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Many schools are embracing improvement planning as a deliberate endeavor to enhance their educational practices and increase equitable access to high-quality learning for all students. Schools that are committed to continuous improvement and providing a high-quality education to their students are more likely to engage in comprehensive school improvement planning processes. One such example comes from Great Minnesota Schools (GMS), a nonprofit based in Minneapolis, which supports schools' proactive efforts to build on their existing strengths to reach new student performance and other goals through improvement planning. This analysis provides an overview of the Bellwether School Improvement Cohort Program (Cohort Program) and its work with schools supported by GMS. The authors present an overview of Bellwether's three-stage process, starting with a comprehensive school "health" assessment, moving to stakeholder engagement, and finally to program implementation and progress monitoring. The authors then preview lessons learned from case studies of two schools -- Global Academy (Global) and Prodeo Academy (Prodeo) -- that have participated in the Cohort Program. Overall, findings from accompanying case studies suggest that the Cohort Program has helped build the organizational capacity of these schools to improve student achievement.

The civic education policy framework and gap analysis tool are intended to guide state leaders as they address the complexities of preparing students for college, career and civic life. They allow for adaptation to state- and site-specific circumstances and may be adopted in whole or in piecemeal fashion, according to states' individual circumstances. In addition to the civic education policy framework and gap analysis tool, this resource includes examples to demonstrate how current state efforts are leading to significant, positive changes in civic education for all students, P-20.

State policy plays a critical role in determining whether and how well local education improvement strategies can be implemented. As states rework their education policies under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), state and local leaders need a way to assess their current policy environment and identify the changes needed to encourage local innovation and problem-solving. To identify the legal and regulatory barriers to local autonomy, the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) researched 14 states that already have one or more large cities pursuing local innovation strategies. We find that: The accretion of state law over the years has constrained local education leaders' ability to innovate, improve, and transform their schools; States have set up command-and-control frameworks, viewing districts rather than schools as public education's first responders, which is at odds with school-level efforts to address the particular needs of students and communities; and State policy leads to conflicts and disincentives that play out for worse at the local level. This analysis is intended to help policymakers, education leaders, and advocates understand the changes in state law and policy needed to support local strategies that empower educators, promote new schooling options, and let parents choose.

Minnesota Reading Corps is the largest AmeriCorps State program in the country. Its mission is to help every Minnesota child become a proficient reader by the end of third grade. To meet this goal, the Minnesota Reading Corps and its host organization, ServeMinnesota Action Network, engages a diverse group of AmeriCorps members to provide evidence-based literacy enrichment and tutoring services to preschool (PreK) students and at-risk Kindergarten through third grade (K-3) elementary school students. For the 2013-2014 school year, more than 1,100 AmeriCorps members implemented the Minnesota Reading Corps program in 712 schools or sites and 213 school districts across the state of Minnesota. This report, commissioned by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), describes the findings from a process assessment of a purposive sample of Minnesota Reading Corps PreK program sites and similar comparison preschool sites during the 2013-2014 school year. The sample of nine program sites and eight comparison sites were drawn from the representative sample of 25 Minnesota Reading Corps programs and 25 matched comparison sites selected for a quasi-experimental design (QED) outcome evaluation of the Minnesota Reading Corps PreK program. The goal of the outcome evaluation was to determine the effects of the Minnesota Reading Corps program on PreK students' emergent literacy skills, while the process assessment provides additional context for interpreting these findings. The PreK process assessment focused on three research questions, with a particular emphasis on understanding the implementation of research-based language and literacy practices in PreK classrooms and the role of AmeriCorps members in fostering emergent literacy skills: (1) How is the program achieving its immediate, intermediate, and long-term outcomes? How does the program's design and administration lead to the achievement of these target outcomes?; (2) Are there characteristics of AmeriCorps members that are particularly effective with service recipients (i.e., students)?; and (3) Which findings and lessons learned from the Minnesota Reading Corps can be applied to other models and/or programs? Are there characteristics that are suitable for similar reading tutoring programs to replicate? To explore the research questions associated with the process assessment, the evaluation team conducted observations of PreK classroom activity and conducted semi-structured interviews with AmeriCorps members, Internal Coaches, lead teachers, and school principals and directors at each participating site. The following are appended: (1) Classroom Language and Literacy Observation Tool; and (2) Glossary. [An additional appendix (Tables) is listed in the table of contents of this document, but is not included.]

Early education has been a growing priority for the Obama administration, and its competitive funding is spurring innovation in this field around the country. In 2013, early education journalist Paul Nyhan, author of this report, conducted case studies of four competitive grant programs that are triggering changes in early education: "Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge" (RTT-ELC), the "Social Innovation Fund" (SIF), "Investing in Innovation" (i3), and "Promise Neighborhoods." This brief provides an inside look at what kind of progress is possible--and what limitations exist--when policies are advanced through small competitive grants. The brief also opens a door into the world of implementation--the mechanics required to change practices on the ground--that rarely grabs headlines, is often invisible, and yet is the critical piece of ensuring that funding is used well and that policies succeed. [Acknowledged for their contribution to the report are Abbie Lieberman, Introduction Author; and Laura Bornfreund, Editor. The New America Education Policy Program's work is made possible through generous grants from the Alliance for Early Success; the Annie E. Casey Foundation; the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund; the Foundation for Child Development; the Heising-Simons Foundation; the Joyce Foundation; the Kresge Foundation; Lumina Foundation; the McKnight Foundation; the Pritzker Children's Initiative; the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; the W. Clement and Jessie V. Stone Foundation; and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.]

This report documents the results of the first statewide survey concerning the environmental literacy of adults in Minnesota. During July-September 2001, a random sample of 1000 adults were surveyed for their knowledge about, attitudes toward, and behaviors related to the environment. This report describes the environmental literacy of Minnesotans and compares Minnesotans' literacy on related survey questions to that of Pennsylvania residents and other United States citizens. The report is divided into four parts. The first three sections discuss the survey in terms of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors while the final section offers an integrated perspective on the overall report and Minnesota adults' environmental literacy. (KHR)

A public policy study in Minnesota, conducted as part of Project 2030, looked at the impacts of the aging of the baby boom generation on the work force and the economic vitality of the state by the year 2030. The study found the following general trends affecting the work force and economic vitality and noted the relation of each to the aging population: (1) a global economy (employers who serve the elderly in rural Minnesota will have difficulty holding workers because of the shift to a global economy); (2) changing composition of industrial sectors (the productivity of an aging work force will need to be considered, especially where strength and dexterity are required); (3) labor shortages (most job openings will occur as the result of retirings or other quittings, not because of new job creation); (4) training and education mismatches with skill needs (focus will shift to retraining of individuals already in the work force); (5) technology (technology will have to substitute for workers due to labor shortages but can't provide care for the elderly, where there is already a shortage); and (6) tax implications (Minnesota's tax base will change because, among other things, a greater share of personal income will be tax exempt and subject to lower rates and slower rates of growth.) Recommended policy directions for the state are included in the "Project 2030 Final Report." (KC)

Alternative schools and area learning centers are individualized, nontraditional programs that lead to a high school diploma. To assess how students were doing in these schools and learning centers, the Minnesota Student Survey was administered in 1996 to 3,764 voluntary participants. The highlights of the results are reported here. To gain an accurate comparison with other youth, these alternative education adolescents were matched with children of the same gender and age who were randomly selected from regular public schools. Findings show that students in alternative education centers reported a number of problems. Rates of family substance abuse were two times higher for these adolescents than for students in regular schools. Furthermore, adolescents in alternative education centers were twice as likely as their regular school counterparts to have been physically abused, to have witnessed abuse within their families, or to have been sexually abused themselves. The results of the survey support the benefits of the alternative education centers. They also have implications for further curricula development and interventions with individual students. Five suggested improvements to services for adolescents are included. The findings are presented in five parts: youth, their families and their environments, which focuses on demographics, family relationships, violence and abuse; psychological distress, which addresses self-esteem and self-injurious behavior; sexual activity; school perceptions and behaviors; and antisocial and illegal behaviors, such as substance use and delinquent behavior. (RJM)

Sixteen regional forums were held in Minnesota in the fall of 1995 to determine what form the Education and Employment Transition System, or School-to-Work System, mandated by state legislation, would take and which elements it should contain. Forum participants represented business, labor, education, parents, teachers, counselors, and other interested parties. Divided into nominal groups of 8-10 at each of the forums, the 673 participants considered 2 questions: "What would you do to establish school-to-work programs in your area?"; and, "Tell us how to prepare people of all ages for occupations." Seven areas were proposed as major parts of the effort: career education, system design, partnerships, skills and competencies identified by the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, promotion, work-based learning, and staff development. Recommendations were made to incorporate these areas into a school-to-work system. (KC)

In response to a 1993 Minnesota crime bill, four task forces reviewed violence education in professional higher education programs and made recommendations for legislation and law enforcement. The four task forces--in Law, Health Services, Human Services, and Education--made several critical recommendations that applied across professions: interdisciplinary violence education should be taught by knowledgeable faculty for all students in professional education programs; victims and offenders should participate as speakers, panelists, and community resources; protocols should be developed in all professions for dealing with violent or abusive members; cultural competency should be stressed for students and practitioners; pre-admission standards should screen students at risk for violent or abusive behavior; and opportunities for service learning should be provided all students. Among the 10 recommendations for legislation and 6 recommendations for law enforcement were the following: appropriate certification boards should create a specialization in law relative to crimes of violence; law enforcement schools should create experiential learning opportunities in areas related to violence and abuse; and the Peace Officer Standards and Training Board should define "conduct unbecoming an officer" to include patterns of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or harassment. Appendixes contain a list of task force members and tables showing the evaluation of graduate professional education programs. (JB)

This report and its companion, volume I, provide a snapshot of people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota. The information in this volume, which focuses on unaccompanied youth, is intended as a resource for planners, policymakers, service providers, and others addressing the problems associated with homelessness. On October 27, 1994, trained volunteers conducted interviews with 114 homeless youth (44 males and 70 females) aged 11 through 17 years unaccompanied by adults. Key findings were that, on a given night, approximately 500 unaccompanied youth in Minnesota are without permanent shelter, and over the course of a year, nearly 10,000 Minnesota youth experience at least one episode of homelessness. Since 1991 the percentage of homeless youth enrolled in secondary schools has declined from 79% to 52%, and the percentage of homeless youth in need of medical services has risen from 19% to 31%. Younger homeless youth are less likely to receive governmental assistance than homeless young adults aged 18 and over. Youth experiencing homelessness are nearly three times more likely to have been sexually or physically abused and six times more likely to report that they have no close friends. Homeless youth are also much more likely to be members of minority groups. (Contains 146 tables and 32 references.) (SLD)

This report and its companion, volume II, provide a snapshot of people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota. The information is intended as a resource for planners, policymakers, service providers, and others addressing the problems associated with homelessness. Findings are based on interviews with 638 men and 685 women in shelters, transitional housing programs, and on the street. Weightings of the sample are used to describe the characteristics of 2,470 adults and 1,007 children identified as homeless in Minnesota on October 27, 1994. The total number of homeless and precariously housed persons in Minnesota on this day was estimated at 12,415. Of these, a disproportionate number were members of minority groups. Women and children represent the fastest growing segment of the homeless population, and the total number of children experiencing homelessness in Minnesota, especially in the metropolitan area, has risen dramatically. Fifty percent of the homeless adults interviewed had no more than one of the identified potential barriers to employment, representing a decline in the number of homeless persons with more than one barrier to employment. Four appendixes provide detailed information on homelessness, including six detailed tables of information on homelessness. (Contains 120 tables.) (SLD)

Most of the studies of the return on investment in early childhood education have focused on the big payoffs in reduced public and societal costs associated with child welfare, public assistance, crime and incarceration, and benefits related to increased education and earnings. Several studies focus specifically on costs and benefits within the K-12 system, primarily measuring the effects of early childhood interventions on special education spending. This cost-benefit study focuses on the financial costs within the Minnesota K-12 system as a whole due to children entering kindergarten unprepared for school success. The study scope does not include costs or benefits for the child, family, or society. This study found the estimated cost burden to the Minnesota K-12 system due to children entering kindergarten unprepared for school success is about $113 million annually. An appendix containing tables and figures is included. (Contains 14 figures.) [This paper was prepared for the Bush Foundation. For the summary, see ED511611.]

This evaluation reports on a state program for foster care youth. Entitled the Support for Emancipation and Living Functionally (SELF), it is a county-implemented approach which seeks to develop and conduct services so as to help older adolescents who have been in substitute care prepare for the transition to independent living. The program was assessed through interviews with SELF Program coordinators and by quantitative measures. Some of the survey findings included the following: (1) Over 55 percent of the youth rated the quality of SELF-funded services "excellent," while an additional 30 percent rated it "very good"; (2) Program administrators praised the program's simplicity of procedures and paperwork, its flexibility in the use of funds, and its enhancement of county social workers' effectiveness; (3) Pre- and post-testing of clients showed statistically significant gains in self-esteem, as well as increases in the knowledge and skills needed for independent living; (4) Follow-up surveys indicated that 46 percent of SELF youth are employed and an additional 44 percent are enrolled in educational programs; and (5) A follow-up analysis of youth served with SELF funds during 1991 revealed that in the following year, 62 percent of males and 73 percent of females were not receiving public assistance. Seventeen tables provide statistical summaries. (RJM)

This report presents findings of a Minnesota study group which reviewed the costs and structures under which developmental disabilities services are provided. The group conducted a series of town meetings throughout the state and concluded with a toll-free call-in day. Six themes emerged from the meetings: (1) "We have a lot to be proud of and much remains to be done" (e.g., more support to families and improved coordination of services for children); (2) individualization (e.g., individuals and families want more decision making powers, and case managers are overworked); (3) staffing (poor pay and high turnover); (4) leadership and bureaucracy (there is too much red tape and too little attention to quality; (5) inequity of resources and inconsistencies in the system (too much inconsistency among counties and between rural and urban areas); and (6) community programs and support (waiting lists are long and there is a need for respite care services). Specific study group recommendations address: individual and family support, increased funding for community programs, renegotiation of waivers, array of available services, coordination, case management, alternative approaches to quality, quality assurance functions, planning data, and guardianship. (DB)

This monograph describes projects of the Minnesota Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities which focus on empowerment and self-advocacy for individuals with disabilities and their family members. Individual sections address: (1) Partners in Policymaking (an intensive course to train individuals with disabilities and family members to become community leaders); (2) Parents as Case Managers (projects which train parents for this role); (3) Personal Futures Planning (a group planning and support process to help an individual toward a better future); (4) the voucher system (in which families and individuals select among service options and are reimbursed with government money); (5) youth leadership (which fosters integrated friendships and develops leadership and self-determination skills); (6) People First (which uses a group format to teach self-advocacy skills); and (7) career vision (which focuses on identification of individual skills and goals and matching these with employment possibilities). Activities of the projects have included a survey of "best practices" in empowerment and self-advocacy, and establishment of contacts in each state with the developmental disabilities council, the university affiliated programs, and a major consumer/parent organization. (DB)

This 3-year plan for development of services for persons with developmental disabilities in Minnesota covers the period from October 1, 1991 to September 30, 1994. Such a plan is required under the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 1990. The plan's first section describes and defines developmental disabilities; cites the number of people with developmental disabilities in Minnesota; examines how disabilities affect the lives of individuals, families, and the community where they live; and notes the intended impact of federal assistance through the Developmental Disabilities Basic State Grant Program. Section 2 describes the mission, mandate, and membership of the Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities. Section 3 discusses the environment in which programs operate; the scope of services for people with developmental disabilities; and the state departments and agencies that affect them, such as the Minnesota Department of Jobs and Training and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. The fourth and fifth sections present the plan review process, state plan revisions, and assurances of compliance with federal legislation. (JDD)

This paper discusses the problems faced by Minnesota's Supporting Diversity in Schools organization in communicating their goal of making schools responsive to students of differing ethnic backgrounds. It was found that using terms such as "multicultural curriculum" and "isolation of schools and communities of color from one another," brought out different meanings. While some saw it as equal education with less ethnic bias, others saw it as the creation of special units of study, displays of artifacts, multicultural fairs, and shaded faces in textbooks. Also, people's points of view regarding how they see reality created problems in the sense that, while people of color saw a need for greater multicultural efforts in the schools, whites mostly did not. This disagreement caused a continual barrier to communication and sound problem solving. The dominance of whites in the community power structure limited decision making on issues relevant to racial equity and fostered continued isolation of white people from the issues and realities shared by people of color. To solve the communication dilemma, words that describe were substituted for words that label. Gaps in reality perceptions were narrowed through use of cultural artistic events and the use of incentives to encourage attendance. Finally, competent and informed people of color were used to head meetings and to act as liaisons in district staff discussions which helped to enrich the content and perspectives of these gatherings as well as to lessen the dominating influence of the white majority. (GLR)

The Limited English Proficient (LEP) Parent Involvement Project, a collaborative project between two state agencies, aims to help refugee and immigrant parents to be effective in their new American culture. Materials are provided that were developed for use in various adult education settings such as English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes, community-based organizations, and parent groups for the purposes of helping LEP parents and caretakers see themselves as active participants in their children's learning. The following goals guided the development of the materials: (1) build on what people already know from their experience as parents in their own countries; (2) help parents restore their visions of themselves as the first and primary teachers of their children; (3) create opportunities for parents to build bridges between experiences in their new and native countries; and (4) encourage parents to define and keep values and traditions that are meaningful parts of their cultures. This document includes the following four instructional modules: Building the New and Old Cultures; Schools Are Part of the Culture; Parents Are Teachers; and Discipline (who teaches children, problems and punishment, communication, praising and rewarding, and types of resources). The accompanying user's guide for the teacher or community worker includes an introduction to the modules, suggestions for getting started and lesson planning, and suggested activities. Contains 7 references. (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education) (LB)

Minnesota Statute 120B.365 established an Assessment Advisory Committee to advise the commissioner on statewide assessment issues. The committee may consist of up to 11 members. The Committee will make recommendations to the commissioner and/or the legislature about issues involving statewide assessment. This report briefly provides a background and a summary of the Assessment Advisory Committee's deliberations for the past 14 months. The Committee is chaired by the Director of State Assessments and meets approximately every 3 to 4 months. The Committee addressed many topics regarding assessment issues in Minnesota. The most important or significant included the purpose of the Minnesota Assessment System, assessing LEP/ELL students, use of technology in assessment, single reporting date for test scores and AYP results, the long range assessment plan through 2010, the transition to the MCA-IIs, the raising of graduation requirements, and value-added and growth models. The Committee made three recommendations on the following topics: (1) Long-range assessment plan; (2) Raising graduation requirements; and (3) Value-added models. This report summarizes the deliberations of the Assessment Advisory Committee as required by 120B.365.

This report summarizes Year One and Year Two study findings and describes findings from Year Three of the assessment of school readiness with a strategic sample of children entering kindergarten in fall 2004. It is the intent of the Minnesota School Readiness Studies to use results to inform school administrators and teachers; parents; early childhood education and care teachers, providers, and administrators; policymakers; and the public about progress towards the goals of ensuring that children are ready for school and schools are ready for children. It is expected that the results will promote children's learning and development over time by improving early childhood programs and services, better preparing schools to meet the needs of children as they enter school, and easing the transition for children and families from home to school. The information gathered to complete the studies' developmental checklists is a valuable resource to teachers in modifying curriculum, working with individual children in their classrooms, preparing for parent conferences, and identifying children eligible for Title I and other services. The Minnesota Work Sampling System (WSS)[R]Kindergarten Entry Developmental Checklist and Parent Survey are appended. (Contains 12 tables and 5 charts.)