support: New York State's Regional Network Strategy for School Improvement
| This report is based on a three-year study of the design of New York's Regional Network Strategy and its subsequent implementation activities, including the development of statewide professional development for members of the network involved in the state's strategy. The report was produced for the New York State Education Department. | |
| 2005 | No. r10440 Download publication |
| This study provides a preliminary analysis of the CSRD Program implementation in Puerto Rico. | |
| 2001 Print version no longer available | No. r10342 Download publication |
 This booklet in the “Themes in Education” series presents an overview of the not-so-new but increasingly common practice of keeping groups of students together with the same teacher for two or more years. After briefly summarizing the background of “multi-year placements,” the booklet goes on to describe how looping works and to note some of its potential benefits. Frequently asked questions are also addressed. | |
| 1998 Print version no longer available | No. d10087 Download publication |
 This 2004 report gives a broad overview of the work of The Education Alliance at Brown University. Featured highlights of Alliance work include: leaders helping leaders; future teachers finding support; high-quality high schools; real learning in a virtual classroom; literacy-a key for learning; multiple uses for multimedia products; good decisions from good data; and, promoting equity and diversity. | |
| 2004 Print version no longer available | No. r10405 Download publication |
| The New York City Public Schools serve over 130,000 English Language Learners (ELLs), and offer bilingual programs in 13 languages. This video takes you inside the world of this unique student population to explore adaptations of instructional practices that are proving effective in NYC bilingual classrooms: * Performance Assessment * Peer Mediated Learning * Interactive Read Aloud * Leadership approaches that foster these effective practices Today, researchers know that ELLs can attain high levels of academic achievement when instruction builds on their first language and home culture and focuses on standards. This video will show you how this approach is working in the world's largest school system. Included with the DVD/VHS is a copy of Effective Practices for English Language Learners: A Compendium of Brief Stories. This compendium describes the discrete practices employed in ELL classes within New York City and evidence of their effectiveness. | |
| 2001 Order | No. d10408 |
 This booklet takes a look at the importance of mentoring for both sitting and aspiring principals nationwide. Developed in conjunction with the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the guide is designed specifically for school districts and other educational groups that are creating or refining their own mentoring programs and principals and aspiring leaders who are considering participating. It contains examples of successful and effective programs throughout the country and resources for further reading on the subject. | |
| 2003 Print version no longer available | No. d10389 Download publication |
 Two minds, it is said, are better than one. This is especially true when we are trying to break out of old patterns and ways of doing things to create ways of doing things that are better fitted to the present and its needs. The efforts of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), The Education Alliance at Brown University, and a group of serving principals in old industrial New England were focused on the creation of a collaboration-driven initiative to find practical solutions to the fundamental questions of the practice of education in the third millennium for the benefit of their most vulnerable children. | |
| 2004 Print version no longer available | No. d10412 Download publication |
Meeting the Literacy Development Needs of Adolescent English Language Learners Through Content Area Learning Part One: Focus on Motivation and Engagement
 This research paper highlights the overlap in recommended practices from two emerging areas of educational research: academic literacy development of adolescents, and English language learners in secondary schools. With increasing numbers of ELLs attending secondary schools across the country, more content-area teachers are responsible for teaching them, whether or not they have been trained in best practices with ELLs. The research suggests that teacher professional development that focuses on promising practices for adolescents with academic literacy tasks will provide some of the training that content-area secondary school teachers need in order to productively support the academic literacy development of their ELL students. This publication was developed in partnership with the Center for Resource Management. | |
| 2004 Print version no longer available | No. d10421 Download publication |
Meeting the Literacy Development Needs of Adolescent English Language Learners Through Content Area Learning Part Two: Focus on Developing Academic Literacy Habits and Skills Across the Content Areas
 Higher numbers of English language learners (ELLs) are enrolling in U.S. middle and high schools than ever before. Content area teachers may now have more ELLs in their classrooms, but may not know how to effectively support the academic achievement of these students. This paper highlights recommended practices that enable content teachers to be responsive to the needs of ELLs, drawn from two areas of research - promoting academic literacy development of adolescents, and effective content area instruction of ELLs in middle and high schools. Eight instructional practices recommended by both areas of research are discussed in detail to help mainstream content area teachers adeptly support the literacy development of their ELL students. This publication was developed in partnership with the Center for Resource Management. | |
| 2005 Print version no longer available | No. d10430 Download publication |
 This is a comprehensive review of recent research on the contributions of diverse teachers to the education of both white and minority students. The report points to major obstacles faced by minorities in the "teacher preparation pipeline" from high school into the teaching profession, and provides useful examples of effective supports that can motivate and prepare minorities to succeed in high school, college, and the classroom. This is a useful resource for both educators and researchers, with rich examples of effective programs and practices, and an extensive bibliography. | |
| 2004 Order | No. d10417 Download publication |
Multi-Party Mobilization for Adolescent Literacy in a Rural Area: A Case Study of Policy Development and Collaboration
 For the past five years, the state of Maine has focused on adolescent literacy as an important part of its school improvement efforts statewide. This case study chronicles the work and progress of five schools participating in a five-year adolescent literacy research study-a project that began as a modest rural effort in one county and led to change in state-level reform efforts. Because the project involved research, practice, and policy, the story is one of understanding local and state needs from a variety of perspectives and mobilizing the partners necessary to meet those needs. The multi-party collaboration in this study helped convert the county-focused effort into a vehicle for broader state-level pursuit of high school improvement. This publication was developed in partnership with the Center for Resource Management. | |
| 2005 Order | No. d10429 Download publication |
 How can parents, teachers, principals and community leaders build effective reading and writing skills among early-grade students? What kinds of schools motivate students and get them engaged with reading?
The 9 Effective Literacy Practices Poster provides a clear, easy-to-use visual reference that promotes better performance and good practice. Designed for K-8 educators and school staff, the full-color poster contrasts educational practices that "miss the mark" with those that are "on target." Based on a study of high-poverty schools that have achieved a high level of success in developing student literacy, the poster touches on teaching methods, assessment practices, test preparation, partnerships with families and communities, and professional development. The poster serves as a reminder of how schools can keep their efforts to promote student literacy on target.
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| 2000 Print version no longer available | No. d10184 |
 When it comes to learning, is smaller really better? There is a growing body of evidence to support the notion that smaller, more personalized schools are better for both students and teachers. Bringing together the combined knowledge and experience of more than two dozen teachers, administrators, and researchers, this book provides a roadmap for educators embarking on the journey to create a more personalized environment for high school students. Current initiatives aimed at personalizing learning for high school students are highlighted. Personal Learning Plans that tie the learning to the talents and aspirations of the student are described. Classroom teaching that allows individuals to gain knowledge while pursuing their own hopes is explored. Sections describe high school designs that engage students in democratic processes and systemic changes that must accompany and support personalized learning for all students. Written by practitioners with practical interest in moving high schools toward personalization, this book will excite others to initiate reforms that enable ALL young adult learners to meet common standards while designing and pursuing a unique pathway toward adult roles. That's what personal learning and this book are all about.
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| Scarecrow Press, Education Division 2002 Print version no longer available | No. d10375 |
Perspectives on Policy and Practice: Creating Large-Scale Assessment Portfolios That Include English Language Learners
 Part of the Perspectives on Policy and Practice series, this brief overview provides policymakers and state and district-level staff with an overview of assessment portfolios and a discussion of their advantages and disadvantages. This brief summary pays special attention to the effects of assessment portfolios on the assessment of English language learners. | |
| 1998 Print version no longer available | No. d10009 Download publication |
Perspectives on Policy and Practice: How to Create a Superintendents’ Leadership Council That Assures Equity for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students in an Era of Educational Reform
 The number of language minority students in New England's school districts has grown over the past two decades and continues to grow rapidly. The number of language-minority students who require language and educational services is also increasing. Historically, most school district superintendents have left issues affecting ELL children to their districts' bilingual education specialists. However, with the increase in ELL learners it became clear that proactive involvement by superintendents was critical to assuring the policy emphasis, resources and community support required for success.
This Perspectives piece shows how to create a quality Superintendent's Leadership Council that is dedicated to improving the education of ELLs and addressing equity issues confronting language and cultural minority children and their families.
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| 2000 Print version no longer available | No. d10346 Download publication |
 More and more educators are learning that students' literacy skills affect their understanding and retention of content area material. This issue of Perspectives investigates the ways in which schools can promote adolescent literacy initiatives within the content areas. Drawing upon current research, this paper explains where leadership and support for these initiatives should be anchored, what educators need to be aware of before implementing these programs at the classroom level, and the new academic standards and technology that must be taken into account when designing an action plan. | |
| 2001 Print version no longer available | No. d10361 Download publication |
Perspectives on Policy and Practice: Establishing High-Quality Foreign Language Programs in Elementary Schools
 As an increasing number of school districts across the country are making commitments to foreign language education for younger learners, educators and administrators are posing a number of key questions: Should foreign language study be part of the core curriculum? Are these programs suitable for districts that are not well-funded? What does a successful program look like? What kind of scheduling, staffing, and long-term maintenance are involved? How should a school decide which languages to teach?
Will there be lasting results?
The Center for Applied Linguistics has identified seven highly successful programs as models in providing foreign language instruction to elementary and middle school students. Based on the experiences of these and other programs, as well as on recent research, the perspectives paper offers invaluable information for administrators, practitioners, and parents who are considering establishing early foreign language programs in their own communities.
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| 2000 Order | No. d10146 Download publication |
Perspectives on Policy and Practice: Involving English Language Learners in Community-Connected Learning
 Part of the Perspectives on Policy and Practice series, this brief provides policymakers and state and district-level staff with an overview of how to involve English language learners in community-connected learning programs. The publication lists effective strategies for involving English language learners in internships and project-based learning programs, gives guidelines for community supervisors, and points out how school structures can support these students' involvement. The brief also includes a list of first steps for schools to take, a checklist of steps to take to increase English language learners' involvement in community-connected learning, and a list of resources for further reading. | |
| 2000 Print version no longer available | No. d10026 Download publication |
 More and more educators believe that high schools must be reexamined and reshaped to actively engage students in learning experiences that better prepare them for the complexity of adult life. Drawing upon current research, the Alliance explores the strategy of tailoring educational practices in high school to the learning needs of adolescents. This issue of Perspectives examines key issues and questions in changing high school practices to improve each student's learning experience. What are the learning needs of adolescents? What kinds of school practices and curriculum engage students in learning that meets both individual needs and common standards? What challenges do the schools face in establishing a student-centered learning environment? For educators, policy makers, and practitioners eager to move in this direction, this paper provides valuable strategies and resources. | |
| 2001 Print version no longer available | No. d10351 Download publication |
| Studies published in 1995 and 1996 by the U.S. General Accounting Office determined that inadequate school facilities were a widespread problem - fully one-third of America's schools needed extensive repairs or replacement. While other studies have linked low academic performance to inadequate school facilities, schools whose repair needs are greatest tend to be in districts with inadequate resources for addressing facilities problems. This policy summary answers fundamental questions about the condition and funding of America's public school facilities, and suggests approaches that policymakers and administrators should consider. | |
| 1997 Print version no longer available | No. d10079 Download publication |
| Provides a representative sampling of resources on using portfolio assessment with English language learners. Resources annotated include publications, videotapes, and online documents, with a focus on the theory, research, and practical application of portfolio assessment. In addition, materials on performance assessment and on portfolio assessments for large-scale state and district purposes are included. | |
| 1998 Print version no longer available | No. d10010 Download publication |
 A recent sudy by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), Principals in the Public: Engaging Community Support (2002), found that communications, marketing, public affairs and public relations and engagement activities are now given more time and importance than ever before. According to the study, public support builds great schools. With a focus on communicating the principal's complex role to the community, The National Association of Elementary School Principals, in conjunction with The Education Alliance at Brown University, engaged principals from the Buffalo (NY) School District and Regional District #17 in Connecticut in the development of an agenda for enhancing the public's image of schools and of principals as effective leaders. This brief details those action strategies designed to impact public perceptions regarding the role of principals and their schools. Developed in partnership with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). | |
| National Association of Elementary School Principals 2004 Print version no longer available | No. d10411 Download publication |
 This piece provides a brief overview of the challenges principals in the northeast region face, and how the desire to overcome those challenges developed into the Principals’ Leadership Network (PLN). Reports from site visits are grouped according to the three lines of inquiry on which the PLN focuses: the principal as instructional leader, communicating the principal’s complex role in the community, and mentoring for current and aspiring principals. The piece also contains viewpoints on developing and retaining quality principals and professional development. | |
| 2002 Print version no longer available | No. d10373 Download publication |
 The Education Alliance at Brown University, working in partnership with Hezel Associates, produced this literature review on professional learning communities to serve as a resource to the PBS Peer Connections Design Team. The Education Alliance scanned and synthesized key themes from the literature on PLCs to leverage findings that could be used to guide the Peer Connections Design Team in integrating technology for online professional development. Examination of the education research literature on PLCs revealed a broad range, type, and history of published articles and studies. Similarly, the literature from practitioner publications, while noting a research basis for the implementation of PLCs, focused mainly on accounts of the processes and stages that occur along their developmental path. Given that the research-to-practice link has become central to demonstrating the effectiveness of education programs, further research is recommended by many of the studies in this review. In addition, development of tools and resources for strengthening and supporting PLCs is clearly needed. Based on the literature consulted, recommendations for research and development are proposed.
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| 2008 Available only as download | No. r10443 Download publication |
The Role of Facilitation in Online Professional Development: Engendering Co-construction of Knowledge
 This research paper is part of a series investigating how online technologies can support the professional learning of K-12 educators. The authors conducted a study that explored the facilitation strategies used to foster collaboration and mathematical inquiry among participants in an online seminar. The Investigations Online seminar helps elementary school mathematics teachers to implement the Investigations in Data, Number, and Space curriculum. This paper describes the results of the study and the design features of this model for online professional learning. This and the other studies in the series point to key features and findings useful to state and district agencies and designers of online professional development. (See related products: Gauging and Improving Interactions in Online Seminars for Mathematics Coaches, Improving Online Collaborative Learning for Teachers, Topics of Peer-to-Peer Listserv Postings)
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| 2005 Order | No. d10425 Download publication |
 Building on School Matters: Mapping for Reflecting and Planning, this second in a series of activity sheets involves education stakeholders in the image-making process as a way to facilitate reflections and planning about especially challenging areas of school reform. The process is based on research conducted by the Alliance with high-poverty schools that have made substantial reforms over time.
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| 2000 Print version no longer available | No. d10186 Download publication |
 This activity sheet involves education stakeholders in a process of charting important events, patterns, and themes in a school’s history. Groups of participants who represent different perspectives gather together to reflect on past events and activities in the school and important changes that have occurred. Participants create a map of key events in school history on a timeline, identifying patterns, trends, and implications of past practices. The activity can serve as the basis for planning, creating priorities, staff development, or further teamwork. | |
| 1999 Order | No. d10037 Download publication |
School Reform and the Superintendency: The 4th and 5th Journals of the Northeast Superintendents’ Annual Leadership Institute
 This publication documents the conference proceedings and speeches given at the 12th and 13th Annual Northeast Superintendents’ Leadership Institutes held in Newport, R.I. in May of 2000 and May of 2001. Topics discussed include strategies for helping the mobile child, the increasing ‘digital divide’ between white students and minority students, using data-driven decision making to fuel reform, and leadership for instructional improvement in today’s schools. The piece also includes superintendents’ reactions to the speakers and summaries of special-interest dinners and breakout sessions held during the three-day institute. | |
| 2002 Print version no longer available | No. d10367 Download publication |
 School readiness, healthy child development, and school success can best be achieved when schools, families, service providers, and community leaders work together to craft comprehensive solutions to complex problems. The first in a series of reports focused on school-linked services, family support programs, and school-family-community partnerships in Rhode Island, School-Linked Services: Child Opportunity Zone Family Centers provides a rationale for employing school-linked services in order to improve outcomes for children. Based on site visits and interviews, it describes the current status of Rhode Island's Child Opportunity Zone Family Center initiative and suggests program and policy implications of the initiative. | |
| 1998 Print version no longer available | No. d10093 Download publication |
 Educators and policymakers have increasingly come to understand that all education depends on achieving the national goal that all children read independently and well by the end of grade three. Standards-Based Early Literacy in the Northeast offers a synthesis of recent regional research and practice within a context of standards-based education. A collection of studies on literacy in the Northeast, from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont, this report asks what fosters high achievement and early literacy development and gives some clues to what works. | |
| 2001 Print version no longer available | No. d10337 Download publication |
 This is a professional development resource for schools and districts embarking on standards implementation. This multimedia product is designed for facilitators of a study group - such as mainstream, ESL, and bilingual teachers; supervisors; principals; other administrators; and staff developers - to use as part of a larger professional development plan. A two-part 50-minute video and a 125-page guidebook present powerful material for stimulating study group discussion on standards-based teaching and learning in culturally diverse schools. This publication was developed in partnership with the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL). | |
| 2002 Print version no longer available | No. d10380 Download publication |
 Gives an overview of how education policies and practices related to standards, equity and cultural diversity influence one another. Topics include: why education standards are considered a starting point for school reform, why the standards movement emphasizes high standards for all students, what “learning guided by standards” means for schools with diverse student populations, and how performance assessments can be used to determine whether English language learners have achieved high standards. | |
| 1999 Print version no longer available | No. d10140 Download publication |
 This 30-minute video and 3 discussion booklets (enclosed in a colorful folder) were created to enhance the relationship of language, culture and schooling, better-equipping educators to develop strategies for making learning environments more welcoming and hospitable to linguistically and culturally diverse groups.
Both video and guide document high school students discussing their experiences as English language learners. The students’ stories provide powerful inspirational messages for practitioners and policymakers; their suggestions for school improvement compel viewers to focus on the realities reformers face in advocating quality education for all learners. Themes include:
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| 2000 No longer available | No. d10324 |
 This teacher's guide invites professional developers, teacher educators, and teachers to examine their beliefs, perceptions, behaviors, and educational practices with respect to diversity in education. Developed as a follow-up to The Diversity Kit, An Introductory Resource for Social Change in Education (2002), this three-part series features two professional development volumes that integrate research, activities, vignettes, and resources for further exploration. Volume I: Human Development, Culture, and Cognition explores how a strong knowledge of human development, culture, and cognition can inform educators' work with an increasingly diverse student population. Volume II: Language addresses how educators can support language proficiency for students from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds. To facilitate use in professional development, an accompanying Presenter's Manual outlines all the activities. | |
| 2005 Order | No. d10435 Download publication |
| The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation emphasizes the importance of leveraging the power of technology in all areas of K-12 education, from reading to science to special education. As a result, education leaders at the state and local levels are expected to develop plans that effectively employ technology to enhance learning and increase student achievement. Accurate, up-to-date information about using technology to improve curriculum, assessment, and teaching is vital to inform educational leaders as they plan their NCLB programs. In response, the Northeast and Islands Regional Technology Consortium (NEIRTEC) created a series of Technology Briefs for NCLB planners. The topics of these Technology Briefs were selected to reflect the U.S. Department of Education requirements for state and local applications, and they provide NCLB planners with effective strategies, key questions to consider, and selected resources that will inform the application and planning process. | |
| Northeast and the Islands Regional Technology in Education Consortium (NEIRTEC) 2002 | No. z10374 Download publication |
Topics of Peer to Peer Listserv Postings: How Can They Serve as a Resource for Enhancing a Web Site for Early Foreign Language Educators?
 This research paper is part of a series investigating how online technologies can support professional learning. This paper, from the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), focuses on how the Ñandu listserv is supporting the needs of K-8 foreign language teachers for up-to-date information and peer-to-peer contact. In their study, the authors analyzed listserv postings to determine whether they were a good source for a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of the companion Web site for early foreign language educators (Ñandutí). (See related products: Gauging and Improving Interactions in Online Seminars for Mathematics Coaches, Improving Online Collaborative Learning for Teachers, The Role of Facilitation in Online Professional Development)
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| 2005 Order | No. d10424 Download publication |
 Developed by the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), this is a resource for teachers, parents, and administrators involved with two-way immersion (TWI) programs, particularly those at the elementary school level. The Toolkit is designed to meet the growing demand from teachers, administrators, and parents for guidance related to the effective implementation of TWI programs. It is composed of three segments that address program design and planning, classroom instruction, and parental involvement, respectively. | |
| 2005 | No. d10434 Download publication |
 This guidebook is a companion to The Knowledge Loom: What Works in Teaching and Learning web site (http://knowledgeloom.org). It is a how-to resource for collaborative professional development activities that use The Knowledge Loom content and online interactive tools to guide improved teaching and learning. | |
| 2001 Print version no longer available | No. d10363 Web version Download publication |
 Districts face both challenges and opportunities when they choose small learning communities as a whole school reform strategy for their high schools. This product looks at the experience of five high schools in Boston, a district with a successful history of career pathways and academies. In the past three years, Boston has encouraged schools to restructure entirely into smaller learning communities. The authors discuss key findings from five such schools and their implications for reform. This publication was developed in partnership with Jobs for the Future.
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| 2001 Print version no longer available | No. d10344 Download publication |
 This guidebook describes ten capacities that are associated with the developing stages of reform, including enhancing energy flow, teaming, and creating structures for decentralized decision making. It grew out of a research study focused on the processes schools use to initiate and sustain reforms. The purpose of the study was to learn more about how schools become successful and then maintain success. The aim of the publication is not to describe the attributes of successful schools, which has often been done in educational research, but rather to describe the process of becoming a successful school and what it takes to do so.
What It Takes is intended for use by schools embarking on reform and also by state- and district-level policymakers. One of the primary goals is to help school staff ask questions that promote discussion and reflection about important issues, particularly those related to the capacities they have in place and those they need to develop. Another is to inform policymakers designing supports and incentives for schools that are trying to change practices.
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| 2000 Order | No. d10183 Download publication |
What Policymakers and School Administrators Need to Know about Assessment Reform for English Language Learners
 Provides a detailed research overview for those interested in the role assessment reform plays in the education of English language learners. Topics include: why assessment is viewed as a powerful tool of education reform; what differentiates testing and assessment cultures in education; what choices policymakers and school administrators can make about assessment; and how a standards model will affect large-scale assessment programs. | |
| 1999 Print version no longer available | No. d10006 Download publication |
