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This paper provides a summary of a comprehensive evaluation of the Kentucky statewide Extended School Services (ESS) program. The Extended School Services (ESS) program was established in 1990 as part of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). Designed specifically to address the needs of Kentucky's at-risk student population, ESS is an aggressive, proactive program for addressing academic problems before they become ingrained (Nesselrodt & Schaffer, 2000b). The ESS program extends the school day, week, or year for students at risk of academic failure, providing them with additional instructional time to help them meet academic goals. Rather than being an "add-on" or "stand-alone" program, ESS is designed to be an integral part of each school's regular academic program, thus ensuring that students receive instructional assistance in core content subjects in which they are performing poorly.

AEL works with state educational entities to help schools become higher-performing learning communities. AEL's current partnership with Lincoln County (West Virginia) began about 6 months after the state board of education assumed administrative control of the county school system, citing major deficiencies in the system. AEL provided facilitative support for developing the community strategic plan that was required to regain local control. Six strategic planning meetings held at the county's four high schools were attended by 30-50 people from each community. The process was assessed via questionnaires and phone surveys of 79 people. Findings indicate that the process attracted many people besides direct employees of the school system. However, local political power brokers, poorer residents, and students were poorly represented. Most participants reported satisfaction with the process, but a sizeable minority felt it took longer than necessary. Many participants viewed citizen apathy as a major barrier to reform efforts. Local politics, including cronyism and a state senator promoting consolidation, was a major concern to residents eager for improvements. Residents also distrusted state-level institutions, a distrust solidly based in the history of the relationship between county residents and the state board of education. Geographic isolation of culturally different communities and consolidation efforts contributed to resentment and distrust in the county. While consolidation was viewed as a negative outcome of the state takeover, there was hope that an improved educational system would result. (TD)

A pilot version of a School Capacity Assessment (SCA) was developed in 2002 to assess the degree to which schools possess the potential to become high performing learning communities. The SCA was part of AELs School Capacity Development project. The pilot version of the SCA was intended to be administered to K-12 professional staff to assist them in determining how well positioned their schools are to begin the development of a higher performing learning community. The 99-item, 4-page instrument contains 8 subscales: Collective Teacher Efficacy, Deprivatized Practice, Program Coherence, Technical Resources, Equitable Practice, Differentiated Instruction, Expectations for Student Performance, and Time for Planning. The pilot SCA was completed by 427 respondents from 10 schools in a Virginia school district and 26 respondents from a West Virginia school district. Results suggest that the SCA holds potential for assessing school capacity for improvement. As was to be expected from the sample of relatively low performing schools chosen, item and subscale means were relatively low. The instrument overall was internally consistent in the pilot test, and correlations between the subscales were, in general, moderate to very strong. Recommendations are made for additional study. Three appendixes contain the SCA, descriptive statistics, and a checklist for applying standards. (Contains 13 tables and 76 references.) (SLD)

This study was conducted to explore the characteristics of and interrelationships between teacher efficacy and professional learning community in 19 schools participating in the Quest project at AEL, Inc. The Quest project is an applied regional research project that assists schools with educational reform efforts. The School Professional Staff as Learning Community instrument developed by S. Hoard (1997) and an AEL-developed Teaching Questionnaire containing 2 scales (perceptions of external and internal efficacy) based on work by T. Guskey were administered to staff in the 19 schools, with 624 responses received. Based on the Cronbach alpha reliability estimates, it was concluded that all three scales had satisfactory reliability. Elementary school teachers had a higher level of internal efficacy and a higher sense of a professional learning community at their schools than did the high school teachers. High school teachers had a higher level of perceived external efficacy regarding learning than did the elementary school teachers. The results support the 1994 finding of T. Guskey and P. Passaro that the external and internal scales measure two separate constructs of teacher efficacy that have an inverse relationship. Internal and external measures of teacher efficacy were not significantly related to perceptions of the school as a learning community. Teachers' years of experience had no bearing on their perceptions of internal or external efficacy or their perceptions of the school as a learning community. Implications for the design or implementation of Quest programs are discussed. (Contains 4 figures, 6 tables, and 12 references.) (SLD)

Not much research has been done on the factors that affect schools' willingness to undertake school-improvement efforts with the assistance of outside organizations. To address this lack, staff of the Quest project at AEL, Inc. conducted a multi-method exploratory study of issues considered significant to schools' engagement with reform. Focus group interviews of February 1999 Quest conference participants (N=41) were conducted, and phone interviews were made to teachers less engaged or not involved in the Quest network (N=26). Study participants were also asked to complete the Quest Engagement Survey form (N=58). Responses were numerically coded and analyzed statistically. Survey responses indicated that personal beliefs about education and change were most significant to both beginning and ongoing participation. Focus-group and individual interviews suggested that building-level administrative support for participation had been most important to both initial and sustained involvement. These and other findings suggest that organizations supporting school improvement ought to consider ongoing needs assessment as a means to target support and assistance that remains relevant to participating schools as reform continues. This report concludes with 39 references and an appendix containing a Quest brochure and Framework for Continuous School Improvement. (RT)

This paper describes summative evaluation of the Quest project conducted at four case-study schools. The schools were selected for their high involvement in Quest, varied interpretations and uses of the project, and diverse locations and demographic constitutions. Data collection included participant observation, individual and semistructured group interviews, pre- and post-test score analysis on the "School Professional Staff as Learning Community" survey test, Reflective Assessment questionnaires for school staff, and state-mandated student achievement test scores. Results varied unevenly across the study sites. For example, one well-funded school serving mostly middle-class students showed little improvement in student achievement and professional learning community, whereas two schools serving less advantaged students improved dramatically in professional development with ambiguous outcomes in student performance. Interviewees, however, consistently described their participation in Quest as personally and professionally meaningful. Findings revealed tensions between the schools' needs for flexibility in implementing reforms and external demands for standardized achievement scores. Another tension involved the relatively more evident influence of the Quest project at the individual level versus a more ambiguous influence at the level of school district or state department of education. The appendix includes a Quest brochure and a framework for continuous improvement. (Contains 52 references and 7 tables.) (RT)

This report summarizes lessons learned from the Quest project. Data sources include a group interview with Quest staff, formative-evaluation reports, summative-evaluation case studies, and project research reports. One lesson learned concerned the importance of school leaders to the success of reform implementation. Schools with supportive leadership found ways to attend various network events and enact school-improvement projects. Those with less supportive leaders struggled to continue their involvement in Quest or terminated their participation in the project. According to Quest staff, the use of the network to support continuous school improvement has been a fruitful strategy. One benefit had been the way in which practitioners have been able to learn from each other rather than from researchers, state department of education staff, or other entities external to the life of a school. Quest staff reported that the financial and logistical support they offered participants was critical to the continued involvement of some schools. Project staff and school teams made significant efforts to include parents and students in their Quest participation and school-improvement initiatives. These efforts succeeded to various degrees, though some parents continued to report feeling peripheral to their school's undertakings. Student voice proved to be a valuable addition to the network. The participation of community members, however, was quite limited, as schools struggled to find meaningful ways in which to involve them. Appendixes include a brochure and framework for improvement, and a completed evaluation standards checklist. (Contains 47 references.) (DFR)

Education reform and technical assistance systems have been criticized for their inability to sustain significant, long-term improvements in teaching and learning. One method that has shown success is the use of an external facilitator in comprehensive school-change efforts. In collaboration with the Virginia Department of Education, the Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL) conducted several diverse technical assistance activities designed to increase the capacity of external facilitators working in the Governor's Best Practice Centers to effectively work with schools and school divisions. Four activities are described in this report, including: (1) the facilitation of strategic planning for the Best Practice Centers; (2) a workshop on data-based decision-making; (3) an algebra study group to finalize and test elements within a proposed algebra resource compendium; and (4) a training for external facilitators. Participants in processes codeveloped by AEL were somewhat to highly pleased with the services provided. The effectiveness with which AEL performed its work may have been influenced by the political realities and uncertainties that it confronted as a new state department of education entity. AEL will need to continuously build and nurture collaborative relationships when the development of products involves several groups who may have competing priorities. An appendix contains a completed evaluation standards checklist. (RT)

To generate information that would help rural schools take advantage of the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program, 47 principals of rural schools in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia were interviewed via telephone. The schools fell into two categories: schools that applied but were not funded through the CSRD program and schools that were eligible for CSRD funding but did not apply. Principals from both groups indicated that rural schools needed more information about the CSRD program and technical assistance in preparing proposals; obstacles to school reform included resistance to change among staff and community members and insufficient resources, time, community support, and understanding of school reform efforts; the districts supported reform efforts but community support for reform was mixed; and assistance was needed in technology utilization, proposal development, effective curricular strategies, and parental involvement. Principals from schools that applied but were not funded noted limited resources and preparation time. Principals from schools that did not apply said they were unaware of the program. Principals from schools that applied but were not funded indicated that various reform efforts were being implemented at their schools, with most being funded by other sources. Principals from schools that did not apply most frequently noted state-mandated reforms being implemented in their schools. Implications for CSRD implementation include increasing support for disadvantaged schools, designing enough flexibility into CSRD programs to meet the needs of rural schools, and ensuring that rural schools are fully aware of the program in time to prepare for it. Appendix contains interview questions. (TD)

As part of its Regional Educational Laboratory contract to develop a framework for continuous school improvement in its four-state region, AEL, Inc., staff designed the Quest project. Formative evaluation had revealed the high level of satisfaction participants had with Quest and the great extent to which the project met its goals at each event. A case-study method was used for summative evaluation of the Quest project. This case study examines the impact Quest made at Bending Knee Elementary, a pre-K-6 public school located in a small, impoverished town in a rural coal-mining West Virginia county. The school has an enrollment of about 220 students, all of whom are white. Approximately 70 percent qualify for free or reduced-priced lunch. A variety of data-collection methods and instruments were used in this case study. Systematic participant observation was conducted at nearly every Quest event, as well as semistructured interviews and the solicitation of formative feedback from project participants. Among the conclusions drawn was the observation that Bending Knee Elementary appears to have a history of undertaking improvement efforts. These experiences, along with a respected school administrator and a tight-knit school community, may have contributed to the success of Quest at the school. Appendixes include the Quest brochure and framework of continuous improvement, protocols for Quest team member individual interview, and faculty focus-group interviews. (Contains 46 references and 10 tables.) (DFR)

In 1996, Quest staff began working with teams from school communities in three West Virginia county school districts to invigorate efforts for continuous school improvement. This first learning community consisted of students, teachers, administrators, parents, and community members, who ultimately wrote individual school visions and improvement plans and co-authored a supplemental guide for state-mandated school improvement plans. Tinder Elementary became involved in Quest in 1997 when four staff members and one parent attended the first elementary network rally. The school also involved Quest staff in two co-ventures in learning, during which Quest staff interviewed teachers and students, observed 24 classrooms, and planned with parents the piloting of a series of sessions on Successful, Motivated, Autonomous, Responsible, and Thoughtful (SMART) learners. Although the school was highly involved in the project in many respects, there were some limitations to their participation. The project also had little impact on student achievement, though positive trends in grades 3 through 5 were apparent, and a few statistically significant improvements were located. Student Test of Cognitive Skills/2 total, nonverbal, and verbal scores were consistently higher in 1998 and 1999 than in 1996, when Tinder began its involvement in Quest. Appendixes contain the Quest brochure and framework; interview protocols for individual, group team members, and student focus groups; and a questionnaire, checklist, and instrument. (Contains 44 references and 17 tables.) (DFR)

This case study examines the impact Quest made at Xavier Senior High School, a large secondary public school located in a northern Virginia suburb. Approximately 62 percent of the student body are identified as white, while the remainder are African-American (20 percent), Hispanic (10 percent), and Asian/Pacific Islander (5 percent). A variety of data-collection methods and instruments were used in this case study. Systematic participant observation was conducted at nearly every Quest event, as well as semistructured interviews and the solicitation of formative feedback from project participants. In addition, a semistructured focus-group interview was conducted with approximately 10 members of the school faculty who had been minimally or not all involved in Quest events (appendix C). Finally, nine Quest team members completed the Reflective Assessment questionnaire (appendix D). Interviews and means on the Innovation Configuration Checklist revealed that Xavier had been highly involved in Quest, from attending network events regularly to implementing two school-improvement processes during the project. However, the focus-group interview with faculty not directly involved in Quest revealed that many interviewees did not think the project had permeated the school. Some gains on the Standards of Learning test were made between 1998 and 1999, particularly on the math tests. Nevertheless, the percent of students passing most tests continued to fall below the state standard of 70 percent. Other appendixes list brochures, interview protocols, and checklists. (Contains 42 references.) (DFR)

As part of its Regional Educational Laboratory contract to develop a framework for continuous school improvement in its four-state region, AEL, Inc., staff designed the Quest project. Formative evaluation had revealed the high level of satisfaction participants had with Quest and the great extent to which the project met its goals at each event. A case-study method was used for summative evaluation of the Quest project. This case study examines the impact Quest made at Bowman Elementary, a K-5 public school. The school has an enrollment of about 530 students, 73 percent of whom are African American. Sixty-three percent qualify for free or reduced lunch. Interviews, a focus group, and means on the Innovation Configuration Checklist revealed that Bowman Elementary had been highly involved in Quest, from attending network events regularly, to implementing continuous improvement strategies learned during project gatherings, to providing technical assistance to other network schools. Among the conclusions drawn was the observation that the school appears to have possessed several advantages prior to involvement in Quest that helped to support and sustain the school's participation. On the individual level, participants reported that they engaged in more reflection about education, change, and their own contributions to the school than they had prior to involvement. Appendixes include the Quest brochure and framework for continuous improvement, Quest team member individual-interview protocol, faculty group-interview protocol, student focus-group protocol, and questionnaires. (Contains 40 references and 6 tables.) (DFR)

The federal Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program provides incentives for high-poverty schools to pursue reform. In fiscal years 1998-99, $120 million, or 83 percent of total CSRD funds, was made available to states to target Title I schools serving disadvantaged students. Of the 1,748 schools participating in CSRD, over 85 percent received Title I funds and almost two thirds were Title I Schoolwide Program grantees. It has been suggested that rural school participation in CSRD may be hampered by such barriers as geographic isolation and lack of staff. This paper examines the distribution of CSRD funds across the rural-urban continuum, both overall and for high-poverty schools (schools with 50% or more of their students participating in the free and reduced lunch program). Data were drawn from a database on school participation in CSRD, and the rural-urban location of schools was based on the Johnson Locale Codes used by the U.S. Department of Education. The data indicate that: (1) rural high-poverty schools were funded by CSRD at a slightly lower rate than total rural schools; (2) students in rural high-poverty schools were served at a slightly higher rate than students in total rural schools; (3) the largest CSRD grants went to urban schools due to their larger size; and (4) compared to urban schools, rural schools funded by CSRD had fewer students but more money per student to implement reform. Appendices outline issues related to rural school participation in CSRD and define the Johnson Codes. (SV)

This comparison of standards-based reform with rural school improvement efforts that emphasize locally responsive, place-based curricula reveals differences and similarities in the two movements. The standards-based movement is focused on setting state and national standards that all students must meet, suggesting a common curricular focus. Most advocates of standards-based reform advocate some local discretion. Rural school improvement is focused on teaching children knowledge and skills within the context of their local communities to prepare them for effective participation at the local as well as state and national levels. Standards would be developed within local communities. Explicit in this approach is the desire to sustain rural communities and lifeways. Despite their differences, the two movements share two important goals: promoting greater educational equity and increasing the intellectual rigor of classroom curricula and pedagogy. If place-based curricula are to coexist with and complement standards-based reforms, three key issues must be resolved. First, if standards are developed locally, how will schools be helped to develop local assessments tied to those standards and how would they be held accountable? If state assessments tied to accountability mechanisms are imposed, how can those assessments be responsive to locally developed curricula? Second, what kind of professional development assistance do teachers need to develop experiential curricula tied to state standards but centered on the community, and who will provide this assistance? Finally, how can parents and community members be involved in creating standards that are uniformly high for all students but responsive to local needs? (Contains 21 notes.) (TD)