R&D Alert

How a Struggling Elementary School Radically Improved Its Performance

How do your own cultural values operate in the classroom? This long-time popular brief, one of our most downloaded resources, describes why knowing the answer to that question is a critical step in making schools places where all children can learn. Download your copy to learn about a practical framework for understanding cultural differences and how to apply the framework to real-world issues.

Evidence shows that schools often design and apply discipline policies in ways that disproportionately affect students of color, LGBTQ students, and students with disabilities. To address these disparities, state education agencies (SEAs) must understand how to effectively monitor school discipline practices. Learn five steps SEAs can take to improve how they collect, report, and use such data.

A focus on instruction is essential for turning around struggling schools and cultivating conditions that enable and inspire effective teaching and learning. A new paper examines how, using the Center on School Turnaround at WestEd’s Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement framework, two school districts are succeeding at instructional transformation and offers recommendations for states and districts.

Charter schools vary widely in terms of performance. Some serve their students well and meet all the requirements of their charter. But what happens when a charter school doesn’t perform? Read about what authorizers and charter school leaders should know when considering turnaround strategies.