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A growing body of research offers evidence that high-ability students from lower-income families are far less likely than wealthier students to be identified for advanced level course work and opportunities. They are also less likely to achieve at high levels, despite their aptitude. Lacking access to the enriched academic opportunities, differentiated learning, and counseling afforded to wealthier students, high-ability, low-income children are becoming what one team of researchers has termed a "persistent talent underclass"--underserved and therefore prevented from fully developing their talents. This report examines which states have implemented policy changes that can help close excellence gaps. More importantly, the authors identify those states in which they see improved participation and achievement for high-ability, low-income students. The goal for this research is to illustrate the excellence gap using indicators that are readily available, easily understood, and comprehensive. The authors seek to provide clear guidance to states on how they may better support advanced learning for all students, by implementing policies to ensure that all high-ability students--including those from low-income backgrounds--have the support they require in order to develop their talents. [For the executive summary to this report "Equal Talents, Unequal Opportunities: A Report Card on State Support for Academically Talented Low-Income Students. 2nd Edition. Executive Summary," see ED589037. For the first edition of this report "Equal Talents, Unequal Opportunities: A Report Card on State Support for Academically Talented Low-Income Students," see ED569953.]

Year after year, in every state and community in our nation, students from low-income families are less likely than other students to reach advanced levels of academic performance, even when demonstrating the potential to do so. These income-based "excellence gaps" appear in elementary school and continue through high school. It is a story of demography predetermining destiny, with bright low-income students becoming what one research team referred to as a "persistent talent underclass." Through educating the nation's youth, our schools cultivate our next generation's talent, and students who do well in school are more likely to become productive contributors to society. By setting state-wide policies encouraging excellence, states can encourage all schools to provide advanced learning opportunities for high-ability students. This report examines the performance of America's high-ability students, with an emphasis on those who come from low-income backgrounds. The report examines a range of state-level interventions that are intended to foster academic talent, with the goal of identifying the policies currently in use that should be implemented more widely. Working with an expert advisory panel, the project team identified a range of indicators related to state-level policy inputs and student outcomes. Ultimately, 18 indicators were included in the analyses, representing nine distinct state-level policies and nine specific student outcomes. All data were collected at the state level, as changes to state-level policies are believed to be the most likely to improve the country's education of high-ability students, especially students from low-income families. States were then graded on both their policy interventions and their student outcomes. To help states build on this groundwork, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation plans to conduct this survey periodically, with an increasingly broadened set of indicators and data sources, to inform the national dialogue about how best to educate our most advanced students, especially those from low-income families. As a starting point, recommendations to states include the following: (1) Make high-performing students highly visible; (2) Remove barriers that prevent high-ability students from moving through coursework at a pace that matches their achievement level; (3) Ensure that all high-ability students have access to advanced educational services; and (4) Hold local education agencies (LEAs) accountable for the performance of high-ability students from all economic backgrounds. The following are appended: (1) Indicator Descriptions and Data Sources; (2) State Data Tables; and (3) State Report Cards.

Seven district improvement initiatives were implemented in 2011-12 in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). All were well designed and coordinated, with common goal setting processes and use of common monitoring tools. All initiatives either met or partially met 2011-12 goals. Some were more successful in showing student outcomes, with the most positive initiatives being elementary mathematics and adolescent literacy. These results should be used to influence future decisions about continuation or strengthening of these efforts. New components that were well received and implemented by those trained (but which did not have achievement results as yet) should also be considered for future funding. Appended are: (1) SIOP® Training and 6 Tables; (2) LEA AYP Results; (3) Elementary Math Coach Initiative with Results and Elementary Math Outcomes; (4) Differentiation Training Modules; (5) Implementation of the 2010-11 Evaluation Recommendations.

In 2009-10 Wake County Public Schools System (WCPSS) exited District Improvement in reading and remained in level one for mathematics. All District Improvement efforts gained momentum. The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP®) continued as the primary focus to meet the needs of limited English proficient (LEP) students in elementary and middle schools. The high school component was modified and addressed both literacy and mathematics. The number of trained SIOP® teachers considerably increased (from 588 in 2008-09 to 956 in 2009-10), follow-up coaching to support application of training reached more teachers, training implementation and buy-in strengthened. All SIOP® training, coaching, and implementation objectives for in 2009-10 were met or partially met. The number and use of SIOP® modified focus lessons increased substantially, but awareness could still be improved. Appended are: (1) Tables; and (2) Historical Overview of the WCPSS District Improvement Results.

This guide for Connecticut policymakers and advocacy groups provides instructions for conducting a community assessment--gathering and analyzing data on child well-being, using social indicators. The guide first details the steps for a community assessment: create goals and objectives, identify outcomes and indicators, develop a plan, find resources, collect data, analyze data, and release the data. The guide next defines indicators as they are used in a community assessment, and lists the most commonly used indicators in the areas of demography, economic security, health, early care and education, and safety. The guide then defines each specific indicator, describes how it is measured, and lists World Wide Web sites to find existing data on that indicator for Connecticut. The guide concludes with directions for accessing United States census data and Connecticut vital statistics, as well as listing additional on-line resources. (HTH)

This report presents an overview of the most current data on the overall well-being of Connecticut's youth, offered to promote a shared sense of accountability in the state, to guide current funding and programmatic decisions, and to set a baseline against which to measure the impact of those decisions. This statistical portrait is based on widely accepted measures of youth well being, incorporating both risk and protective factors, antisocial and prosocial behaviors, and survey and archival indicators in the following areas: (1) educational achievement and cognitive attainment, including educational attainment, grade retention, attendance, and enjoyment of school; (2) health and safety, including sexual behavior, delinquency, accidents and injuries, and suicide and attempted suicide; (3) social and emotional development, including volunteerism, parental monitoring, closeness to mother/father, antisocial peers, prosocial peers, spirituality, and self-efficacy; (4) self-sufficiency, including age-appropriate employment; (5) family environment, including poverty, child abuse and neglect, and domestic violence; and (6) community/school environment, including caring school climate, and availability of illicit substances. Following descriptions of the methodology and a presentation of state-wide findings, the bulk of the report is devoted to presenting data on youth outcomes and discussing trends in well being. The report concludes that the data depict two distinct pictures of Connecticut youth: one in which youth are faring as well as and sometimes better than their counterparts nationwide; the other in which a significant portion of Connecticut youth are living in poverty, with few assets and exposed to important social risks. The lack of complete and reliable data on Connecticut youth is discussed as a challenge to policymakers, funders, and program directors. The report's two appendices describe the survey methods used and the various data sources, and present expert models of positive youth development outcomes. (KB)

This publication is designed to help admissions committees, other medical school officers, and health professions advisors interpret students' Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) performance. The data can also help in comparing individual students with their peers in terms of attitudes, preferences, and beliefs about medical school and medical practice. Data in part 1, "Performance Characteristics of 1998 MCAT Examinees," come from MCAT registration records and are reported in terms of examinations administered. The data include percentile tables, performance by undergraduate major, and performance by state of legal residence. Data in part 2, "1998 MCAT Examinee Characteristics and Perceptions of Medicine," come from the Premedical Student Questionnaire (PMQ), a survey completed as part of the MCAT registration process. The PMQ includes questions about background, educational experiences, career plans, and perceptions of medicine. Part 2 includes data on students' demographic characteristics, academic characteristics, and perceptions of medicine and career plans. Appended are: an undergraduate major classification; text of the PMQ item, "most important influence on decision to study medicine"; text of the PMQ item, "reasons for choosing a career in medicine"; and text of the PMQ item, "perceptions of medicine." (SM)

The intent of this instructional manual, which is aimed at exploring the literature of a discipline and presented in a self-paced, course segment format applicable to any course content, is to enable college students to conduct computer-based interactive searches through multiple databases. The manual is divided into 10 chapters: (1) Introduction, which presents a rationale for teaching online searching skills to chemistry students; (2) Introducing Students to Database Searching, which begins by noting that the process of interactive searching involves practice on the use of a computer, modem, software, and telecommunications networks, and helps teach both organization, logic, and in-depth understanding of the subject, and competent, efficient use of the library; (3) Pros and Cons of Course Segment Approach; (4) Getting Started, which covers computer workstations; (5) The Data Base Vendor; (6) Special Notes, which addresses how to overcome a lack of journals at the library and set up security on the network; (7) Reference Material, which suggests five additional sources of information for students; (8) Weekly Procedures and Lessons, which contains 8 lessons over a 10-week period; (9) Online Searching Basics, which includes truncation, codes, order, and the map command; and (10) Miscellaneous, which covers Dialog, Datalog Plus, and Ring System Searching. A glossary of terms and an index are also provided. (ALF)

This report presents salary and wage data collected as part of the "ERS National Survey of Salaries and Wages in Public Schools, 2010-2011." The survey, conducted in Fall 2010, collected data on salaries scheduled and salaries paid for 23 selected professional positions and 10 selected support positions in public school systems throughout the United States. The data are categorized by four enrollment groupings of school systems, five per-pupil expenditure levels of school systems, and eight geographic regions of the United States. Trends in salaries and wages for the period covering the school years from 2001 to 2011 are also detailed in the report. (Contains 66 tables and 10 figures.)

This report presents salary and wage data collected as part of the 37th edition of the "ERS National Survey of Salaries and Wages in Public Schools, 2009-2010." The survey, conducted in fall 2008, collected data on salaries scheduled and salaries paid for 23 selected professional positions and 10 selected support positions in public school systems throughout the United States. The data are categorized by four enrollment groupings of school systems, five per-pupil expenditure levels of school systems, and eight geographic regions of the United States. Trends in salaries and wages for the period covering the school years from 1999 to 2009 are also detailed in the report. Information on how the data were collected is appended. A glossary of terms is included. (Contains 66 tables and 10 figures.)

This is part 3 of a 3-part report on a survey conducted in Fall 1999 of salaries and wages in public schools. The purpose of the survey is to provide school administrators and others concerned with the determination of salaries and wages for public-school personnel with data useful in comparing employee compensation in school systems of similar enrollment size, per-pupil expenditure level, and geographic region. This volume reports hourly wage rates and annual salaries paid to personnel employed in 10 selected support positions. It provides data on the lowest, highest, and average hourly wage rates. It contains 23 summary tables showing salary distributions, means, medians, and ranges of salaries or hourly wage rates. It also contains a table showing the number of responding school systems employing personnel in each position category and the total number of personnel reported. Following are highlights from part 3 of the report: average of mean hourly wage for instructional teacher aides, $10; average of mean hourly wage rate for custodians, $11.35; average of mean hourly wage rate for cafeteria workers, $9.02; average of mean hourly wage for school-bus drivers, $12.46. Included is a list of the districts that participated in the study. (Author/WFA)

This is part 2 of a 3-part report on a survey conducted in Fall 1999 of salaries and wages in public schools. The purpose of the survey is to provide school administrators and others concerned with the determination of salaries and wages for public-school personnel with data useful in comparing employee compensation in school systems of similar enrollment size, per-pupil expenditure level, and geographic region. This volume reports the annual salaries actually paid to persons employed in 21 selected professional positions by 704 public-school systems. These include salaries paid superintendents, assistant superintendents, and personnel in certain other selected central-office administrative or managerial positions. It contains 24 summary tables showing salary percentile distributions, means, medians, and ranges of average, lowest, and highest paid salaries. It also contains tables reporting summary data on the average daily amount paid personnel in selected positions and a table showing the number of responding school systems employing personnel in each category and the total number of persons reported. Following are highlights from part 2 of the report: average daily rate paid classroom teachers, $225.83; average of highest salaries paid assistant superintendents, $90,918. Included is a list of the districts that participated in the study. (Author/WFA)

This annual survey reports comparable salary data for 22 professional positions. The purpose of this edition is to aid in the analysis of trends in average salaries and wages paid public-school employees in the six component groups of school personnel over the previous 10 years. This report shows how the Composite Indicator of Changes (CIC) in average salaries and wages paid by public-school systems is compiled and how local school systems can compile CIC data for use in making salary and wage decisions. The CIC is computed from data for 28 of the 32 professional and support positions reported by school systems that respond to the annual National Survey of Salaries and Wages in Public Schools. A section is also included on the Consumer Price Index, telling how this economic index can be compared with the CIC. In order to maintain consistency in the purchasing power of public-school employees, school boards and administrators should be aware of both the short-range and long-range relationships between changes in salaries and changes in the Consumer Price Index. Appended are a worksheet for compiling local school system CIC data, and bar graphs for plotting comparative CIC data. (Author/WFA)

This is part 1 of a 3-part report on a survey conducted in Fall 1999 of salaries and wages in public schools. The purpose of the survey is to provide school administrators and others concerned with the determination of salaries and wages for public-school personnel with data useful in comparing employee compensation in school systems of similar enrollment size, per-pupil expenditure level, and geographic region. This volume presents data on the minimum and maximum salaries scheduled for professional personnel employed in 21 selected positions, as well as for substitute teachers. It contains 18 summary tables showing scheduled salary percentile distributions, means, and ranges of minimum and maximum salaries for selected positions. It also contains tables reporting summary data on the length of work year and the scheduled daily rate of pay for selected positions. Following are highlights from part 1 of the report: average of maximum salaries scheduled for classroom teachers, $55,827; average of minimum salaries scheduled for classroom teachers, $27,910; average maximum salaries scheduled for high-school principals, $85,920; average minimum salaries scheduled for elementary principals, $57,539; average of contract salaries for superintendents, $112,158. Included is a list of the districts that participated in the study. (Author/WFA)

This brief guide on how to study efficiently was designed for minority engineering students and provides eight techniques to improve study habits and enhance learning and retention. The first seven suggestions are each accompanied by a methodology and an explanation of the purpose of the technique; the eighth pertains to the overall concept of using study time well and how the previous seven suggestions can enable students to do so. The eight suggestions are: 1. Study the most important principles and processes first; 2. Focus on what you have not yet mastered; 3. Periodically re-study important material you have already mastered; 4. Do homework within two days of the assignment; 5. Get help if you can't solve a new problem after one hour; 6. Join a study group to keep up with homework; 7. Check your academic progress every week; and 8. Use the concept of "time-on-task" to study efficiently. The booklet includes a study schedule form, brief references, and a capsule version of the study suggestions. (CG)

Presents ideas for using spreadsheets to explore random numbers, electric-potential distributions, function fitting, and the frequency analysis of waveforms. Contains 18 references. (JRH)

Two procedures developed by reading specialists are presented for use in a second-year Spanish class. A directed reading lesson in seven steps is illustrated by an outline of a reading lesson adapted to a one-page Spanish story. The lesson includes a "Three-Level Guide," so called because it is designed to improve comprehension skills at the literal, interpretive, and associational or applied levels. The steps are the following: (1) determine the concepts the student is to learn; (2) establish the background through questions for the students; (3) teach selected vocabulary; (4) identify the reading purpose through use of the "three-level guide"; (5) allow time for reading; (6) discuss the selection from the perspective of student responses to their "three-level guide"; and (7) have the students do something further with their own responses or with the concepts in the selection. The integration of the directed reading lesson and the three-level guide is intended to increase the student's reading comprehension skills. The increased teacher preparation time will mean that students read fewer selections but that they may read them with more skill and enjoyment. A translation of the Spanish story and the Spanish illustrative exercises is attached. (AMH)

Discusses a method of teaching the multiplication of integers to eighth-grade students that utilizes videotape recordings to represent positive and negative rates. Videotapes of students walking forward and backward in the play and rewind modes illustrate that the product of two negatives is positive. (MDH)

Discusses two students' discovery that both of their answers to a computation for E in a chemical reaction in electrochemistry were correct, that there was not a unique answer, and that the textbook had presented only one of the possible answers to the problem. (MKR)