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Project EQuIPD--Engaging Quality Instruction through Professional Development--sought to establish and test for efficacy a professional development model to produce highly qualified teachers in STEM practices for all children, especially for students who are in traditionally underserved schools and districts within the State of Florida. The project did this by providing two years of intensive professional development that helped teachers use system thinking to infuse technology-based inquiry into their regular instructional practices. The project also prepared the teachers, using a train-the-trainer model, so that they could train other teachers and sustain the work moving forward. This brief provides a summary of key findings from the impact study of Project EQuIPD. If specific information on program implementation and on the impact study--including the methodology and detailed impact findings--can be found in the technical report, "Improving Teachers' Instruction: The Impact of Project EQuIPD. Final External Evaluation Report" (ED618488).

This report represents the final results of an evaluation of Project EQuIPD--Engaging Quality Instruction through Professional Development. The project provided two years of intensive professional development to help teachers learn to think more strategically about how to improve student outcomes using technology-based inquiry instruction. The project also prepared participating teachers to train their colleagues. Led by the University of Florida, Project EQuIPD was a three-year grant awarded through the U.S. Department of Education's Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) Program. The project was implemented in 121 schools in ten counties in Florida. The impact of the project was studied with a randomized controlled trial. Key findings from the evaluation include: (1) The program was able to implement all intended activities, modifying some of the delivery methods in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) On a survey, treatment teachers reported statistically significantly higher levels of knowledge and higher implementation of EQuIPD instructional practices than control teacher; (3) Observations of teachers' instruction showed no statistically significant overall differences between treatment and control teachers, although treatment teachers scored higher on implementation of inquiry practices than control teachers; (4) There was no significant difference in teacher retention or overall attendance between the treatment and control groups; and (5) There were no differences between treatment and control groups on overall measures of student achievement. The COVID-19 pandemic likely impacted the project's impacts and it is possible that results would have been different if the context had been different. [For the summary report, see ED626193.]

The College and Career Readiness Expansion project was a five-year, federally funded effort to implement early college strategies in comprehensive high schools. This report presents the results from a quasi-experimental impact study of the project and a mixed methods examination of its implementation. Results showed that the program increased the percentage of students on-track for college in 9th and 10th grade and expanded the number of students taking dual enrollment courses, although there was no positive impact on college credits earned in high school. The implementation study found that schools were created a more future-oriented culture.

Intentional and early collaboration between state and local leaders and state coordinators for homeless education is vital to developing solutions that ensure success in Career Technical Education (CTE) programs for learners experiencing homelessness. As many states anticipate the growing rates of homelessness to continue in the coming years, the need for partnerships between state and local leaders and state coordinators for homeless education is far greater in order to increase success for these learners. This resource identifies common barriers to high-quality CTE for learners experiencing homelessness and suggests strategies for how CTE and homeless education leaders can work together to build new opportunities for learners experiencing homelessness in their state to access and succeed in CTE programs.

Early colleges are an innovative model of schooling that combines high school and college. A 14-year, rigorous experimental study has been examining whether this model works. The study compares early college students who were accepted through a lottery to students who applied to early colleges but were not accepted through the lottery (the control group). This brief gives an overview of the early college model as implemented in North Carolina, the study's design, and the model's impacts on student outcomes. [This brief is based on the following peer-reviewed article: Edmunds, J.A., Unlu, F., Furey, J., Glennie, E., & Arshavsky, N. (2020) What happens when you combine high school and college? The impact of the early college model on postsecondary performance and completion. "Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis" (EJ1253291).]

This report presents the findings from an external evaluation of Project COMPASS, an effort by Wake Technical Community College to redesign community college online courses to improve outcomes, particularly for students of color. The evaluation used a randomized controlled trial in which students were randomly assigned to course sections taught by instructors trained in the project's instructional strategies (treatment instructors) or instructors who were not trained (control instructors). Treatment students were less likely to drop or withdraw from the course. Impacts differed by course with substantial positive impacts in one course and negative impacts in another. Findings on implementation suggest that higher levels of implementation of the targeted strategies were associated with better outcomes. Wake Tech also experienced institutional changes as a result of their participation in this project.

The STEM Early College Expansion Project is an effort to integrate STEM strategies with the early college model and implement this in comprehensive high schools. This report summarizes findings from two separate quasi-experimental impact studies of the model in Michigan and Connecticut. Results from Michigan showed statistically significant impacts on enrollment in college-level courses and on attainment of college credits. Treatment schools in Michigan also had descriptively lower dropout rates. The Connecticut impact study had challenges with the study design that resulted in an inability to make clear causal claims about the impact.

The purpose of the McKinney-Vento Act is to ensure that students experiencing homelessness have access to the education and other services they need in order to meet state academic achievement standards, and ultimately, to graduate prepared for college and career. Most homeless educators work one-on-one with homeless children, youth, their parents and guardians. Undoubtedly, their care in supporting students to enroll, attend and succeed in school is critical to the success of homeless students and the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program. However, most state and local educational agencies lack the capacity required to provide intensive case management to all homeless students. The demands and stresses of serving homeless students often put stakeholders in the position of constantly reacting to overwhelming, immediate needs. To turn the tide of overwhelming student needs and program responsibilities to a more proactive course of action, State Coordinators and their partners need to determine where local educational agencies (LEAs) and homeless education programs underperform, under identify, or under serve children and youth experiencing homelessness. In order to help states identify areas for improvement, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) commissioned the creation of a set of LEA workbooks and this manual to support the use of data by State Coordinators and other key stakeholders in the education of homeless students. Primarily, this manual will assist states in creating or adjusting measurable goals and related targets, as well as evaluating the overall effectiveness of activities conducted on the part of both school districts and the state homeless education program. These goals and measures can then be used to inform the development of state plans and annual workplans for state activities.

Because the needs of homeless children and youths are so extensive and varied, State educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) must become part of a system of services to ensure that these vulnerable children and youths can receive the support they need to attain an education. The McKinney-Vento Act, the Federal law that guarantees rights and services for homeless children and youths, includes SEA and LEA requirements for interagency collaboration. This brief helps SEA and LEA Education for Homeless Children and Youths (EHCY) program administrators understand the requirements in the McKinney-Vento Act related to collaboration. It also considers recommendations provided in the 2016 "Non-regulatory Guidance"; offers practical strategies to make collaborative efforts effective; and provides some basic tips drawn from EHCY State Coordinators and local liaisons along with links to resources.

This brief provides important information to service providers on the requirements under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (subsequently referred to in this brief as the McKinney-Vento Act), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The McKinney-Vento Act ensures educational rights and protections for homeless children and youth. The brief will enable service providers to understand: (1) Which children are eligible under the definition in the law; (2) What rights and services school districts provide; (3) How the law is implemented in school districts; and (4) How community agencies and school districts can coordinate services for homeless children and youth more effectively. [For a previous edition of this paper (January 2016), see ED574613.]

As originally conceptualized, Early Colleges were small schools focused purposefully on college readiness for all students. Frequently located on college campuses, Early Colleges targeted students who might face challenges in postsecondary education, including students who were the first in their family to go to college, economically disadvantaged students, English Language Learners (ELL), or students who are members of racial or ethnic groups underrepresented in college. The Early College Expansion Partnership (ECEP) is among the first large-scale effort to apply Early College strategies into comprehensive high schools. Supported by a $15 million grant from U.S. Department of Education's Investing in Innovation (i3) program, the ECEP was designed to increase the number of students graduating from high school prepared for enrollment and success in postsecondary education. The project sought to blend high school and college by applying strategies from the successful Early College high school model to 14 middle schools, 12 high schools, and two 6th-12th-grade schools in three districts in two states: Colorado and Texas. ECEP implemented an adapted version of the Early College High School Model. The program provided a set of services that supported implementation of a whole-school reform model emphasizing the creation of a college-preparatory school environment. A primary emphasis of the program was increasing the number of students who participated in college-credit-bearing courses while in high school. This report describes describes: (1) the district context in which the program was operating, documenting changes that occurred over the life of the grant; and (2) the implementation of the five "buckets" of implementation supports: (1) technical assistance to districts; (2) leadership coaching; (3) the Community of Practice; (4) instructional coaching; and (5) the i3 Cabinet. Each section begins with an overarching description of the common activities occurring across the three districts. This broader description is followed by district-specific write-ups that describe how the supports were adapted for the specific district context. Each section also includes a measure of the Fidelity of Implementation for that activity. Finally, each section concludes with a description of lessons learned, specific to that activity. The report concludes with a discussion around the extent to which the different supports will be able to be sustained after the grant ends and a synthesis of lessons learned from this work and includes participants' recommendations around how to replicate this work in other settings. [For the companion report, "Transforming Comprehensive High Schools into Early Colleges: The Impacts of the Early College Expansion Partnership," see ED618202.]

As originally conceptualized, Early Colleges were small schools focused purposefully on college readiness for all students. Frequently located on college campuses, Early Colleges targeted students who might face challenges in postsecondary education, including students who were the first in their family to go to college, economically disadvantaged students, English Language Learners (ELL), or students who are members of racial or ethnic groups underrepresented in college. The Early College Expansion Partnership (ECEP) is among the first large-scale effort to apply Early College strategies into comprehensive high schools. Supported by a $15 million grant from U.S. Department of Education's Investing in Innovation (i3) program, the ECEP was designed to increase the number of students graduating from high school prepared for enrollment and success in postsecondary education. The project sought to blend high school and college by applying strategies from the successful Early College high school model to 14 middle schools, 12 high schools, and two 6th-12th-grade schools in three districts in two states: Colorado and Texas. ECEP implemented an adapted version of the Early College High School Model. The program provided a set of services that supported implementation of a whole-school reform model emphasizing the creation of a college-preparatory school environment. A primary emphasis of the program was increasing the number of students who participated in college-credit-bearing courses while in high school. This report describes the approach used to assess student impacts and to track changes over time; uses survey and site visit data to describe key changes that have been made at the district and school levels; presents the impact estimates for the core student-level outcomes; places the findings in context and discusses the broader implications of this work; and summarizes the overall findings. [For the companion report, "Implementation Supports of the Early College Expansion Partnership," see ED618696.]

Homelessness often is accompanied by poverty, stress, and instability. As a result, children and youth in homeless situations frequently must overcome many educational challenges; yet for children and youth experiencing homelessness, school provides stability, support, and hope for the future. Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, reauthorized in 2015 by Title IX, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act, guarantees educational rights and supports for students experiencing homelessness, and seeks to remove any barriers these students may face in succeeding in school. Under the McKinney-Vento Act, every local educational agency (LEA) must appoint a local homeless education liaison. The local liaison serves as the district's lead homeless education contact, and is required to fulfill the duties of the position as established in the Act [42 U.S.C. § 11432(g)(6)(A)]. This brief explores those duties and suggests strategies for their implementation.

Homelessness often is accompanied by poverty, stress, and instability. As a result, children and youth in homeless situations frequently must overcome many educational challenges. The McKinney-Vento Act requires local educational agencies (LEAs, hereafter "school districts") to identify children and youth experiencing homelessness, and connect them with educational and other needed supports. The Act also requires every school district to designate an appropriate staff person, known as the local homeless education liaison, (hereafter "local liaison"), who is able to carry out the duties of the position as described in the law. A local liaison who has the knowledge, skills, time, and authority to carry out the position is key to ensuring that children and youth experiencing homelessness receive all protections and services necessary for them to succeed in school. This brief will help school district administrators understand the duties of the local liaison, select a local liaison who is able to perform effectively in the position, and provide the local liaison with the support needed to fulfill the responsibilities of the role.

The process of immigrating to a new country and acclimating to its culture can be stressful. Leaving family, friends, and familiar surroundings creates uncertainty and anxiety for immigrants attempting to assimilate into American society while trying to retain part of their own culture and heritage. Even immigrants with extensive professional experience in their own countries may need to improve their English language skills, re-take courses, and pass additional licensing exams to practice in this country. In the interim, lower incomes may result in living in less desirable housing, experiencing housing instability, or even living in situations that meet the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless. According to the U.S. Department of Education (ED), there are more than 840,000 immigrant students enrolled in U.S. schools. This brief aims to help local liaisons for homeless education and other school personnel identify, enroll, and serve immigrant students in public schools; refer them to additional community services, as needed; and help them transition to higher education.

The number of students identified as homeless and enrolled in schools increased by 3.5% over a three-year span during the 2012-2013 to 2014-2015 school years (National Center for Homeless Education [NCHE], 2016). The education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended in December 2015 by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), includes a new requirement for school counselors to support students experiencing homelessness in their college and career readiness. In their roles, school counselors can identify and facilitate services and coordinate programs and interventions to support the college and career preparation and transition for students experiencing homelessness. In order to equip school counselors to meet this new requirement and to contribute to the overall success of students experiencing homelessness, this research summary provides an overview of the research, issues, and practices related to secondary school counselors' roles in supporting students experiencing homelessness in their postsecondary planning.