This report, a follow-up to CEP's 2008 report on school restructuring in Ohio, examines the implementation and effects of differentiated accountability and related policies in Ohio. We looked at a range of questions. How is the differentiated accountability pilot affecting districts with large numbers of schools in restructuring? How successfully is the new system differentiating support and interventions for schools and districts in which only a few subgroups of students missed AYP targets from those in which students across the board missed the targets? What local approaches are districts taking to improve restructuring schools? To collect data for this report, we conducted interviews in the fall and winter of 2008-09 with two officials in the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). We also interviewed more than 20 local administrators, teachers, and other district and school staff in four school districts--Cincinnati Public Schools, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Mansfield City Schools, and Mount Vernon City Schools--and in eight schools within these districts. In addition, we reviewed restructuring-related documents and analyzed test data at the state and local levels.

To inform policy and practice, the Office of Vocational and Adult Education of the U.S. Department of Education sponsored a study that examined six purposively selected dropout recovery programs. The purpose of the study was to explore how programs seek to engage and teach participants, to identify implementation challenges programs face, to understand how they seek to overcome these challenges, and to explore implications for policymakers, program practitioners, and researchers. The six programs selected for the study include three that prepare participants for a GED, two that prepare them for a high school diploma, and one that provides both GED and high school diploma options. All of these programs also offer participants some preparation for postsecondary education, training, or assistance finding jobs. Drawing on site visit interviews as well as outcome data, this report presents findings on five topics: (1) program goals and partners, (2) admissions and attendance policies, (3) instructional approaches and academic outcomes, (4) methods used to address participantsâ?? personal issues, and (5) strategies to prepare participants for postsecondary education and jobs. The report concludes with some observations about issues facing policymakers and practitioners, and with questions for future studies.
Authors: R. Buschmann, J. Haimson, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. Prepared for the U.S. Dept. of Education Office of Vocational & Adult Education

This report by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University found that there is a wide variance in the quality of the nation's several thousand charter schools with, in the aggregate, students in charter schools not faring as well as students in traditional public schools. The report found that the academic success of students in charter schools was affected by the individual state policy environment. This report is the first detailed national assessment of charter school impacts since its longitudinal, student-level analysis covers more than 70 percent of the nation's students attending charter schools. The peer-reviewed analysis looks at student achievement growth on state achievement tests in both reading and math with controls for student demographics and eligibility for program support such as free or reduced-price lunch and special education. The analysis includes the most current student achievement data from 15 states (AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, LA, MN, MO, NC, NM, OH, TX) and the District of Columbia and gauges whether students who attend charter schools fare better than if they would have attended a traditional public school. This link enables access to the executive summary, full report, technical appendix and press release.

This resource from Harvard Family Research Project includes a comprehensive list of data collection measures for use in the evaluation of and research on family involvement programs.
Authors: Helen Westmoreland, Suzanne Bouffard, Kelley O'Carroll, Heidi Rosenberg

This policy brief details how states can see a net reduction in costs by moving expenditures away from large, congruent care facilities (often called "training schools") for youth and investing in community-based alternatives. Such a resource realignment can reap better results for communities, taxpayers, and children. Evidence is growing that there are cost-effective policies and programs for intervening in the lives of delinquent youth which actually improve community safety and outcomes for children. While there is no silver bullet that will guarantee reductions in crime, policies that include prevention and intervention for youth in the community have been shown to have a positive public safety benefit. Major findings and recommendations for reform are included.

This book aims to inform the policy debate by examining four primary research questions in several geographic locations: (1) What are the characteristics of students transferring to charter schools? (2) What effect do charter schools have on test-score gains for students who transfer between TPSs and charter schools? (3) What is the effect of attending a charter high school on the probability of graduating and of entering college? (4) What effect does the introduction of charter schools have on test scores of students in nearby TPSs?  We examine similarities and differences in the answers to these questions across locations, seeking insights about the policy levers that might be available to improve the outcomes associated with charter schools. Data sets are from Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Milwaukee, MN;  Philadelphia, PA; San Diego, CA; Florida; Ohio; and Texas.
Authors: Ron Zimmer, Brian Gill, Kevin Booker, Stephane Lavertu, Tim R. Sass, John Witte