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This policy brief presents a professional consensus regarding the dimensions of teaching quality and the issues that need to be addressed if California is to ensure high quality instruction for all students. It is based on the work of an expert panel of education stakeholders who reviewed research, met with outside experts, and discussed in depth the issue of teaching quality. The brief summarizes current research, as well as the panel's definition of and perspective on teaching quality. First, the brief discusses prevailing perspectives on teaching quality and related research. Then, the brief discusses the panel's conclusions regarding the development of a quality-based teacher development system. (Contains 27 notes.)

The "Teaching and California's Future" initiative was created a decade ago to strengthen the teaching profession in California. This brief summary is based on the latest research for the initiative, covered in depth in the full report for 2007. The authors argue that California policymakers need to expand their focus from the quantity of teachers to the quality of teaching, building a system that produces and supports the kind of quality teaching necessary to prepare students to succeed in an economy based on knowledge and skills. Includes six fact sheets to illuminate the state's teaching force and the changes necessary to improve it: (1) What's Considered "Most Important" in Hiring Teachers?; (2) Student Achievement: The Search for Proficiency; (3) Underprepared Teachers: The Number Continues to Decline; (4) Distribution Still Unfair: Least Prepared Teachers Face Neediest Students; (5) Warning Signs: Retirements Looming and Teacher Production Down; and (6) Teaching Quality: California's Reality. (Contains 10 figures.) [This report was produced in part by the Office of the Chancellor of California State University and The Office of the President of the University of California. Research conducted by SRI International. For full report, see ED499211.]

This seventh annual report examines the status of the teaching profession in California. These reports are meant to provide California policymakers with objective and timely data on the state's teacher workforce. Chapter 1 reviews student achievement trends in the state and then provides an overview of federal and state policies, including highlights from this year's budget and legislation. Chapter 2 examines current trends in the supply, demand, and distribution of teachers. Chapter 3 provides details on the impact of recent policy changes on the teacher development system, and Chapter 4 highlights themes that emerge from the new policies and programs and assesses the adequacy of the state's efforts. Chapter 5 provides recommendations for next steps to ensure that the state continues to build on the efforts begun this year. Appended are: (1) Source and Technical Information for Selected Exhibits; and (2) NCLB Compliant and Noncompliant California Credentials. [For the 2004 edition of this report, see ED483256.] (Contains 49 exhibits and 23 footnotes.)

This policy brief examines the professional development and support that teachers receive to help them work with students with special needs. In a survey commissioned by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, 88% of all California teachers reported having special education students in their classes, yet only 30% reported having adequate training to effectively teach those students. By failing to support and sustain a cohesive teacher development system that targets the needs of all teachers, including those serving special education students, California is falling short of ensuring that these students have adequate and equitable opportunities for educational success. Although California has begun to move in the right direction by including special education teachers in a few major reform efforts, much more needs to be done, including: (1) Revise the "Standards for the Teaching Profession" to better align with what teachers should know and be able to do to work successfully with special education students; (2) Establish mentor teacher resource lists at each Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) in order to match underprepared teachers with support providers experienced in the field of special education; and (3) Include the percentage of underprepared, intern, and novice special education teachers in reports on the make-up of the teacher workforce. (Contains 2 endnotes.)

This policy brief presents a strong case for the creation of a statewide teacher data system in California by highlighting some of the simple teacher workforce questions that cannot be answered because such a system does not currently exist. At the state level, data on teacher qualifications are needed to fulfill the new reporting requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the recent Williams lawsuit settlement. At the county and district levels, local officials need reliable data to monitor the match between teachers' assignments and their credentials, understand what attracts teachers to the profession, and determine what contributes to their decision to leave it. State and local decision-makers need good data on the make-up of the K-12 teacher workforce. But in order to get this information, the state's teacher data system needs to be redesigned. The existing system also makes it difficult for local education agencies to compile data for reporting required under NCLB. This policy report pinpoints two primary and related problems representing deficiencies of California's available data: (1) Fragmented responsibility for collecting and reporting teacher data; and (2) Lack of a commonly used unique teacher identifier to allow linkage across data systems. The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning offers the following seven recommendations: (1) A common identifier, such as teacher Social Security Number (SSN) or another unique teacher identifier should be used by all relevant agencies to enable longitudinal analysis and linkage across datasets; (2) An independent organizational structure should be adopted at the state level to oversee the teacher data system and ensure accuracy, validity and appropriate access over time; (3) Data collected by different agencies and/or organizations such as CCTC, CDE, STRS and statewide teacher programs should be merged on a regular, timely basis; (4) Analyses of the data in the teacher data system should be performed annually on a specified time line and made available to policy-makers and the public; (5) Measures to ensure access to the data for legitimate research should be established; (6) A regular system of accounting for data accuracy should be established to ensure that data and subsequent analyses are reliable; and (7) Standards should be developed and used across all involved agencies to protect teacher privacy and ensure appropriate uses of the data system for the purposes of evaluating programs and policies. The brief concluded by noting that an overhaul of California's teacher information system is long overdue. NCLB has presented the state with an opportunity to rethink the current system and redesign it to meet new federal reporting requirements.

California's students are failing to make the grade in mathematics. A recent study released by the RAND Corporation found that California's eighth grade students ranked 43rd on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics tests. A study conducted by the California State University system found that only 55% of high school juniors are prepared to enroll in college-level mathematics courses. In 2004, 82% of students scored below proficiency on the California Standardized Test in Algebra I (tested in grades 8-11). And in 2003-2004, more than a quarter of all students taking the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) failed to pass the mathematics section of the test. Sections in this CenterView include: Poor Performance on High Stakes Math Tests; The Teaching Crisis in Algebra; Bulging Enrollment in Middle and High Schools + Existing Teacher Shortages + Accelerating Student Academic Standards = Increasing Demand for Skilled and Knowledgeable Math Teachers; Considerations for Policy-Makers; and The Center View: Establish Summer Mathematics Institutes; Begin by Serving 8th Grade Algebra I Teachers.

During the 2004-05 school year, SRI International, an independent research firm, launched a fourth comprehensive round of data collection. They conducted analyses of statewide teacher data to follow trends in teacher distribution over time and to document changes in California's teacher development policies and programs. They also collected original data in four teacher labor markets, visiting multiple districts in the same geographical region that draw on a common pool of teachers. In a total of 10 districts, they interviewed district officials, school administrators, and other school site leaders to determine how access to and use of available labor market data, formal policies (e.g., collective bargaining agreements, salary schedules), and practices (e.g., working conditions, instructional support) affect the hiring, distribution, and assignment of teachers at both the district and school levels. In addition, they interviewed teachers to learn how they chose their district and school and received their teaching assignments, and what kind of instructional supports are available to them. They also examined key contextual factors in each site, including local responses to the Williams settlement and the impact of NCLB on hiring and assignment practices. Lastly, They reviewed collective bargaining agreements (from the 10 case study districts and 7 of the 10 largest districts in the state) and interviewed union leaders in the case study districts to understand transfer and assignment policies. The findings from these data collection efforts are the basis for this report. The following are appended: (1) Teacher Development Policies; (2) Technical Information for Selected Exhibits; (3) Data Collection Methods and Analyses; and (4) Teacher Assignment Policies. (Contains 41 exhibits.) [Additional funding provided by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and Washington Mutual.]

One area of research that has important implications for improving the education of students at risk of academic failure is concerned with resilient students, or those students who succeed in school despite the presence of adverse conditions. In education, conceptual and empirical work on resilience has gained recognition as a framework for examining why some students are successful in school, while others from the same socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds and communities are not. Such a framework could be useful in helping educators design more effective educational interventions that take into account alterable factors that distinguish resilient students from nonresilient students. The purpose of this report is to explain how a focus on educational resilience might lead to improvements in the education of students at risk of academic failure. Issues related to the definition of resilience are discussed, and several resilience studies that have helped to develop the field are reviewed. Recent studies in the area of educational resilience are examined, specifically those that focus on the differences between resilient and nonresilient students, their family environment, and their perceptions of the classroom and school environment. The final section of the report discusses implications for educational practice and research. (Contains 61 references.) (SLD)

This statewide public opinion survey highlights new information about the priorities of Californians, their attitudes about spending on education, their opinions about key issues such as teacher qualifications, and priorities for the steps the state should take to improve its system of public education. The survey shows Californians believe that education is the top priority for the state to address right now, and that the public supports spending more, not less, on improving public education. Californians want the state to spend more on schools, not less, and equalize the resources between wealthy and poor schools. They want the state to invest in teachers, whom they believe are underpaid. They have no tolerance for any lessening of the requirements for earning a teacher's credential and would continue to invest in the professional development of experienced teachers to make them more effective.

As California has struggled through economic and policy shifts, the "Teaching and California's Future" initiative has worked to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the system of teacher development in the state and to provide policymakers with the data they seek to inform their decisions in strengthening schools. During the 2002-03 school year, SRI International launched a third comprehensive round of data collection. This work included a statewide survey of a representative sample of K-12 teachers, focusing on teachers' preparation, job search, induction, workplace support, and professional development. To complement the statewide data gathered through the survey, SRI conducted in-depth case studies of four local systems of teacher development. The local system of teacher development includes the organizations and programs that serve both teachers in the workforce and individuals preparing to enter teaching. Each local system studied typically included four schools, a central office, and the surrounding teacher preparation programs, county offices, and other providers of support to teachers. The findings from these data collection efforts and from continued analysis of secondary databases in the state constitute the bulk of this report. This document includes the main research findings of Teaching and California's Future and the detailed recommendations. This report is organized into five chapters. The first addresses the status of the teacher workforce, with a focus on shifts in the number and distribution of underprepared teachers. The second tracks the system of teacher preparation, including an extensive analysis of alternative pathways into the teaching profession. The third describes the study's findings on the system of induction into the profession for new teachers. The fourth concentrates on the professional development system. The final chapter summarizes the findings and includes recommendations. The three appendices provide information on data collection methods and analyses, technical information for figures and tables found in Chapters 2 through 5, and supplemental figures for Chapter 2. (Contains 34 figures and 6 tables.

In this report on California's teaching force, the authors make two main points: (1) The state needs but does not yet have a system of teacher development that ensures that all who enter the classroom have the knowledge and skills they need to get their students to reach the academic standards the state has set; and (2) The existing distribution of teachers is unfair: the students who live in California's poorest communities, who are in need of the best teachers, are assigned to teachers who are the least prepared to meet their needs. The report is a brief summary of a longer report of substantial new research that examines the size, distribution, preparation, induction, and professional training of California teachers. [This report was produced in part by the Office of the Chancellor of California State University and by the Office of the President of the University of California. It is based on "The Status of the Teaching Profession 2003: Research Findings and Policy Recommendations." Additional funding provided by Washington Mutual. For full report, see ED499333.]

Because California lacks a statewide teacher data system, serious gaps in the collection, use, and availability of teacher workforce data compromise efforts to plan and monitor the workforce at both the state and local levels, leaving policymakers and education officials with little in-depth understanding of the current shortage of qualified teachers, the inequitable distribution of fully qualified teachers, or a clear picture of future workforce needs. This policy brief is based on the experience and insight gained by The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning and SRI International in their joint efforts to document the status of the teaching profession in California and related public policy issues. The intent of this policy brief is to call attention to simple, straightforward ways in which the current system of data collection can be improved to provide answers to policymakers' most pressing questions about the teacher workforce. The brief illustrates how the existing data system can be made more efficient and effective, and it proposes how high-quality data required to answer relevant questions from policymakers and the public can be made available in a way that protects individual privacy. (Contains 2 exhibits.)

This report examines factors that must be considered in the development of effective educational programs that serve Hispanic students. The educational crisis facing Hispanic students has been discussed at length at local, state, regional, and national levels, and a number of reports have documented problems confronting these students. This report provides a synthesis of research on the education of Hispanic students, summarizing these problems and suggesting possible solutions. The report is divided into five sections. The first section discusses factors in the education of Hispanics. The second highlights the educational status of Hispanic students in the United States. The third examines factors associated with the underachievement of Hispanic students, with particular focus on the following: lack of qualified teachers to teach them, the use of inappropriate teaching practices, and at-risk school environments. The fourth section spotlights factors associated with the success of Hispanic students and provides a brief summary of instructional strategies and programs that have been found to significantly improve their achievement in school. The fifth section examines how current knowledge of such practices and programs can inform educational policy and practice regarding teacher education and professional development and guide future research. (Contains 78 references.) (SM)

This longitudinal study examined the education of language minority students in five school districts nationwide. Qualitative data included interviews, school visits, surveys, and source documents. Quantitative data included information from registration centers, language minority student databases, student information systems databases, testing databases, and other federal and state reporting databases. Overall, the districts have attempted to address the dimensions of the Prism Model of Language Acquisition for School (Thomas & Collier in Ovando & Collier, 1998) as they continue to improve programs for English language learners (ELLs). This model emphasizes four developmental processes that students experience through K-12 sociocultural, linguistic, cognitive, and academic processes. Findings demonstrate the importance of providing a socioculturally supportive school environment for language minority students that allows natural language, academic, and cognitive development to flourish in the native and second language. Findings note that each school context is different, and significant elements within each context can strongly influence students' academic achievement. Bilingually schooled students outperform monolingually schooled students in all subjects after 4-7 years of bilingual education. Short-term programs are not sufficient for ELLS with no English proficiency. The strongest predictor of L2 achievement is amount of formal L1 schooling. (Contains 24 references.) (SM)

This report examines 21 case studies of schools where leaders took proactive steps to improve relations among different racial/ethnic groups. Among the dilemmas they encountered were staff issues (differential treatment based on race) and student issues (the composition of ethnic clubs). Roots of racial/ethnic conflict included segregation, racism, socialization, and inequality. By taking a proactive stance and monitoring subtle tensions, the leaders avoided such conflict. Before school leaders can develop plans to improve racial/ethnic relations, they must consider their school's context and how it affects human relations. All 21 schools benefitted from at least some contextual supports that made the development of positive intergroup relations easier. The leaders had very different priorities depending on their contexts and needs they identified as most salient. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is useful for reflecting the progression that schools followed in their quest to develop students' fullest potential (meeting students' physical needs, ensuring student safety, and emphasizing the higher order needs of community and belonging, self-esteem, and achieving potential). This report describes how one urban elementary school built its community. It concludes by discussing how to communicate success in human relations. (Contains 12 references and 4 appendices: "Contextual Constraints,""Contextual Supports,""District Supports," and a "List of Schools in the Study.") (SM)

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence that participation in a two-way bilingual elementary program has had on former program participants' language and achievement outcomes; current schooling path and college plans; and attitudes toward school, self, and others. Study participants were current high school students who were enrolled in a two-way immersion program during elementary school. Participants (n=142) were categorized into 3 ethnic/language groups: Hispanic previous English language learning (ELL) students (66%), Hispanic native English speakers (20%), and Euro American students (13%). Results suggest that most students valued their bilingualism and were still using Spanish, had very positive attitudes toward school and attending college, believed they would not drop out of school, and gave very high marks to the two-way program. Few ethnic/language differences were found, with the exception that the program was evaluated much more favorably in some areas by Hispanic students compared to Euro students, with Hispanic former ELL students typically providing the highest ratings. The student questionnaire is appended. (Contains 19 references.) (Author/KFT)

Sociocultural theory emphasizes the social nature of learning and the cultural-historical contexts in which interactions take place. Thus, teacher-student interactions and the relations that are fostered through these contexts play an especially vital role in student achievement. It has been argued that culturally responsive instruction can have a positive impact on interactions between teachers and students. This paper explores the effect of sociocultural factors on the relationships and interactions between Latino students and 32 Latino teachers and paraeducators. Findings suggest that knowledge of students' culture and communities, their primary language, and the interactional styles with which they are familiar facilitates meeting their academic and social needs. Findings also suggest that school roles shape interactions, and that teachers and paraeducators focus on different aspects of children's development. The term paraeducator is used to describe school personnel hired to assist students directly in the classroom. It is concluded that school contexts must afford diverse students opportunities to utilize the resources they bring to the classroom by validating those resources and creating learning contexts that tap into them. The idea is not new, but putting it into practice has proved difficult. (Contains 37 references.) (KFT)

Researchers studied classroom instruction and student learning among fourth and fifth graders from three schools with large proportions of impoverished students and English Language Learners (ELLs). Teachers selected three resilient students (with high achievement, good attendance, and high motivation) and three non-resilient students. Classroom observations were conducted, and students and teachers completed questionnaires and interviews. Overall, the instructional context or culture permeating most classrooms was the teacher-directed, whole-class model, even though teachers considered it the least effective instructional approach for both groups. There was very little teacher-student interaction. Teachers easily identified behavior patterns that distinguished resilient from non-resilient students (self-esteem, self-motivation, and parent involvement). Resilient students were on-task significantly more often than non-resilient students. They perceived a more positive instructional learning environment, were more satisfied with their curriculum, and had higher reading self-concepts than non-resilient students. Non-resilient ELLs had more difficulty with their classwork than resilient ELLs. The intellectual level of the curriculum was low, and the culture of the classroom focused on getting work done rather than culturally relevant learning. The curriculum emphasized low levels of learning in order to prepare students to answer questions on state-mandated assessment tests. (SM)

This report discusses findings from a study that examined issues surrounding the collaborative relationship between Latino paraeducators and the classroom teachers with whom they worked. Specifically, the study examined the types of activities that the paraeducators engaged in, the input they had in classroom instructional activities, the assistance they received from teachers and others, and the factors that detracted from or fostered collaborative relationships. The 32 participants in the study were drawn from two large Southern California public elementary schools that serve primarily working class Latino limited English speaking students. Findings reveal that a lack of interaction between teachers and paraeducators allowed little time for paraeducators to ask questions of the teachers or for the teachers to assist the paraeducators in the development of effective teaching strategies. Both parties indicated that more opportunities for interaction would be beneficial. It was also found that school cultures are not structured to support collaboration between teachers and paraeducators, and that a hierarchical structure of social relations prevailed in the teacher-paraeducator relationship. A critical finding is that teachers are not aware that paraeducators possess a knowledge of the students' culture and community that is essential for tapping into students' prior knowledge and interests. (Contains 45 references.) (KFT)

Language minority students, including immigrants and their American-born children, may have to contend with a mismatch between the language and the culture of their schools and those of their homes and communities. To broaden the base of support for these students and to help address their academic needs appropriately, some schools have been partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs). This report outlines findings from a study of school/CBO partnerships that promote the academic achievement of language minority students. It describes the type of CBOs that partner with schools, the ways the partners work together, and the work they do. Crucial elements of program success are discussed, as well as the challenges that partnerships may face. The following recommendations for developing effective partnerships came from partnerships described in this report. Partnership recommendations include assuring that potential partners are fully committed to the partnership and maintaining communication among partners. Program recommendations are threefold: ensure strong leadership at the program level; start small and build up carefully; and be on the look out for new opportunities. Finally, two important dimensions of successful partnerships deserve more scrutiny: the contributions of staff members who share the clients background, and the effects of partnership and program plasticity and the need to find the right balance between consistency and flexibility. (Contains 13 references.) (Author/KFT)

Elementary two-way immersion (TWI) programs continue to proliferate throughout the United States, but the number of successfully implemented secondary TWI programs remains small. Many districts with TWI cohorts that are reaching the upper elementary grades must now make complex decisions about whether and how to extend their programs into middle school and high school. For this report, telephone interviews were conducted with project coordinators from seven schools that have secondary TWI programs; the information presented is anecdotal and self-reported. The number of secondary TWI programs in operation is small, and there is no existing research base evaluating their effectiveness. Responses provide a preliminary sense of the key challenges confronting TWI programs operated above the elementary level along with some experience-based options for meeting these challenges. Issues addressed include the following: program planning; language distribution, curriculum, and materials; student participation and motivation; attrition and late entries; student scheduling; teams, clusters, and houses; staffing; transportation; and parent involvement. A general overview of each problem is included. (Author/KFT)

This study investigated the effects of two instructional components, literature logs and instructional conversations, on the story comprehension and thematic understanding of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners. Subjects were 5 teachers and 116 fourth- and fifth-grade students; slightly over half were ESL learners in their first or second year of English language arts. The five teachers had completed training in literature log use and instructional conversation. Students were randomly assigned to one of four groups: literature log only; instructional conversations only; literature logs plus instructional conversations; and control. Posttests found significant differences among treatment groups. Student in the literature logs group and literature logs plus instructional conversations groups scored significantly higher than the control group on story comprehension. Students in all three treatment groups were significantly more likely to show understanding of the story themes than the control group. Combined effects of literature logs and instructional conversations on students' essays about a story theme varied by language proficiency: for limited-English-proficient students, the combined effects were greater than for either treatment alone. For fluent English-proficient students, combined effects were not significantly greater. (Contains 39 references.) (MSE)

This report describes a multi-year transitional program designed to move limited-English-speakers in the elementary grades into mainstream classroom instruction, focusing on the study of literature as a central strategy. The program is designed to challenge students academically, be comprehensive, provide continuity, and build explicit connections between students' existing knowledge and experiences and the academic curriculum. An overview of the program's design is given, and instructional components and strategies of the language arts program are described. A sample literature unit based on one text is detailed, illustrating the use of the four major strategies. Results of a program evaluation indicating the positive impact of the transitional program are outlined. Contains 42 references. (MSE)

This document summarizes findings from a 1998-99 study of teacher development that investigated California's challenge to provide high quality teachers for all students. California's set of standards to improve education for all requires that all students have qualified teachers. In order for California's move toward academic excellence to succeed, it must simultaneously increase the quality and quantity of the teacher workforce. To address this challenge, a coalition of stakeholders came together to search for solutions. This document summarizes findings from the study and presents recommendations of the state task force. It discusses the supply of and demand for qualified teachers; distribution of unqualified teachers; the system of preparing qualified teachers; support for beginning teachers; teacher professional development; and state and district support. Results find that California has been aggressively developing and implementing many new programs to address professional development needs, but it has not created a system that supports the kind of teacher learning and professional growth that translates into excellence. Most schools and districts provide inadequate supports and incentives to allow teachers to enhance their own learning. Too many teachers work in conditions that inhibit professionalism. An appendix presents data collection methods and analysis. (Contains approximately 85 references.) (SM)

While California has frameworks defining what concepts are necessary for understanding science, math, history-social science, and other disciplines, there has been no such framework for technology. The framework presented in this paper proposes a strategy for thriving in a future that will be strongly influenced by technology. That strategy is based on a contextual approach to understanding technology. The framework presents a hierarchy of understanding from the concrete mechanics of operation up to key concepts that endure across generations of technology and to essential questions that guide the learning process. It is complemented by a lesson plans document (available online at KnowledgeContext.org) that implements the framework approach in detail. This paper puts the California Science Framework (1990) into context and discusses drivers of technological development. It presents a hierarchy of the essential questions, key concepts, and mechanics for understanding technology and outlines benefits of this conceptual and contextual approach to understanding technology. Essential questions that are at the root of the Technology Framework are identified, and are then mapped to key concepts of technology. (AEF)

In cooperative learning environments, small groups of students work together to accomplish specific pedagogical tasks, and teachers act as facilitators. One highly significant characteristic of cooperative learning that has received little consideration so far is the shift in the participation frame that takes place when students are left alone to work on classroom tasks rather than having the teacher direct the learning process. Students are free to take their own time to work out their learning strategies, and they rely on peer group processes both to establish collaboration and guide their own learning. It is in such exchanges that learning processes can be made into observable activities. Central to the case studies described in this report is the fact that everyday informal conversational exchanges play an essential role in group processes, where one speaker is given primary rights of speaking, but where participants must compete for the floor and cooperate in achieving shared communicative tasks. The cases presented here are drawn from the Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) database, which includes approximately 200 hours of 90-minute video recordings collected through ethnographic field work in third and fourth grade bilingual classrooms over a period of 3 years. The focus is on in-depth conversational and interactional sociolinguistic analysis of selected excerpts that illustrate key learning and teaching issues that arise in cooperative learning situations in monolingual and bilingual classrooms. (Contains 27 references.) (Author/KFT)

The effect of testing accommodations, such as extra time, oral reading of the assessment, or small group testing, on the participation and performance levels of limited-English-proficient students (LEP) on the Rhode Island Grade 4 Mathematics Performance Assessment was studied. A pilot study was conducted with 22 classes of students to provide preliminary evidence of the relative validity of both the performance assessment and the traditionally used Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT) for language-minority students in comparison with general education students. The statewide data show a clear increase in the number of LED and special education students participating in the performance assessment compared to those who took the MAT. This was probably a result of the availability of accommodations or the test instructions, which stressed full inclusion. Accommodations consistently raised the relative position of LEP and special education students compared to their position on the MAT in the past. In the operational statewide assessment there was no way to evaluate the validity of the achievement gains associated with the use of accommodations, but for the most part the level of gain appeared reasonable. In the pilot sample, teachers' mathematics grades and teachers' standards-based ratings in mathematics could be used as validity criteria to evaluate the performance assessment and the MAT. Evidence supports the validity of the tests for general education students and for language-minority students, but is not as strong for the validity for LEP students. For a first effort, the inclusion of LEP students in the Rhode Island fourth-grade assessment appears to have been reasonably successful. An appendix discusses method to evaluate differential item functioning. (Contains 13 tables, 17 figures, and 19 references.) (SLD)

This research report argues for viewing the complex, often messy process of school reform implementation as a "conditional matrix" coupled with qualitative research. As illustration, two studies (of six reform efforts in one county and of implementation of an untracking program in Kentucky) are reported. Preliminary analysis reveals that the reform implementation process is marked by several important considerations: (1) reform efforts in schools do not succeed on simple technical considerations alone, nor in a linear fashion; (2) consequences of actions taken in one context become the conditions for actions taken in other contexts, as part of a complex dynamic shaped by the structural and cultural features of school and society; (3) the implementation process is viewed differently from different perspectives; (4) school culture mediates educators' actions and structural constraints; and (5) school site educators do not respond to design team or government actions passively and automatically. The actions of educators in Kentucky and Florida in the face of state mandates suggest that the way in which power is interpreted must be examined as well as the way in which it is imposed. Contains 39 references. (MSE)

The design and effectiveness of the Amigos program, a two-way Spanish-English bilingual immersion program in Cambridge (Massachusetts) are described. In the program, half the instruction is in English, half in Spanish from kindergarten through eighth grade. Half the students are native Spanish-speakers and half are native English-speakers. The report begins with a description of the program's design, then presents two brief case studies of two native Spanish-speaking program graduates, including comments from interviews. The bulk of the report consists of the results of an attitude survey administered to all students in 1996 and of standardized tests of English and Spanish skills, including reading and mathematics subscales from 1990-91 through 1996-97. It is concluded that both native English-speaking and native Spanish-speaking groups are approaching balanced skills in the two languages in reading and math, and are gaining appreciation and knowledge of the others' cultures. Contains 22 references. (MSE)

Early observations of 13 culturally and linguistically diverse elementary schools, each of which is implementing one of six internally-developed school restructuring designs, are reported here. The schools are all located in one demographically diverse county, and the restructuring process occurred over a 4-year period. The study examined a range of processes and outcomes at each site through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The report focuses exclusively on implementation issues. It examines variability in fidelity of implementation across sites, citing possible explanations for the variance and describing some of the factors that may affect the successful implementation of the six designs over time in the multilingual, multicultural schools. To illuminate how the various reform designs can be modified to provide high quality educational services to students in diverse contexts, the successes and challenges the schools are experiencing in adapting the designs to suit the students' needs are discussed, and conditions that facilitate and hinder implementation are identified. (MSE)