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Children and youth in homeless situations, particularly unaccompanied youth and survivors of domestic violence, are at a high risk for experiencing violence and victimization. Frequently, unaccompanied youth become homeless after leaving abusive or destructive home environments. In turn, their homelessness, which often involves "couch surfing" or living on the streets, places them at risk of further victimization, including robbery and assault. Similarly, many survivors of domestic violence flee violent home environments only to find that their batterers continue to pursue them. Keeping their whereabouts secret is often a matter of life and death. By protecting confidential information, communicating with care and sensitivity, and building collaborations with community service providers and advocates, schools can play a pivotal role in protecting the safety of children and youth experiencing homelessness. It is important to remember that the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act requires the immediate enrollment of children and youth experiencing homelessness, even in the absence of records normally required for enrollment. School is the safest place to be for children who may be in danger. The checklist provided herein can be used to help make your school district a safe place. (Contains 3 endnotes.)

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, reauthorized as Title X, Part C, of the No Child Left Behind Act, requires schools to enroll homeless students immediately, even if they do not have the documents normally required for enrollment such as school records, medical records, proof of residency, or others. Unfortunately for many homeless students on the move, incomplete records often result in classroom/curriculum placements that promote frustration and result in failure. This document offers teachers, school counselors, and other school personnel valuable tools and information to assist in making sound educational decisions for immediate placement of homeless children and youth in appropriate classroom settings.

The process of immigrating to the United States is full of stressors, both prior to and after arrival, that are unique to immigrants. Even immigrants who are well-educated and professionally credentialed often experience an initial drop in their status and earnings while they improve their English skills, re-take courses, and pass licensing exams needed to practice in this country. This often leads to receiving low incomes, living in less than desirable neighborhoods and housing, and experiencing poor health. In addition, leaving family, friends, and familiar surroundings creates uncertainty and anxiety for immigrants who are attempting to assimilate into American society while trying to retain part of their own culture and heritage. Immigrant children are often in the center of a culture clash between their parents and the American way of life. Schools can serve as a stabilizer by easing the acculturation process and reducing academic and other barriers through the strategies listed in this paper. The behaviors and attitudes of school district personnel can have significant impact not only on the educational outcomes of students but on the entire family's assimilation into this country. (Contains 24 endnotes and lists 8 resources.)

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act defines "homeless children and youths" as "individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence." However, because the circumstances of homelessness vary with each family's or unaccompanied youth's situation, determining the extent to which the family or youth fits the definition must occur on a case-by-case basis. Enrollment staff and/or the local homeless education liaison must gather and analyze information from the family or youth and make an appropriate determination of eligibility. Expeditious determination of eligibility and immediate school enrollment are critical to the child's educational continuity. This tool is designed to assist school and school district staff in applying the definition to individual children and youth to determine eligibility for rights and services under the McKinney-Vento Act. (Contains 15 footnotes.)

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, reauthorized as Title X, Part C, of the No Child Left Behind Act, requires schools to enroll homeless students immediately, even if they do not have the documents normally required for enrollment such as school records, medical records, proof of residency, or others. Unfortunately for many homeless students on the move, incomplete records often result in classroom/curriculum placements that promote frustration and result in failure. This document offers teachers, school counselors, and other school personnel valuable tools and information to assist in making sound educational decisions for immediate placement of homeless children and youth in appropriate classroom settings.

This paper addresses some real assessment challenges that teachers have identified: (1) Figuring out what really is important for students to know and be able to do in history; (2) Teaching the skills of "doing history" in a world of testing that often seems to value only factual knowledge; (3) Identifying and using assessments that provide teachers with better information than only multiple-choice exams; (4) Getting students motivated to do a good job on essays and other written work; (5) Helping students learn to improve their own work and produce quality products; and (6) Holding students accountable for quality work as opposed to just turning in something. It is designed to get you ready to meet those challenges by helping you: (1) Understand the role of assessment in improving student learning; (2) Consider different learning outcomes for students in history and pick those that are most important for your students; (3) Determine some of the best ways of assessing student learning and tracking and evaluating their progress toward history outcomes; (4) Develop methods of scoring and grading students' work that will provide information and accountability; and (5) Integrate your assessment program with the statewide testing programs currently in place. (Contains 16 figures and 2 footnotes.)

Recruiting and retaining teachers and other personnel continues to be one of the most critical issues in rural schools. The need for teachers in the U.S. is expected to grow significantly as large numbers of teachers retire, many taking advantage of early retirement incentives. In searching for ways to meet new federal law requirements outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 regarding teacher quality, small and rural school districts will face pervasive recruitment and retention challenges as they struggle to compete in the teacher labor market. This toolkit is a response to the needs expressed by superintendents in the Rural School District Superintendents' Network at SERVE, a network of high-performing superintendents form the six-state SERVE region. While many topics are possible, six tools are included in the toolkit on critical areas that will enable small and rural school districts to address their personnel recruitment and retention issues. They are the following: (1) Recruitment Brochure Tool; (2) Assessment of Community Resources Tool; (3) Applicant Portfolio Review Tool; (4) Applicant Interview Tool; (5) Personnel Retention Checklist Tool; and (6) Personnel Exit Interview/Survey Tool. Each tool includes a brief description of its purpose, the premise on which it was developed, and procedures for using it effectively. A school district may choose to use the tools individually or collectively, based on circumstances specific to each district. However, the greatest success in addressing the district's recruitment and retention issues is more likely to occur if all six tools are integrated into district recruitment and retention practices and viewed and used as a system.

This publication concentrates on assessments that occur on a day-to-day basis within the science classroom. Such classroom assessments constitute an ongoing process in which teachers and students interact to promote enhanced student learning. This process involves using a variety of assessment strategies and tools to collect information about student learning and then using the data collected to diagnose learning problems, monitor student progress, or provide meaningful and timely feedback to students. Therefore, the main purpose of this publication is to promote an assessment process that enhances student achievement in science. Specifically, this publication was produced to help teachers: (1) clarify science learning targets for their students; (2) understand the range of assessment methods available to teachers and explore the alignment of these methods to learning targets; (3) analyze assessment information to determine individual student learning needs; (4) modify instructional and/or assessment practices to enhance student learning; and (5) reflect on current grading practices and determine if current methods accurately portray student achievement. (Contains 49 figures.)

Educational systems promote student growth in a variety of dimensions. Basic content knowledge can be effectively assessed with multiple-choice and completion tests. However educational reforms have become more concerned with higher-order cognitive dimensions (problem-solving, creativity), social dimensions (communication skills, ability to work in groups) and other dimensions (life-long learning). While they are objective and efficient, traditional assessment measures may not serve these kinds of goals as well as other types of measures. Before we can choose an accurate, efficient method of assessment, we must clearly understand the goals of science instruction. Do these goals encompass only the basic memorization of facts? If so, our traditional methods may be sufficient. If we wish to institute a science program that encourages dimensions that go beyond these basics, we will need to develop a repertoire of additional assessment methods. The organization of this manual is intended to aid teachers in developing expertise in identifying learning goals, choosing assessment methods, and communicating assessment results in such a way that student performance is enhanced. [This report was produced by the SERVE Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. For previous edition, see ED363622.]

A survey of 3,600 teachers by the National Center for Early Development and Learning (Pianta et al., 1999; NCEDL, 1999) found that teachers were concerned about children's transitions to school. Teachers reported that almost half (48 percent) of children entering kindergarten had moderate or serious problems adjusting to the new experience. These findings suggest that many children would benefit from additional support and resources during this period of transition. In order to address this critical need, SERVE has developed a set of training materials called "Planning for Terrific Transitions: A Guide for Transition-to-School Teams" to help all stakeholders effectively plan, implement, and evaluate their transition process. Topics include forming a comprehensive transitions team, conducting a needs assessment, conducting focus groups, and evaluating goals and strategies. The training focuses on a five-step transition improvement process that teams will use to begin improving their own transition systems. After the training, teams will continue their transitions improvement work and complete each step in the process. Materials for use "back on the job" are included in the participant's manual.

Teacher Growth and Assessment (TGA) is a comprehensive teacher evaluation system that includes structures for both accountability and professional growth, taking teacher evaluation to a new level. TGA provides the opportunity to use teacher evaluation data to plan professional development, involve teachers in self-assessment, and structure activities around expectations of performance. This is accomplished through two complementary phases: (a) summative and (b) formative. The summative phase establishes the process for accountability that ensures overall competency of the classroom teacher while also acknowledging those who meet or exceed state teaching standards within specific areas. Why engage in teacher evaluation? An effective system of teacher evaluation properly implemented can be a principal?s most powerful tool in fulfilling the role of instructional leader. The intent of this system of teacher evaluation is to provide principals with a tool to increase their own instructional leadership skills while guiding teachers in improving their practice.

This training is designed to help learners improve their transition processes through more effective planning, implementation, and evaluation. By the end of training, participants should be able to: (1) form a comprehensive transition team; (2) initiate a needs assessment process; and (3) explain how to conduct a focus group; (4) initiate a transition plan; (5) explain their role in transition implementation; and (6) plan for the evaluation of their transition goals and strategies. For much of this training, participants work as teams, bringing their own transition issues and needs to the training. The work in class will center on a five-step transition improvement process that teams will use to begin improving their own transition systems. The process takes into account the unique challenges of collaborating with a diverse set of team members, including early childhood staff, elementary staff, and parents. Back on the job, teams will "pick up" where this training leaves off, continuing their transitions improvement work and completing each step in the process. There are five modules, or "sessions," included in this training. Each session provides information gleaned from the transitions literature, opportunities for discussion, and practice exercises to help participants improve their transition programs on the job. By the end of training, participants will have several working documents to take back to the job for completion.

The purpose of this handbook, is to assist teachers in assessing their students in reading, regardless of the grade level or subject they teach. It is intended as a starting point on the journey to helping students become effective readers, regardless of the material they are reading. SERVE, one of the Regional Educational Laboratories, has adapted this handbook from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to complement SERVE's Competent Assessment of Reading (CAR) program. This handbook is aimed at improving the quality of the learner-teacher interactions found in the everyday assessment of reading in the classroom. It provides practical advice and reproducible tools for assessing reading in grades 3-12. The assessment tools in this handbook are designed to help teachers clarify and assess, for themselves and for their students, important targets for reading. The tools designed as formative assessments provide feedback to students and information about what further instruction students need in order to improve their reading. This handbook is divided into the following four sections: (1) Introduction; (2) Assessment Tools; (3) Conclusion; and (4) Additional Information.

Professional development research suggests that teachers learn best from and with each other in ongoing, job-embedded activities. "A Facilitator's Guide to Professional Learning Teams" provides a way of engaging school faculties in sustained, onsite professional development that builds capacity and collegiality, improves teaching quality, and focuses on student achievement. This practical "how-to" guide will provide facilitators with field-tested tools and procedures for establishing and maintaining professional learning teams in schools. Among the suggestions and resources the reader will find are ideas and activities for organizing Professional Learning Teams, analyzing data, setting goals, guiding teams through successful meetings, sustaining team momentum, and monitoring team progress and effectiveness.

The professional development CAR Toolkit is focused on the assessment of reading process at the text level, rather than at the word level. Most students in grades 3-6 generally need support in comprehending text, not just decoding words. While the assessment of reading methods in the CAR Toolkit will help teachers pinpoint difficulties at the word level, which is critical to being an effective reader, the RAT members felt that there are materials already available to teachers for this purpose. Instead, the CAR Toolkit engages teachers in thinking and acting through the assessment process in reading with appropriate assessments matched to the purpose of the intended learning. This process will reveal more than just word-level difficulties. It will provide ways to assess reading as a whole. In other words, it will help teachers to assess the complexities of reading that are generally associated with students in grades 3?6.

This document is a practical guide for designing principal-development programs. The target audience includes individuals involved in the design and implementation of principal-preparation and development programs, particularly at the school-district level. Chapter 1, "The Call for New School Leaders and Leadership Development," expresses the need for changing principal-development programs. Chapter 2, "A Brief History of the Duval County-SERVE Leadership Program," describes one particular program. Chapter 3, "Design and Management," presents considerations of the program plan, program content, and resources. Chapter 4, "Participants," examines issues of who will participate and how they will be recruited and selected. Chapter 5, "Content," describes a particular course of study adapted for a principal-preparation program. Chapter 6, "Delivery," examines various techniques that program planners can consider for presenting content to participants. Chapter 7, "Logistics," presents issues related to site, scheduling, materials, and communication. Chapter 8, "Evaluation," considers ways to determine the merit of a principal-development program as it relates to regulatory issues, participant growth, and school improvement. Chapter 9, "Lessons Learned," presents key points from the Duval County-SERVE program, along with other key practices. Each chapter contains guiding questions for program developers that imply a general framework while the answers provide site-specific details. (WFA)

Reducing the number of students in a class, especially in the early grades, is one approach educators have taken to improve student achievement. Class-size reduction programs have been implemented at the state, district, and individual school levels. This pamphlet defines class-size reduction, provides an overview of class-size reduction research, lets parents know what to expect from a class-size reduction program, and answers frequently asked questions. Suggestions for parent action are included in the pamphlet, and websites with additional information are listed. The pamphlet offers information for a variety of audiences, parents primarily, but also policymakers and state-, district-, and school-level educators. (Contains 25 references.) (KB)

This book is intended to provide the content and structure for a group study of reading and instructional practices that advance reading achievement. The book includes concise summaries of research that reflect sound practices in reading instruction and the most current understanding of the process of reading. It pulls together much of what has been learned in recent years about reading and the teaching of reading. In the book, teachers engage in discussions about this content--the best way to gain the most from it is to join together and organize joint study of the research findings and plan and conduct "experiments" to try out useful ideas. Activities in the book for collectively studying reading are designed to build a professional culture of collaboration among those who participate in the study. The book finds this "professional learning community" highly beneficial in implementing new practices and developing the school's capacity to become self-diagnosing and self-renewing. The dual purposes of the book are: to make the best available research on effective reading instruction accessible to teachers and administrators; and to guide and support teachers and administrators as they form a professional learning community through the study and application of effective reading instruction. Includes a glossary of relevant terms. An Appendix contains: Recommended Study-Team Session Structure; Discussion Questions; Follow-Up and Collective Action Activities; Designing Action Research Projects; Refining Lessons through Reteaching: The Plan-Teach-Revise Reteach Cycle; Analysis of Reciprocal Teaching Script; and Assigning Action Responsibilities. Contains an extensive, focused bibliography. (NKA)

With a continuing emphasis on improving student reading achievement across the nation, many elementary educators are exploring the idea of initiating a volunteer reading tutoring program. Although individuals associated with tutoring programs may think about implementation issues, often the focus is on program location, the recruitment and training of tutors, and the selection and scheduling of students--evaluation of a tutoring program is often forgotten. This guide focuses on tutoring through the lens of the national America Reads Challenge initiative, and it takes program implementation to a deeper level by examining volunteer transportation, tutor work ethic, and school expectations. The guide summarizes and synthesizes findings from evaluations and provides introductory information to funders, program coordinators and staff, school administrators, elementary teachers, and tutors about implementing and evaluating a volunteer reading tutoring program. It also provides evaluation results and accompanying conclusions from five America Reads tutoring programs as well as program evaluation recommendations. (Contains 30 notes and 13 tables.) (NKA)

This glossy folder is intended for parents to keep important papers related to their children's school. On the inside flaps of the folder are written in Spanish: (1) a list of suggested school-related papers that parents could keep in the folder; (2) a space for parents to write information about the schools their child has most recently attended; (3) lists of tasks for parents to perform when moving to a new place so their child can attend school; (4) information about children's rights related to attending school; and (5) information about the National Center for Homeless Education. On the back flap of the folder is printed a list of questions that parents can ask school personnel about programs and services offered at the school. (BC)

This Spanish-language brochure suggests that parents, schools, and community members may contact the National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE for information related to the education of homeless children. The brochure identifies some facts that parents in homeless families should know about their children's right to education. After noting that children are motivated in school when their parents show an interest in their school activities, the brochure also lists some questions that parents can ask school personnel about school programs and services. (BC)

An important challenge facing education today is the difference in academic achievement among students of different ethnic and racial backgrounds. This situation prompted a study to examine the impact of charter schools on North Carolina's white-minority achievement gap. Examination of test-score gaps between disadvantaged African-American minority and White students in regular North Carolina public schools provides a benchmark by which to examine the gap-reduction benefit of charter schools serving disadvantaged minorities. Because of the quantitative-descriptive research design used and variables such as poverty level, learning disabilities, and behavioral and emotional handicaps not controlled for, no inferences can be drawn from study results that charter schools reduce the achievement gap. Study results show that charter-school student achievement varies at least as widely as it does in regular district public schools. However, six charter schools demonstrated reduced achievement gaps, suggesting the need for further research, be done to explore why, and why at so few schools. No recommendations can be made to policymakers and practitioners at this time because of the exploratory nature of this study. The report includes 15 references, 2 figures, and 8 tables. (RT)