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The Federated States of Micronesia National Department of Education (FSM NDOE) requested support from the Region 18 Comprehensive Center (R18CC) to build National and State-level knowledge of effective practices in bilingual and multilingual education. This scan offers an overview of evidence-based practices for implementing and evaluating the effectiveness of bilingual and multilingual education programs. The scan assumes that bilingual/multilingual education programs are based on the goals of two-way and immersion programs that may also accommodate heritage learning. It first begins with a brief overview of definitions of major terms utilized through the document, and then moves to discuss the following components of program implementation: (1) Program Planning and Implementation; (2) Educator Quality and Pedagogic Practice; (3) Engaging Families and Communities; (4) Assessment, Accountability, and Evaluation.

The EdResearch for Action "Design Principles Series" focuses on a single program or practice that has been proven to have positive effects on student outcomes. Authors -- leading experts from across the field of education research -- look across many high-quality studies of similar programs to identify the components and conditions that are key to its effective implementation. The "Design Principles Series" helps practitioners adapt and successfully implement an evidence-based program to meet the needs of their target population. This brief is an update of the previous version published in 2021. It incorporates new research on effective design and implementation components in high-impact tutoring programs. [This brief was prepared in collaboration with the University of Virginia, School of Education and Human Development and National Student Support Accelerator.]

Boosting literacy among school-age children remains a national priority. Nearly one third of students in the United States have not developed the foundational reading skills needed to succeed academically, with students living in poverty, students with disabilities, and English learners especially at risk. Starting in 2010, Congress invested more than $1 billion for state literacy improvement efforts through the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy (SRCL) program. SRCL was intended to focus funding on disadvantaged schools, encourage schools to use evidence-based practices, and support schools and teachers in providing comprehensive literacy instruction. These efforts were expected to lead to improved literacy outcomes for students. This study assesses how well SRCL implementation was aligned with these goals, using information collected from states, districts, and schools in all 11 states awarded grants in 2017.

The provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) include (1) the requirement for states to periodically review resource allocation in local education agencies (LEAs) serving a significant number of schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement (CSI), targeted support and improvement (TSI), and additional targeted support and improvement (ATSI) and (2) the requirement that CSI and ATSI plans both identify and address local resource inequities. ESSA requires states to periodically review resource allocation to support school improvement in schools that qualify for comprehensive and targeted support. In 2019, the Resource Allocation Review Community of Practice (RAR CoP) of the United States Department of Education (the Department) provided a useful foundation. The RAR CoP calls upon state agencies to connect the additional resource inequity provisions outlined in ESSA and align resource allocation reviews with the comprehensive school improvement. Building on the guidance offered by the RAR CoP, Utah, with the support of WestEd's Region 15 Comprehensive Center (R15CC), was among the first states to design and implement an RAR process. This report shares some discoveries and lessons learned during the design and implementation process.

This project brief maps out how the Oregon Department of Education, with support from Region 16, conceived, developed, and implemented the six Student Success Plans, co-developed in collaboration with the communities surrounding six student focal groups: (1) Black/African American students; (2) American Indian/Alaska Native students; (3) Latino/a/x students; (4) Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students; (5) LGBTQ2SIA+ students; and (6) Immigrant and refugee students. Thanks to the guidance of key communities, each plan is tailored to the assets, aspirations, and needs of student focal groups. By transforming the maze of education, these plans forge navigational pathways for students often left behind by the system by creating an environment where many different visions of success can co-exist.

Seismic shifts are shaking the landscape of K-12 education. Public school districts across the US have lost over a million students since 2020. Meanwhile, novel educational models--such as microschools and hybrid homeschooling--have more than doubled their enrollments. This paper explores what's driving families to seek these new learning environments by utilizing a theory and methodology called Jobs to Be Done. According to the theory underpinning Jobs to Be Done, people adopt new solutions--such as microschools--when struggling moments in their lives cause them to seek new ways to make progress in the face of those struggles. Through interviews with parents who recently moved their children to microschools, this research uncovered three Jobs to Be Done driving families' decisions: (1) Job 1: When I disagree with decisions at my child's school and I'm feeling unheard, help me find an alternative that will honor my perspective and values; (2) Job 2: When my child is unhappy, unsafe, or struggling at school, help me find an environment where they can regain their love for learning; and (3) Job 3: When my child's school is too focused on academic milestones and neglects other forms of learning, help me find a balanced educational experience for my child. As the educational landscape continues to evolve, the insights in this paper have the potential to empower new educational models with the understanding and tools to successfully navigate these changes. [This report was co-produced with VELA Founder Network and The Re-Wired Group.]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate implementation of a whole school restorative practices model in Saint Paul Public Schools, Minnesota. Their model aims to embed practices to develop equitable relationships, engage students in learning, and respond relationally to behavioral concerns over a three-year period. The evaluation followed three cohorts of students in seven schools (4 elementary, 2 middle, and 1 high school) and included two quasi-experimental designed (QED) impact analyses and an analysis of implementation fidelity. The first QED was a school-level analysis focused on disproportionality in discipline outcomes, using a comparative short interrupted time series design with six treatment schools and a matched comparison group of 12 schools (N = 9,629 students). Outcome measures were school-level differences in dismissal and office discipline referral rates between White students and specific student groups of color (i.e., Black and Multiracial Black, Latinx, and American Indian/Alaskan Native students). The second QED was a longitudinal comparison of student-level attendance and discipline outcomes pre and post-implementation, with N= 5,043 students clustered within seven treatment schools and 14 matched comparison schools. Evaluation of fidelity was conducted on the seven schools that implemented restorative practices. Findings from the first QED showed that implementing restorative practices resulted in reduced disproportionality in differences in school-level dismissal rates between Black/Multiracial Black students and White students. The gap between Black and White student dismissals in treatment schools was reduced by an average of 0.021 dismissals per student more than the gap reduction observed in comparison schools (p = 0.02). No statistical evidence was found for differences between treatment and comparison schools for other analyses. For the second QED, no statistical support for improvements in student attendance and discipline was found, although the difference in dismissal rates between students attending restorative practice schools and comparison schools (1.6% vs. 1.0%) may have practical significance and is congruent with results from the first impact study. Fidelity results showed that treatment schools collectively met study thresholds for two of two core training components in year 1, one of four training and implementation components in year 2, and three of four training and implementation components in year 3. Higher levels of fidelity in year 3 indicate preliminary evidence of the minimum levels of program adherence needed to begin to impact school-level outcomes, such as reduced disproportionality in dismissal rates found in the first impact study. This study contributes promising evidence of whole school restorative practices' potential to reduce disparities in exclusionary discipline. Further research is needed to determine whether higher fidelity thresholds or longer periods of sustained implementation could have greater impacts on school-level and student outcomes. [This report was produced by the University of Minnesota's Healthy Youth Development -- Prevention Research Center.]

Research and theory indicate that the type and quality of instruction, not the delivery mechanism, are what impact learning. Previous reviews have not systematically explored variations in the instructional strategies, approaches, and designs of educational technology programs and also suffered from lax inclusion criteria, which has been known to greatly inflate effect sizes. The present report presents findings from a meta-analysis of educational technology on mathematics outcomes, revealing a moderate effect (+0.12). Statistically significant moderators included study and methodological moderators such as study design, funding source, and sample size. Significant substantive moderators included implementation intensity, implementation context, technology role, and fidelity. Personalization was also a statistically significant moderator.

As the nation transitions from responding to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to navigating its ongoing impact on youth and their communities, K-12 students continue to experience mental health and wellbeing challenges. In the fall of 2021, Redwood City School District (RCSD) placed a full-time, district-employed mental health counselor in each of its twelve schools in order to bolster district capacity to support mental health and wellbeing. This study aims to identify strategic opportunities for understanding and advancing the counseling program's impact as it moves into its third year. With these goals in mind, this research brief will describe findings related to three questions: (1) What is the role of RCSD's school-based mental health counselors?; (2) What are early signals or "lead indicators" of the value or impact of the counseling program?; and (3) What considerations might further improve the program as it moves into Year 3? To answer these questions, the authors conducted 19 interviews with district administrators, site administrators, and mental health counselors; and 22 participant observations of meetings related to the counseling program and student services more broadly. While the research team employed qualitative data analysis software (Dedoose 9.0.90) to facilitate the coding of qualitative data, the analysis of coded data followed a more traditional, iterative approach, moving between deductive and inductive reasoning. This research brief summarizes key findings and offers considerations for leveraging the counseling program to strengthen a district-wide, coordinated system of support for mental health and wellbeing and developing a theory-based evaluation of impact during Year 3 of program implementation. [This work is generously funded by Stanford's Office of the Provost through the Office of Community Engagement.]

Edmentum offers a personalized learning platform called Exact Path. This quasi-experimental study, designed to meet ESSA Tier 2 evidence and What Works Clearinghouse standards with reservations, aimed to assess the efficacy of Exact Path in a district from the Midwestern United States. The goal was to provide specific recommendations to educators within the district and inform the broader community of policymakers and practitioners about the potential benefits of personalized learning for enhancing student academic achievement. The study found that the use of Exact Path was positively related to Math achievement in NWEA MAP tests, after controlling for students' prior test scores and their socioeconomic status. These findings suggest that Exact Path could be an effective tool for improving student success in this district and potentially other similar contexts. Therefore, these results may have important implications for educators, policymakers, and researchers interested in improving student outcomes through personalized learning.

The Wake County Public School System's AIG 2019-22 Plan is designed to meet the academic, intellectual, social, and emotional needs of gifted and advanced learners with a focus on providing equitable access to AIG programming. To examine progress towards achieving the plan's goals, a descriptive study utilizing a variety of data sources was conducted. Emerging results from the District Nomination Local Norming Process are promising in addressing equitable access to AIG programming. Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino students were among the largest racial/ethnic subgroups nominated through this process. The goal of a 10% increase in underrepresented students identified was mostly achieved, but a similar goal for referred students was not. Related to comprehensive programming, the Talent Development (TD) program was also rolled out with 4th- through 6th-grade students. Specific to differentiated curriculum and instruction, the K-2 Science Nurturing Project lessons were completed and posted; however, teacher-reported usage was low. While Advanced Learning Services (ALS) and Academics staff planned for new math and English Language Arts (ELA) lessons for AIG and TD students in grades 3-8, these lessons were not created. Although the AIG 2019-22 Plan was not fully realized, there was a slight improvement in academic results. Seventy-nine percent of schools with an AIG subgroup met or exceeded expected growth for AIG students in grades 3-8 which represented an improvement from baseline. Demonstrated growth may be credited to the AIG processes and procedures already in place prior to the AIG 2019-22 Plan. Recommendations for improvement include: 1) fully implementing the District Nomination Local Norming Process, 2) consistently tracking the three nomination processes and TD students in a central database, 3) exploring the dissemination of the K-2 Science Nurturing Project lessons, 4) continuing cross-departmental collaboration to address 3rd-8th grade math and ELA instructional expectations and lessons, and 5) gathering experiential feedback from AIG and TD students and parents.

This research-practice partnership (RPP) focused on developing and testing metrics and tools to foster improved evidence-based budgetary decision-making. The expectation was that research findings would directly influence decisions about program expansion, contraction, or elimination. Instead, unexpected findings led to unexpected uses: changes in program implementation, administrative data collection processes, and the kinds of information provided to inform budget and program improvement decisions. A content analysis of two rounds of interviews with senior district budget decision-makers identified recommendations for improving the budget decision process and document changes in the budget process over time. The study highlights the sometimes unanticipated ways that RPPs can inform educational decisions. [This is the online first version of an article published in "Peabody Journal of Education."]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on education systems worldwide, leading to significant learning loss, exacerbating existing educational inequalities and disproportionately affecting disadvantaged students. Governments around the world have begun to invest in large-scale tutoring initiatives as a key component of their pandemic recovery efforts. It is essential to summarise the existing evidence on the effectiveness of different tutoring approaches and identify the factors that contribute to successful implementation. This working paper aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of meta-analyses on the effectiveness of tutoring programmes involving one-to-one and small-group tuition. By examining the existing literature and identifying key findings, this paper will offer valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and researchers seeking to design and implement effective tutoring programmes.

Over the last two years, seven states have enacted new universal education savings account (ESA) programs or have expanded existing programs to universal or near-universal eligibility. Parental-choice advocates, who have labored for decades to make incremental inroads toward achieving greater educational freedom for families. However, the authors argue. advocates, reformers, and regulators must not lose sight of the fact that the hard, but essential, implementation efforts that follow enactment will determine whether these programs achieve their transformational potential. This report examines the challenges of implementing ESAs and makes suggestions about how to overcome implantation pitfalls. Specifically, this focuses on five key priorities. First, parents must be informed about their options. Second, schools and other providers must prepare for, and respond effectively to, the opportunities and challenges provided by ESAs. Third, regulators must thoughtfully and deliberately address the need for effective program regulations. Fourth, program administrators must establish effective operational policies and procedures. Fifth, states and public-interest legal advocates must prepare for legal challenges.

Educators can employ a variety of classroom management strategies in their efforts to foster a classroom environment in which all students can learn. "Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT)" is one such strategy. As part of "CW-FIT," teachers establish classroom rules, provide instruction on target skills, place students into teams, and then reward teams for demonstrating target skills, all with the aim of improving student behavior and creating a positive learning environment. "CW-FIT" seeks to reinforce appropriate behaviors, minimize social attention to inappropriate behaviors, and provide self-management tools to individual students who need extra support. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviews existing research on educational interventions to identify evidence-based programs and practices. This WWC intervention report summarizes the available evidence on the effects of "CW-FIT" on student and teacher outcomes. Eight studies of "CW-FIT" meet WWC standards and contribute to the effectiveness ratings in this report. Based on the eight studies, there is strong evidence that "CW-FIT" positively impacted student behavior and promising evidence that "CW-FIT" positively impacted teacher practice. [For the Intervention Brief, see ED628224. For the Single-Case Design Appendix, see ED628225.]

Educators can employ a variety of classroom management strategies in their efforts to foster a classroom environment in which all students can learn. "Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT)" is one such strategy. As part of "CW-FIT," teachers establish classroom rules, provide instruction on target skills, place students into teams, and then reward teams for demonstrating target skills, all with the aim of improving student behavior and creating a positive learning environment. "CW-FIT" seeks to reinforce appropriate behaviors, minimize social attention to inappropriate behaviors, and provide self-management tools to individual students who need extra support. This Intervention Brief provides an overview of the full Intervention Report, which summarizes the available evidence on the effects of "CW-FIT" on student and teacher outcomes. [For the Intervention Report, see ED628223. For the Single-Case Design Appendix, see ED628225.]

Teachers can use a variety of classroom management practices to help foster a classroom environment in which all students can learn. "Good Behavior Game" is a specific classroom management strategy that aims to improve social skills, minimize disruptive behaviors, and create a positive learning environment. Teachers place students into teams and reward them for demonstrating appropriate behaviors and following classroom rules. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviews existing research on educational interventions to identify evidence-based programs and practices. This WWC intervention report summarizes the available evidence on the effects of "Good Behavior Game" on student and teacher outcomes. [For the Intervention Brief, see ED628138. For the Single-Case Design Appendix, see ED628140.]

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate administrator perceptions of the second-year implementation of Dynamic Impact (DI) in Worcester County Public Schools (WCPS) by Johns Hopkins' Center for Technology in Education (CTE). As described by CTE, DI builds the capacity of school districts to form and sustain high-performing teams using several protocols to guide their work together as they implement school improvement plans. This descriptive study collected and analyzed interview data to document district and school administrators' perceptions of DI as implemented in WCPS, including the following: (1) Motivations and hopes for using DI to develop and implement school improvement plans; (2) Perceptions of stakeholder engagement in DI and its protocols; (3) Perceptions of the impact of DI; and (4) Overall reactions to DI. Senior administrators at WCPS were asked to participate in interviews, as were principals of schools in the Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) program. Data collection took place during the spring semester of 2023. Findings suggest that school and district administrators see DI as a productive school improvement process that engages a broad array of stakeholders, examines root causes of issues, develops action plans to support the implementation of evidence-based practices and implements the practices with fidelity, and engages in ongoing progress monitoring and adjusting plans as needed.

This appendix volume supplements "Evaluating the Federal Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority: Early Implementation and Progress of State Efforts to Develop New Statewide Academic Assessments. Evaluation Report. NCEE 2023-004" analyzing the early progress of the first five assessment systems participating in the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority (IADA) created by the 2015 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. These systems include: (1) the New Hampshire Performance Assessment of Competency Education (NH PACE); (2) the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program 2025 Humanities (LEAP 2025 Humanities); (3) the North Carolina Personalized Assessment Tool (NC PAT); (4) the Georgia MAP Assessment Partnership (GMAP) through-year assessment and (5) the Georgia Navvy assessment system. The volume documents the features of the IADA program and the five IADA systems, the study team's research activities, and includes more detailed findings than were summarized in the report. [For the full report, see ED627872. For the Study Highlights, see ED627880.]

Education officials have long hoped that the statewide academic assessments most students take each year could be used not only for accountability but also to guide instruction. Congress established the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority (IADA) program in 2015 to help address this goal, offering up to seven states temporary flexibility from federal testing requirements so that they may more easily make progress toward replacing their current assessments with more innovative ones. The key incentive to participate in IADA is that students trying out the innovative assessment are not required to also take the state's current assessment. However, states approved for IADA must still show that their innovative assessments meet most requirements for federal accountability, and they are expected to implement the new assessments statewide within 5 years. This report describes the progress of the first five assessment systems approved under IADA in order to help policymakers consider expanding the program to more states. The report is primarily based on an analysis of states' IADA applications and performance reports to the U.S. Department of Education through the 2020-2021 school year and is part of a broader evaluation of IADA required by Congress. [For the Appendix, see ED627873. For the Study Highlights, see ED627880.]

Social, emotional, and academic development (SEAD) is a holistic approach to supporting students' development and learning that is integral to ensuring positive outcomes in school and beyond. Schools must ensure students experience healthy development and rigorous learning. Unfortunately, students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and other underserved students often do not have positive learning experiences. There are six key policy issues that state leaders can implement to create equitable and safe learning environments that promote positive SEAD for all students. This brief highlights how Louisiana is supporting students' SEAD and areas for growth across six policy issues, as well as questions to ask district leaders about local implementation.

In order to realize all the benefits of parental-choice programs, advocates, policymakers, and participating schools have to pay more attention to implementation challenges, both when designing parental-choice policies and after new programs are enacted. This report discusses both categories of implementation challenges. The first category--challenges that result from policy design--includes features of many programs that make them difficult to implement, such as limits on the tax benefits available in scholarship tax-credit programs, low scholarship amounts, and eligibility restrictions. The second category--challenges that occur after programs are enacted--result from advocates' and participating schools' failure to take steps that would increase the likelihood of programmatic success, such as prioritizing academic improvement among program participants, better informing parents about the choices available to them, and encouraging the development of more and better schools and school networks. This report focuses on "private-school-choice" programs--that is, programs that enable students to use public resources for private-school tuition. To the extent that education savings account (ESA) funds are used to enable participants to attend private schools, as they will be in many, if not most, cases, the report addresses implementation issues affecting ESAs. While the policy landscape is shifting rapidly, and more states undoubtedly will enact universal ESAs in the months and years to come--the vast majority of parental-choice programs are, and will continue to be, limited in scope and eligibility, necessitating continued attention to the issues addressed in this report critical to their success.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 schools are under immense pressure to meet the diverse needs of students. But policies and practices have not evolved quickly enough to meet those needs -- and as a result, the system continues to fail far too many young people. In "Levers of Change: How State Policies Support District Innovation," Bellwether delves into the ways states can support and catalyze innovation in public school districts -- adopting new laws, amending or repealing existing laws, changing policy or regulation, providing funding, or creating new programs. The report identifies seven states that have taken steps to enable innovation in public school districts -- Colorado, Kentucky, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Utah, and Washington -- and explores the lessons they can offer to leaders looking to spark innovation in their schools.

School leaders across the state of California seek tools to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline and improve school climates. Research suggests that restorative practices (RPs) have the potential to achieve these ends, particularly when staff throughout the school implement, and students throughout the school experience, these practices. Research also indicates that schools often struggle to achieve widespread adoption of RPs. In many cases, schools will see selective adoption of RPs--some teachers use these practices while others do not (resulting in only some students experiencing these practices). And districts will see some schools implementing these practices while others struggle to do so. How can schools overcome these implementation challenges? The first step is to identify sticking points in implementation. To do this, school and district leaders need simple, reliable means of measuring the extent to which teachers are using and students are experiencing RPs. At present, though, many leaders lack measures of RP utilization and exposure. This report provides detailed guidance regarding why, when, and how to measure the use of RPs in schools. In the first section, the authors briefly describe what RPs are and summarize research regarding the potential of these practices to decrease the use of discipline, reduce racial disparities in discipline and academic achievement, and improve school climates. In the second section, they discuss why measuring RP implementation is essential to employing RPs in a manner that is likely to achieve the intended impacts. In the third section, the authors provide detailed guidance on how to measure the extent to which teachers are using and students are being exposed to these potent practices.

Every student in Hawai'i's public school system -- regardless of their geographic location, background, economic standing or whether they are in English or Hawaiian language pathways -- must have the opportunity to discover and pursue their passions and see first-hand how their interests can translate into successful and meaningful careers that positively impact Hawai'i's future and our global society. The Board approved its six-year Strategic Plan on Feb. 2, 2023, as Phase I of the strategic planning process. Phase II consists of the Department's Implementation Plan, which includes the action items and metrics that the Department will use to achieve the goals and measure progress. In developing its plan, the Department analyzed student data, reviewed performance data, engaged stakeholders and reviewed educational research and evidence-based practices. This Implementation Plan is organized around the Board-approved desired outcomes in its Strategic Plan. This plan sets priorities and goals for statewide support and expectations. The plan identifies priorities for action and improvement. The plan identifies key actions to advance innovations and improvements.

Educator preparation programs (EPPs) have an opportunity to leverage and strengthen existing district partnerships to lead the way in co-designing teacher Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs), including the launch, operation, and continuous improvement of programs. At the very minimum, EPPs should be at the table as states, districts, and other partners establish these mutually beneficial partnerships and subsequent teacher RAPs by offering options and informing how the classroom training, related instruction, and hands-on experience are fulfilled. This report offers insights and recommendations for EPPs on how to be involved in the design and implementation of teacher RAPs and highlights the critical role of EPPs in ensuring that aspiring educators gain the necessary knowledge, skills, and hands-on experiences required for success in the classroom.