A-Z List of Free SEDL Publications

Below is a list of SEDL publications available free online. There are additional publications available in the SEDL Store, where SEDL lists the publications available for sale.

There are 252 free resources available to you.

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Supporting High-Quality Rural Education (2014)
The Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) and the Texas Comprehensive Center (TXCC) at SEDL are hosting the Regional Institute, Supporting High-Quality Rural Education, at the Embassy Suites Austin - Central Hotel in Austin, Texas, on November 5–7, 2014.

A Best-Fit Approach to Effective Teacher Policy: (Insights on Education Policy, Practice, and Research, Number 17) (2004)
In this issue of Insights, SEDL invited Jennifer King Rice, Ph.D. to share her best-fit decision making approach to improving teacher resources. This issue describes her model and provides guidance on its use.

A Flashlight and a Compass: A Collection of Tools to Promote Instructional Coherence (2000)
This kit is a set of resources for facilitators assisting groups of educators in becoming more reflective about their practice, to make instructions based on student learning, and to create a more coherent learning experience for students.

A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement (2002)
This review of the research examines the growing evidence that family and community connections with schools make a difference in student success.

A Practitioner's Guide: Building and Managing Quality Afterschool Programs (2009)
A Practitioner's Guide: Building and Managing Quality Afterschool Programs is designed to share with you the practices that can help you cover it all—great programming, terrific staff, positive relationships, and plenty of resources to lead and sustain successful afterschool programs.

A Special Place (An environmental education film about the San Antonio River) (1977)
A Special Place traces the history of the interaction between the natural and the man-made elements in the San Antonio River setting. The production explores the story of the river in the life of the city and the lives of its citizens. A priceless environmental asset, this spring-fed stream comes to life in the northern part of the city, winds its way through downtown, proceeds south by the old Spanish missions, then leaves the city to continue its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. The story of the river is intertwined with that of the city whose name it shares. By examining this history and functioning of this river and the city built around it, it is possible to gain insights into some of the issues that confront American cities today.

A Toolkit for Title I Parental Involvement (2009)
Designed for educators who are implementing Title I, Part A parental involvement provisions, this toolkit includes detailed explanations of the provisions and 33 tools to help states, districts, and schools meet the requirements.

Afterschool Lesson Plan Database (2008)
This online database contains fun and enriching lesson plans for afterschool projects in the arts, literacy, mathematics, science, and technology. Expanded learning practitioners can also submit their favorite lesson plans for consideration.

Afterschool Training Toolkit Videos: Promising Practices in Afterschool (2008)
These 25 short videos are based on visits to afterschool programs across the country identified through a rigorous process based on data suggesting their afterschool academic practices are positively impacting student learning. The videos provide real-life examples of successful afterschool instruction, and they support the goals of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers by illustrating fun and engaging ways to embed academics in afterschool.

Afterschool Training Toolkit: Building Quality Enrichment Activities (2008)
This online toolkit provides resources for developing fun, innovative, and academically enriching activities for afterschool and expanded learning programs. The toolkit includes promising practices and sample lessons in the arts, literacy, math, science, technology, and homework help.

AfterWords (2008)
AfterWords was a monthly e-newsletter published by the National Center for Quality Afterschool from Jan. 2007 to Dec. 2008. The award-winning newsletter provided up-to-date research on high-quality afterschool and expanded learning practices and methods that instructors and site coordinators could use to implement the practices in their own programs.

Alternative High Schools in Rural Areas: Texas Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, Number 3 (2010)
This brief addresses the question: What research or promising practices should an individual district or a cooperative among several districts consider with regard to the establishment of an alternative high school in a rural area?

Arkansas Education Renewal Zones Initiative - 2007 Final Evaluation Report (2007)
SEDL staff conducted a multiyear evaluation of the ERZ initiative in eight sites across the state of Arkansas. The evaluation included both formative and summative data collection and reporting functions. The primary goals of the evaluation were to document the context in which the ERZ initiative takes place in each site, the implementation of the initiative according to the guidelines specified in the legislation, and the short- and long-term outcomes resulting from the implementation of the initiative.

Arts in Afterschool: A Guide to Using the Afterschool Training Toolkit for Professional Development (2008)
The six promising practices in afterschool for the arts identified in the Afterschool Training Toolkit are as follows: Building Skills in the Arts; Expressing Yourself Through the Arts; Making Connections to History and Culture; Thinking and Talking About Works of Art; Integrating the Arts With Other Subjects; Involving Families and Communities. Each practice is built on youth development principles and research on effective arts instruction. At their core, the Afterschool Training Toolkit materials are designed to illustrate techniques and activities that leverage student curiosity to make the arts in afterschool both enjoyable and academically relevant. This guide provides professional development ideas for each practice.

Arts in Afterschool: An Instructor's Guide to the Afterschool Training Toolkit (2008)

The six promising practices in afterschool for the arts identified in the Afterschool Training Toolkit are as follows: Building Skills in the Arts; Expressing Yourself Through the Arts; Making Connections to History and Culture; Thinking and Talking About Works of Art; Integrating the Arts With Other Subjects; Involving Families and Communities. When used with the Afterschool Training Toolkit, the lessons in this instructor’s guide will help you master these promising practices. Once you become proficient at these practices, you should be able to use them to develop other arts lessons.

Assessing a School Staff as a Community of Professional Learners: Issues About Change, Volume 7, Number 1 (1999)
This paper discusses how to use an instrument to assess how well a school staff functions as a team and works collegially so that students might become more successful learners.

Behavioral, Psychological, Educational and Vocational Interventions to Facilitate Employment Outcomes for Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review (2015)

The objective of this systematic review is to examine experimental and quasi-experimental studies about interventions that (i) include one or more behavioral, psychological, educational, or vocational components, (ii) involve cancer survivors aged 18 years or older, and (iii) assess intervention outcomes on employment outcomes. The aims are both to describe the variety of interventions that have been studied using rigorous methods and to estimate intervention effects.

Beyond Adoption—Implementing Rigorous College- and Career-Readiness Standards: Southeast Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, December 2011 (2011)
This briefing paper provides details on the meaning of college- and career-readiness standards, effective implementation of these standards, next steps in the implementation process, and progress being made by state departments of education in the Southeast toward this crucial goal.

Beyond the Building: A Facilitation Guide for School, Family, and Community Connections (2006)
This multimedia toolkit will help educators and community organizers understand and learn how to facilitate family and community involvement.

Board's Role in Educational Improvement, The: Issues About Change, Volume 3, Number 4 (1994)
This paper summarizes research on school boards' leadership for school change and improvement and relates the findings to Arkansas and Texas boards.

Bright Futures: Early Reading First Year Three Summary Evaluation Report (2010)
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, this 3-year project evaluated the implementation and impact of the Bright Futures Early Reading First project on outcomes for children, teachers, classrooms, and families in Madison Parish, Louisiana.

Building Support for Better Schools: Seven Steps to Engaging Hard-to-Reach Communities (2000)
This practical guide is designed for educators, civic leaders, community organizers or anyone else interested in involving traditionally hard-to-reach communities.

Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) Publications: The CBAM publications are available for sale in the SEDL store. Click here to access a list of CBAM publications.

Centers of Support: Assessing the U.S. Department of Education's Technical Assistance Program for ESEA Implementation (2011)
This webinar was held November 7, 2011, and discusses the U.S. Department of Education's technical assistance program for implementing provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The author of an independent national evaluation of the program presented the study's major findings, and participants in the webinar had the chance to ask questions and discuss key elements with state officials.

Changing Mental Frameworks: One High School's Success Through a Triad Partnership: Issues About Change, Vol. 3, No. 2 (1994)
This briefing paper details how staff, students, and parents changed the culture of a Texas high school, raised expectations, and improved working relationships and student performance.

Class Time and Student Learning: Texas Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, Number 6 (2011)
This brief examines the complex issue of the impact of class time lengths on student achievement, with a focus on the school year, school day, and how classroom time is spent.

Co-Developers: Partners in a Study of Professional Learning Communities: Issues About Change, Volume 8, Number 2 (2000)
This publication reports one aspect of a national study focusing on the concept and development of Co-Developers in the Creating Communities of Continuous Inquiry and Improvement (CCCII) project at Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL).

Cognitive Foundations of Learning to Read: A Framework (2000)
This book provides a concise summary of the research findings related to how children learn to read. A graphical representation of the framework is provided to familiarize teachers with the cognitive elements that research has shown to be essential in learning to read.

College- and Career-Readiness Standards and Assessment Resource List (2015)

This biannual update provides a list of resources that focus on college- and career-readiness standards and assessment. It includes materials from the federal content centers, comprehensive centers, and regional educational laboratories, as well as other organizations with expertise in education policy, research, and technical assistance.

College- and Career-Readiness Standards and Assessment Resource List (Summer 2016) (2016)
This biannual update provides a list of resources that focus on college- and career-readiness standards and assessment.

College- and Career-Readiness Standards and Assessment Resource List (Winter 2015–16) (2016)
This biannual update provides a list of resources that focus on college- and career-readiness standards and assessment. It includes materials from the federal content centers, comprehensive centers, and regional educational laboratories, as well as other organizations with expertise in education policy, research, and technical assistance.

Common Core State Standards Video Series: ELA (2013)
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) videos are designed to support states, schools, and teachers in the implementation of the CCSS. Each video is an audiovisual resource that focuses on one or more specific standards and usually includes examples and illustrations geared to enhancing understanding.

Common Core State Standards Video Series: Mathematics (2012)
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) videos are designed to support states, schools, and teachers in the implementation of selected math standards. Each video is an audiovisual resource that focuses on one specific standard through examples and illustrations geared to enhancing understanding.

Comprehensive School Improvement: Addressing the Challenges: Issues About Change, Volume 9, Number 1 (2000)
This publication, coupled with current nationwide interest in encouraging schools to adopt comprehensive reform strategies or programs, urgently communicates the need for school improvement.

Confronting and Managing Culture in a Changing Environment: Issues About Change, Volume 5, Number 4 (1995)
This paper explains how a visionary superintendent restructured a junior high school into a middle school in a largely Hispanic New Mexico small town.

Connecting Kids to Mathematics and Science (2012)
This nine-session professional development course provides teachers in grades 4–8 with hands-on experience in integrating mathematics, science, and technology in the classroom. The course is designed for use by an experienced trainer or facilitator and is available online free of charge.

Constructing Foundations for Success: Implications of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel Report (2009)
The objectives of this forum included understanding implications of key recommendations of National Mathematics Panel Report (NMPR), connecting key NMPR recommendations to current work and state initiatives, and developing strategies for coordinated, leveraged actions across state initiatives that address key recommendations.

Creating a Context for Change: Issues About Change, Volume 2, Number 2 (1992)
This publication describes 17 indicators of a school context that supports change and provides advice from educators who have successfully implemented improvements.

Creating Collaborative Action Teams: Working Together for Student Success (2000)
This multi-media kit is a set of concepts, activities, and resources that individuals, school districts and other organizations can use to develop a partnership between home, school, community, and students at the local level.

Designing and Implementing Teacher Evaluation Systems (2011)
Including presentations and a webinar, these materials are from a teacher evaluation systems institute at which nearly 50 state education leaders convened in New Orleans, Louisiana, on July 27–28, 2011. Participants engaged in sessions led by experts in the field, learned about the progress and challenges of other states, and discussed with their colleagues the steps their respective states need to take to implement a comprehensive teacher evaluation system. They also had the opportunity to meet with nationally recognized educators and researchers—Charlotte Danielson, Laura Goe, and Lynn Holdheide—to learn about best practices and current work in the area of teacher evaluation systems.

Developing a Collaborative Team Approach to Support Family and Community Connections With Schools: What Can School Leaders Do? (2005)
This strategy brief includes ideas for involving families actively in the decision-making and implementation efforts needed for school improvement.

Directory of Journals and Author Guidelines in the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Field (2009)
SEDL’s National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) developed this online directory, which includes more than 200 journal descriptions and author guidelines.

Diversity: School, Family, and Community Connections (2003)
SEDL's third research synthesis in a series on family and community connections with schools focuses on race/ethnicity, culture (including language), and socioeconomic status.

Early Warning Data System (EWDS) (2010)
The Early Warning Data System (EWDS) Tool tracks research-based ninth-grade indicators related to high school dropout, such as attendance and academics, and automatically flags students who are below the specified benchmarks leading to graduation. The tool provides leading indicators so that school staff can quickly review data and plan interventions as early as 20 to 30 days after the beginning of the school year.

Easing the Transition from PreK to Kindergarten: What Schools and Families Can Do to Address Child Readiness (2005)
This strategy brief discusses the importance of school-family connections in ensuring a successful transition from PreK to Kindergarten.

Education Renewal Zones: Increasing Partnerships and Sharing Resources for School Improvement (2006)
SEDL staff conducted a multiyear evaluation of the ERZ initiative in eight sites across the state of Arkansas. The evaluation included both formative and summative data collection and reporting functions. The primary goals of the evaluation were to document the context in which the ERZ initiative takes place in each site, the implementation of the initiative according to the guidelines specified in the legislation, and the short- and long-term outcomes resulting from the implementation of the initiative. SEDL collaboratively developed a program logic model that was used to identify qualitative and quantitative outcome measures to be monitored as the initiative is implemented.

Effectiveness of Adult Employment Assistance Services for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders (A Campbell Collaboration Systematic Review) (2009)
This systematic review aims to determine the effectiveness of adult employment interventions in securing and maintaining employment for adults with autism spectrum disorder.

Emerging Issues in School, Family, & Community Connections (2001)
This research synthesis highlights critical areas of work in family and community connections with schools where clarification, agreement, and further development are needed.

Employment Interventions for Return to Work in Working Aged Adults Following Traumatic Brain Injury: Systematic Review (2015)
The purpose of this review is to identify and assess the evidence related to interventions for individuals with traumatic brain injury that are directly focused on return to work.

Engaging Diverse Learners Through the Provision of STEM Education Opportunities: Southeast Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, May 2012 (2012)
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are viewed as fundamental elements in preparing our next generation to compete in the 21st century economy. This brief examines how various states are seeking to improve access to STEM education opportunities for diverse learners to meet state and federal education priorities and funding requirements.

Engaging Families at the Secondary Level: What Schools Can Do to Support Family Involvement (2005)
This strategy brief discusses strategies for successful family involvement at the middle school and high school levels.

Enhancing Data Use and Quality to Shape Education Policy: (Insights on Education Policy, Practice, and Research, Number 18) (2005)
In this issue of Insights, SEDL investigated state education data in four states to determine whether research can be conducted to find answers to education resource and student performance policy questions. This issue highlights study findings that policymakers will find informative in efforts to meet standards and data effectively.

Evaluation of Educator Professional Development Programs Implemented at the Regional and Local Levels Final Report (2006)
SEDL, Gibson Consulting, Academic Information Management, Inc., and two other firms evaluated the statewide teacher training activities funded through the Texas Student Success Initiative, which encompassed the Texas Reading, Mathematics, and Science Teacher Academies. SEDL conducted a literature review of best practices in professional development; expert reviews of academy training materials and resources; and surveys to ascertain how teachers perceived the training and if they were implementing the strategies in the classroom.

Family and Community Involvement: Reaching Out to Diverse Populations (2000)
This book is geared toward teachers, principals, and superintendents who want to develop meaningful parent and community involvement in culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 12: What Consumers and Researchers Say About Research (2005)
The NCDDR and the Research Utilization Support and Help (RUSH) project at the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory conducted two studies in 2005 with different audiences in order to learn more about their perceptions of research and how best to get information to diverse groups of end users. This issue of FOCUS shares the findings from the two studies and suggests potential implications.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 13: Meet the New NCDDR (2006)
This issue of FOCUS summarizes the KT process as described by several international authors. International scholars, particularly from Canada and Europe, have published numerous articles on KT processes and strategies. While the majority of these KT articles are published in medical and health-care journals, there is a growing interest in applying the KT concept more generically (i.e., knowledge to action) and to other disciplines, including disability and rehabilitation research.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 15: The Role of Systematic Reviews in Evidence-Based Practice, Research, and Development (2006)
This issue of FOCUS, written by Ralf W. Schlosser, PhD, is part one of a three part series on the topic of evidence-based technology. This issue provides an overview of systematic reviews in research and development. Systematic reviews aim to synthesize the results of multiple original studies by using strategies that delimit bias. Systematic reviews can be used to inform evidence-based practice, which is increasingly shaping the disability and rehabilitation research field.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 16: The Campbell Collaboration: Systematic Reviews and Implications for Evidence-Based Practice (2007)
This issue of FOCUS, written by Herb M. Turner III, PhD and Chad Nye, PhD, highlights the work of the Campbell Collaboration (C2) and the development of systematic reviews of research evidence.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 17: Appraising the Quality of Systematic Reviews (2007)
This FOCUS is part two of a three part series on systematic reviews. This issue describes critical considerations for appraising the quality of a systematic review including the protocol, question, sources, scope, selection principles, and data extraction. The author also describes tools for appraising systematic reviews.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 18: Knowledge Translation at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research: A Primer (2007)
This FOCUS describes the work of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and efforts to translate knowledge from the research setting into real-world applications for the benefit of Canadians.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 19: Getting Published and Having an Impact: Turning Rehabilitation Research Results Into Gold (2008)
This FOCUS suggests strategies that rehabilitation researchers can use to maximize their work—turning "research results into gold." In the disability and rehabilitation research community, it is important for researchers to be cognizant of how published results of research studies can facilitate or limit their use in answering important evidence-based questions.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 20: Campbell Collaboration Establishes Disability Subgroup (2008)
This FOCUS, highlights exciting new developments within the international Campbell Collaboration (C2) establishing a disability subgroup. A previous issue of FOCUS (Technical Brief, No. 16, 2007) provides background information about C2 and its work regarding systematic reviews.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 23: The Use of CIRRIE's Database of International Rehabilitation Research in Conducting Systematic Reviews (2009)
This FOCUS, describes the Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange’s (CIRRIE) bibliographic database of International Rehabilitation Research. The database is useful for conducting systematic reviews. It includes research conducted in most geographic regions of the world as well as citations to articles originally published in languages other than English.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 24: Documenting Disparities in Obesity and Disability (2010)
This FOCUS, presents NIDRR-funded research highlighting the disparities in obesity experienced by youth and adults with disabilities, potential consequences of those disparities, and suggestions for addressing these disparities. Authors James H. Rimmer, PhD; Edward Wang, PhD; Kiyoshi Yamaki, PhD; and Brienne Davis, MPH conducted the research for the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project (DRRP) "Reducing Obesity and Obesity-Related Secondary Conditions in Adolescents with Disabilities" (H133A060066), Center on Health Promotion for Persons with Disabilities, University of Illinois at Chicago.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 25: Mixed-Methods Systematic Reviews: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Findings (2010)
This FOCUS is adapted from Dr. Angela Harden's presentation at the "National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) Knowledge Translation Conference," held July 29, 2009, in Washington, DC. Widely known for her methodological work integrating qualitative research into systematic reviews, she is an active contributor to the Cochrane and Campbell Collaborations and has a keen interest in research synthesis and knowledge translation. She has conducted extensive research into the health of young people and the communities in which they live.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 26: Facilitating Technology-Based Knowledge Utilization (2010)
This FOCUS presents a framework for integrating two distinct processes: knowledge translation (KT) and technology transfer (TT). The integration permits stakeholders involved in technology-based research and development activities to identify and coordinate their respective roles, and to optimize the eventual use of research by industry for production purposes.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 27: Low-Cost and No-Cost Steps in Research Design to Improve the Quality of Evidence (2010)
This edition of FOCUS, authored by Marcel P. J. M. Dijkers, PhD, offers low-cost and no-cost steps that rehabilitation researchers can take to strengthen the quality of their evidence and, thereby, the likelihood of their work receiving a high evidence grade and being included in systematic reviews.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 28: The Need to Knowledge Model: A Roadmap to Successful Outputs for NIDRR Grantees (2010)
This edition of FOCUS presents the Need to Knowledge (NtK) Model for new product development. The model was designed to encompass all activities from inception of a project through post-launch evaluation to paint a complete picture of the research, development, and production processes. This technical brief explains the details related to the model’s stages and gates, while also introducing four specific opportunities to employ knowledge translation techniques.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 29: The Cochrane Collaboration: A Valuable Knowledge Translation Resource (2010)
This issue of FOCUS provides a brief overview of The Cochrane Collaboration and highlights entities and resources of the Collaboration that can assist disability and rehabilitation researchers and knowledge users in their knowledge translation efforts.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 30: KT4TT: Knowledge Translation Embedded in Technology Transfer (2010)
This issue of FOCUS provides examples of how technology-focused grantees funded by NIDRR can embed knowledge translation efforts throughout the technology transfer process, and describes the Product Utilization Support and Help (PUSH) Award.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 31: Do Cultural Competency Interventions Work? A Systematic Review on Improving Rehabilitation Outcomes for Ethnically and Linguistically Diverse Individuals with Disabilities (2011)
This issue of FOCUS describes a systematic review that was conducted to address a critically important research question about cultural competency by taking stock of the current literature and evidence. The review examined whether cultural competency interventions improve rehabilitation outcomes for ethnically and linguistically diverse individuals with disabilities, and if so, for whom and under what conditions.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 32: Knowledge Value Mapping of National Organizations: A Knowledge Translation Strategy to Efficiently Communicate Research-Based Knowledge to Multiple Stakeholder Audiences (2011)
This issue of FOCUS describes the results from a series of comparative case studies exploring how selected national organizations, representing different stakeholder groups, can play an important role in communicating new research findings to diverse audiences. Knowledge value mapping helps understand the context of each organization’s mission and the interests of their members.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 33: External Validity in Research on Rehabilitative Interventions: Issues for Knowledge Translation (2011)
This issue of FOCUS discusses external validity and what rehabilitation researchers can do to help practitioners answer the question “How far can we generalize this finding–– is it applicable to other clients/ patients, with different characteristics, in dissimilar settings treated by other clinicians?,” which clinicians and other practitioners ask whenever researchers publish evidence in support of a new or revised intervention.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 34: Tracking Evidence of Knowledge Use Through Knowledge Translation, Technology Transfer, and Commercial Transactions (2012)
This FOCUS Technical Brief, which extends FOCUS No. 26, explains how knowledge translation and technology transfer contribute to not only technological innovation but also commercial transaction, which is the actual transformation of knowledge embodied in products and services into beneficial socioeconomic impacts.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 35: Modeling Technology Innovation: Combining Science, Engineering, and Industry Methods to Achieve Beneficial Socioeconomic Impacts Systematically and Deliberately (2012)
This FOCUS Technical Brief summarizes a paper recently published in the open-access journal Implementation Science. The full paper presents a conceptual framework that integrates all three knowledge-generating methods—scientific research (R), engineering development (D), and industry production (P)—into a logic model format, which is useful for planning, obtaining, and measuring the intended beneficial impacts by implementing knowledge in practice.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 36: Infinity Communication Access Lab Recognized With 2012 Product Utilization Support and Help (PUSH) Award (2013)
This FOCUS Technical Brief describes the exemplary knowledge translation work of the winner of the Center on KT4TT's 2012 PUSH Award. The recipient, Infinity Communication Access Lab, is a partnership between Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and the Toronto District School Board in Toronto, Canada. The lab aims to discover person-centered access solutions and to ensure that those solutions are transferred into environments true to where children live and learn. Dr. Tom Chau oversees the lab, which serves 130 public school students with a range of developmental conditions.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 37: Lessons Learned in Technology Transfer from Dr. Gregg Vanderheiden and the Trace Research & Development Center (2013)
This FOCUS Technical Brief describes the exemplary technology transfer (TT) and knowledge translation (KT) work of the 2013 winner of the Center on KT4TT's Product Utilization Support and Help (PUSH) Award. The recipient is Dr. Gregg Vanderheiden and the Trace Research & Development Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

FOCUS - Technical Brief Number 9: What Are the Standards for Quality Research? (2005)
This issue of FOCUS discusses principles and standards for quality research, the basis for these standards, and strategies for reporting quality research. In the fields of disability and rehabilitation research, there is a healthy debate regarding the specific criteria for quality research, and the specific checklists to be used to standardize reporting. As the debate ensues, there are many ideas emerging in the public domain related to quality research and quality evidence that can be used to help guide the discussion.

FOCUS Technical Brief, Number 10: What is Knowledge Translation? (2005)
This FOCUS discusses knowledge translation (KT), a relatively new term used to describe a relatively old problem—the underutilization of evidence-based research in systems of care. This article describes relevant KT concepts and planning models, and suggests a working definition for KT that reflects disability research and development priorities.

FOCUS Technical Brief, Number 11: Communities of Practice: A Strategy for Sharing and Building Knowledge (2005)
This FOCUS discusses the use of Communities of Practice (CoPs) as a knowledge transfer (KT) strategy. By building on its members' shared knowledge, a CoP can be useful in developing new ideas and new strategies.

FOCUS Technical Brief, Number 14: Overview of International Literature on Knowledge Translation (2006)
This FOCUS summarizes the knowledge translation (KT) process as described by several international authors. While the majority of international articles on KT processes are published in medical and health-care journals, a growing interest exists in applying the KT concept more generically to other disciplines, including disability and rehabilitation research.

FOCUS Technical Brief, Number 21: Why Is Knowledge Translation Important? Grounding the Conversation (2008)
This FOCUS highlights a speech by Dr. Michael Gibbons at the KT08: Forum for the Future Conference in Banff, Alberta, Canada, held on June 10, 2008. In his address, Gibbons proposed a framework of knowledge translation as an engagement process rather than a linear process of transfer.

FOCUS Technical Brief, Number 22: The Role of Single-Subject Experimental Designs in Evidence-Based Practice Times (2009)
This FOCUS, written by Ralf W. Schlosser, PhD, describes high-quality, single-subject experimental designs (SSEDs) in terms of establishing empirically supported treatments and implementing evidence-based practice (EBP).

FOCUS Technical Briefs (2009)
Published by the National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR), each FOCUS Technical Brief explores a specific topic related to disability and rehabilitation research.

Getting Smart About Teacher Pay: (Insights on Education Policy, Practice, and Research, Number 19) (2006)
SEDL examined teacher salaries in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas to determine whether teacher pay is related to teacher qualifications, school characteristics, and student achievement. This issue of Insights presents results from that research and provides guidance for policymakers on paying teachers to support new accountability goals.

Glossary of Reading-related Terms (2004)
This glossary of terms related to reading and reading instruction allows people to quickly and easily check terms as they encounter them.

Homework in Afterschool: An Instructor's Guide to the Afterschool Training Toolkit (2008)

The four promising practices in afterschool for homework help identified in the Afterschool Training Toolkit are as follows: Involving Day Schools, Families, and Communities; Managing and Organizing the Homework Environment; Monitoring and Communicating About Student Progress; and Tutoring, Mentoring, and Building Study Skills. When used with the Afterschool Training Toolkit, the information in this instructor’s guide will help you master these promising practices. Once you become proficient at these practices, you should be able to use them to develop an effective afterschool homework help program.

Identifying Competencies and Actions of Effective Turnaround Principals: Southeast Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, January 2013 (2013)
Research over the past 30 years has found that effective principals can significantly improve various components of student achievement and learning. In addition, there are few examples of improving student achievement that were not led by an effective principal. Research has also identified the need for the change to be systemic or comprehensive in the school turnaround process to ensure sustainability. Along with a systemic improvement process, Duke (2006), identifies 10 “essential” school components for the turnaround principal’s focus and action as keys to sustained success for the benefit of all students. This briefing paper addresses the essential competencies and actions of the turnaround principal.

Implementing Randomized Controlled Trial Studies in Afterschool Settings: The State of the Field (2008)
SEDL provided analytic and technical support to three large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of a promising literacy curriculum in afterschool settings on student academic achievement. This research brief is the first in a series intended to provide the field with insights culled from this collaborative effort.

Improving Family and Community Engagement Through Sharing Data: Southeast Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, November 2012 (2012)
As data collection, analysis, and decision making expand on state and local levels, so does the expectation of effectively communicating data to the families of school children and their communities. Surveys indicate that people value receiving information on their schools (Owens & Peltier, 2002). They want to know how their schools are doing and are interested in receiving more detailed information (Owens & Peltier).

Inclusion: The Pros & Cons: Issues About Change, Volume 4, Number 3 (1995)
This paper provides a balanced look at the issues arising from current policies toward inclusion and maps out considerations school and district leaders should keep in mind when setting special education policies.

Information Retrieval for International Disability and Rehabilitation Research (2013)
The Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange (CIRRIE) will discuss the importance of accessing international research for systematic reviews and research synthesis. CIRRIE's database of international research makes available to the disability community knowledge that has been found useful in other countries. Tips will be shared on how to use CIRRIE's database to its fullest potential.

Investigation of Education Databases in Four States to Support Policy Research on Resource Allocation (2005)
In this report, SEDL researchers investigate data collected and managed by state education agencies to determine whether new research can be conducted to support policy questions about education resources and student performance.

Issues About Change, Vol. 5, No. 2: Safe Schools: Lessons From the Sites (1995)
This briefing paper introduces important elements of effective safe school programs and describes specific safe school programs undertaken at a Texas high school, a New Mexico middle school, and a Louisiana elementary school.

Issues About Change, Vol. 6, No. 2: Creating a Professional Learning Community: Cottonwood Creek School (1998)
This briefing paper discusses strategies and approaches a school staff can use to develop a collegial organization, as illustrated by the real-life example of Cottonwood Creek High School.

Jazzin’ It Up: A Medley of Notes for Creating a Culture That Supports English Language Learners (2008)
Creating a culture that supports English Language Learners (ELLs) through the use of research-based instructional strategies and targeted approaches was the focus of a regional institute held by the Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC). The institute took place November 5–7, 2008, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The goal of this institute was to increase participants’ awareness, knowledge, and use of research-based practices for meeting the needs of ELLs.

Key Issues and Strategies for Recruitment and Implementation in Large-Scale Randomized Controlled Trial Studies in Afterschool Settings (2008)
SEDL provided analytic and technical support to three large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of promising literacy curricula in afterschool settings on student academic achievement. This research brief is the second in a series intended to address some of the key challenges faced during the studies to provide insights to the research and practice community.

Knowledge Translation: From Research to Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery (2013)
Should practice guidelines be developed for vocational rehabilitation (VR) service delivery? This webcast will be a discussion with a rehabilitation researcher, a VR educator, and a VR practitioner around practice guidelines: what they are, how they are developed in other disciplines, and if they could be helpful to VR counselors and consumers.

Knowledge Translation: Introduction to Models, Strategies, and Measures (2007)
This literature review is designed to bring together several aspects of knowledge translation for the purpose of raising awareness, connecting thoughts and perspectives, and stimulating ideas and questions for future rehabilitation research.

Launching Professional Learning Communities: Beginning Actions: Issues About Change, Volume 8, Number 1 (2000)
This briefing paper identifies themes that describe actions taken at schools to develop professional learning communities.

Leadership for Changing Schools (2000)
This kit provides seven training modules to guide district leaders and teams as they work with individual schools to make the changes needed to provide a high-quality education for every child.

Leadership: An Imperative for Successful Change: Issues About Change, Volume 1, Number 2 (2000)
Originally published in 1991 and revised in 2000, this paper reviews the literature on leaders' strategies for school change, identifies five strategies, and describes how the strategies are applied at the district and local school levels.

Leading Change from the Classroom: Teachers as Leaders: Issues About Change, Volume 4, Number 4 (1995)
This paper discusses what teacher leadership is, why it is important, and what we know about the working lives of teacher-leaders.

Learning Outside of the School Classroom: What Teachers Can Do to Involve Family in Supporting Classroom Instruction (2004)
This strategy brief was produced by SEDL's National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools, part of SEDL's Regional Educational Laboratory contract. The Center links people with research-based information and resources that they can use to effectively connect schools, families, and communities.

Learning without Walls: Classroom Compass - Volume 5, Number 1 (2000)
This newsletter issue demonstrates some of the factors all good field trips share and what teachers, principals, and students can do to make sure a field experience enhances classroom learning.

Library of Knowledge Translation Resources (2009)
The Library of Knowledge Translation Resources is designed to provide information to researchers and interested members of the public about a wide spectrum of knowledge translation and evidence-based resources.

Literacy in Afterschool: A Guide to Using the Afterschool Training Toolkit for Professional Development (2008)
The Afterschool Training Toolkit materials are designed to illustrate techniques and activities that leverage student curiosity to make literacy in afterschool both enjoyable and relevant. This guide provides professional development ideas for promising literacy practices in afterschool.

Literacy in Afterschool: An Instructor's Guide to Read Alouds with the Afterschool Training Toolkit (2008)

The National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning developed this instructor’s guide to accompany its Afterschool Training Toolkit, a free online staff development tool. Both the guide and the toolkit materials are designed to give afterschool instructors the resources they need to build fun, innovative, and academically enriching activities that not only engage students, but extend their knowledge in new ways and increase academic achievement.

Literacy in Afterschool: An Instructor's Guide to the Afterschool Training Toolkit (2008)

The six promising practices in student achievement in literacy identified in the Afterschool Training Toolkit are as follows: Book Discussion Groups and Literature Circles; Read Aloud; Story and Literature Dramatizations; Writing; Family Literacy Events; One-on-One and Small-Group Tutoring. When used with the Afterschool Training Toolkit, the lessons in this instructor’s guide will help you master these promising practices. Once you become proficient at these practices, you should be able to use them to develop other literacy lessons.

Making Consistent Decisions about Accommodations for English Language Learners: Research Summit Proceedings (2008)
In March 2009, researchers and practitioners convened in Austin, Texas, for a research summit on linguistic accommodations in instruction and on assessments for English language learners (ELLs). This online publication describes the proceedings and outcomes of the summit.

Maryetta School: The Center of a Rural Community: Issues About Change, Volume 5, Number 1 (1995)
This paper six key leadership strategies that led to academic improvements and high parental involvement at an award-winning, rural Oklahoma school where 82 percent of the students are American Indians.

Math in Afterschool: A Guide to Using the Afterschool Training Toolkit for Professional Development (2008)
The Afterschool Training Toolkit materials are designed to illustrate techniques and activities that leverage student curiosity to make mathematics in afterschool both enjoyable and relevant. This guide provides professional development ideas for each of the seven promising practices in afterschool math enrichment.

Math in Afterschool: An Instructor's Guide to the Afterschool Training Toolkit (2008)
The seven promising practices in afterschool math identified in the Afterschool Training Toolkit are as follows: Finding Math; Math Centers; Math Games; Math Projects; Math Tools; Math Tutoring; Family Connections. When used with the Afterschool Training Toolkit, the lessons in this instructor’s guide will help you master these promising practices. Once you become proficient at these practices, you should be able to use them to develop other math lessons.

Measuring Change Facilitator Stages of Concern: A Manual for Use of the CFSoC Questionnaire (1991)
This book is for use with change facilitators such as principals, staff developers, and teacher leaders who have concerns that are identical in dynamics to those on the front line of educational innovation.

Measuring Implementation in Schools: Innovation Configurations (2006)
This updated manual describes how to use Innovation Configuration Maps to clarify what an innovation or change looks like along a continuum from high-quality implementation to least-desired practices.

Measuring Implementation in Schools: Levels of Use (2006)
This updated manual discusses how individuals behave and react with respect to specific change. The tool helps researchers and evaluators determine the extent to which an innovation is being implemented by distinguishing among three levels of nonuse and five levels of use.

Measuring Implementation in Schools: The Stages of Concern Questionnaire (2006)
This updated manual explains how to use and score the Stages of Concern Questionnaire, which assesses teacher concerns about new programs and practices. The product includes a MS Word version of the questionnaire and scoring sheets, as well as a scoring program in Excel and SAS formats.

Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners: Texas Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, Number 7 (2011)
Effectively meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse population of students presents challenges for educators across the United States, including the Texas and Southeast Comprehensive Center regions. To support ever more rigorous achievement expectations, educators need to provide flexible, accessible curricula that give students’ multiple pathways to success and secure opportunities for all children.

Methods of Assessing Cognitive Aspects of Early Reading Development (2002)
This article helps teachers better understand what reading abilities need to be tested and how to go about testing the essential areas that are so important to reading development.

Mosaic: An Integrated Approach to Mathematics, Science, Technology, & Language (2012)
This K–5 supplemental instructional program provides lessons and resources that integrate math, science, and technology while supporting English learners and academic language skills. The program is available online free of charge.

Multiple Mirrors: Reflections on the Creation of Professional Learning Communities (2000)
This publication is a collection of stories written by the co-developers who worked with SEDL in assisting schools to create professional learning communities in a sample of schools.

New Alliance of Superintendents and Principals: Applying the Research to Site-Based Decision-Making: Issues About Change, Volume 2, Number 1 (1992)
This review presents three roles that effective school superintendents play, and presents three strategies that effective superintendents use to improve teaching.

Organizing Family and Community Connections With Schools: How Do School Staff Build Meaningful Relationships With All Stakeholders? (2005)
This strategy brief examines proactive strategies schools can use to help them build strong relationships with family and community.

Parent and Community Involvement in a College/Career–Ready Culture: Texas Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, Number 2 (2010)
This brief addresses the questions: What are some examples of underachieving schools that have involved parents and community partners to increase student achievement through building a focus on college and career readiness? How do they solicit community response and what contributions have parents/community members made to support a college and career readiness environment? What does the research say about this topic?

Partners in Education: A Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family–School Partnerships (2014)
This resource presents a new framework for designing family engagement initiatives that build capacity among educators and families to partner with one another around student success. Based in existing research and best practices, this report is designed to act as a scaffold for the development of family engagement strategies, policies, and programs.

Pre-Graduation Transition Services for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Effects on Employment Outcomes (A Campbell Collaboration Systematic Review) (2013)

This systematic review aims determine the effectiveness of pre-graduation interventions aimed at persons with autism spectrum disorders to shape behaviors, social interactions, and/or skills that result in employment in mainstream competitive employment settings.

Pre-Graduation Transition Services for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Effects on Employment Outcomes (2013)

This systematic review aims to determine the effectiveness of pre-graduation interventions aimed at persons with autism spectrum disorders to shape behaviors, social interactions, and/or skills that result in employment in mainstream competitive employment settings.

Principal's Role in the Instructional Process: Implications for At-Risk Students: Issues About Change, Volume 1, Number 3 (1991)
This paper focuses on the interactions and six behaviors of principals and teachers who work to change and improve schools for children at risk.

Principals and Teachers: Continuous Learners: Issues About Change, Volume 7, Number 2 (1999)
This paper discusses how three principals have increased staff capacity by developing professional development relationships with their staffs and encouraged their participation in the decision-making process.

Professional Development Guides for the Afterschool Training Toolkit (2008)
For use with the online Afterschool Training Toolkit, these free guides give program directors and site coordinators resources for leading professional development courses on building engaging afterschool activities.

Professional Learning Communities: An Ongoing Exploration (2000)
This book reviews the five dimensions along which a school staff must operate to develop a professional learning community and discusses the role such a community plays in school reform.

Professional Learning Communities: Communities of Continuous Inquiry and Improvement (1997)
This literature review includes examples of schools that have organized professional learning communities and discusses five dimensions of those communities: supportive and shared leadership, shared values and vision, collective creativity, supportive conditions, and shared personal practice. The publication also discusses steps for transforming a school into a professional learning community.

Professional Learning Communities: What Are They and Why Are They Important?: Issues About Change, Volume 6, Number 1 (1997)
This lucid review of the research on professional learning communities defines five important attributes of professional learning communities and identifies the outcomes they deliver to staff and students.

Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle, Georgetown School District (2011)
SEDL's Research and Evaluation staff conducted an evaluation of the extent to which the PTLC process was changing teaching and learning in the Georgetown County School District. This report summarizes recent evaluation findings regarding the achievement of expected outcomes associated with the process.

Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle, Lancaster School District (2011)
SEDL's Research and Evaluation staff conducted an evaluation of the extent to which the PTLC process was changing teaching and learning in the Lancaster County School District. This report summarizes recent evaluation findings regarding the achievement of expected outcomes associated with the process.

Progress Report to Districts and Schools: SEDL's Working Systemically Model (2003)
A report of the findings based on analyses of more than 260 interviews with teachers, administrators, parents, and other staff and field notes of SEDL coordinators who worked with the districts.

Rapid Response: Career And Technical Education (2008)
This resource was developed in response to a request: "A state department of education (SDE) served by the Southeast Comprehensive Center has requested that the SECC identify successful U.S. high schools that focus more on technical rather than traditional academic subjects. Also, the SDE would like information on the following: 1. Do these schools require Carnegie units? How are technical courses coded if Carnegie units are awarded? 2. How is credit given for technical job-training classes? 3. What types of terminal degrees are offered at these schools?

Rapid Response: Compensation Strategies to Address Teacher Shortages (2012)
This resource was produced in response to a request from a state department of education (SDE) served by the Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) at SEDL that requested information regarding teacher shortages, specifically merit pay, compensation strategies, and other actions taken or under consideration by SDEs to address this issue.

Rapid Response: Early Childhood Education Curricula and Programs for PreK Students (2008)
This resource was produced by SEDL's Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) in response to a request from a state department of education for a list of research-based early childhood education curricula and programs for preK students that address both reading and math readiness. Additional discussion of early childhood curricula and related SECC work can be found in the SECC Spotlight newsletter.

Rapid Response: Educating Overage Students (2008)
This resource was produced in response to a request: "A state department of education would like information on how states are educating overage students who may be at least two grades behind and are at risk of dropping out of high school. In particular, some districts want to enroll students with their age group, in an alternative setting, or in a vocational program."

Rapid Response: Professional Development Connected to Student Achievement in STEM Education (2012)
The Southeast Comprehensive Center at SEDL produced this resource in response to a request by a state department of education for information about professional development for teachers on student achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

Rapid Response: Project-based Learning (2008)
This resource was produced in response to a request: "How are states across the nation using project-based learning (PBL)? Has PBL been implemented in elementary, middle, and high schools? If so, when was it implemented, and what results have schools and districts experienced?" In response to this request, the Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) queried several state departments of education as well as the REL Southeast at the SERVE Center, the National High School Center, and the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) to obtain information on the use of PBL in schools nationwide.

Rapid Response: Response to Intervention (RtI) Policy (2009)
In 2007, a state department of education served by the Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) requested information regarding state policies on RtI. SECC staff consulted the scholarly literature on education policy in the United States in order to provide a backdrop for discussion of state policies focused on RtI. Staff also reviewed the resources identified in a previous rapid response and conducted searches of state Web sites for revised or additional information regarding formal RtI policy.

Rapid Response: Response to Intervention Implementation and Monitoring (2009)
In 2007, two state departments of education served by the Southeast Comprehensive Center requested information on monitoring tools or instruments to assess the quality of district/school implementation of response to intervention. This rapid response offers an update to the information previously provided.

Rapid Response: Response to Intervention Practices (2008)
SEDL's Southeast Comprehensive Center developed this resource in response to a request from a state department of education for the following information about Response to Intervention practices: For Tiers II and III, what does the research indicate about pupil/teacher ratios for optimal or maximum small group instruction? Do small group size numbers change with grade levels? What does the research indicate about intervention effectiveness beyond implementation fidelity—group size, minutes per day, and days per week?

Rapid Response: Response to Intervention Progress Monitoring Resources for Grades K–12 (2009)
SEDL's Southeast Comprehensive Center developed this resource in response to a request from a state department of education for information on response to intervention progress monitoring resources for K–12 reading, writing, and mathematics.

Rapid Response: School Restructuring (2009)
This resource was developed in response to a request from a state departments of education in the Southeast Comprehensive Center’s region that had started the process of working on a takeover plan and wanted to compile research from other states in the area of school and district takeover. The requestor was interested in the development of a white paper on this process thus far in other states, to provide possible direction for its state.

Rapid Response: State Policies for Parental Notification of Response to Intervention Processes (2008)
SEDL's Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) developed this resource in response to a request: "Do other states in the southeastern region have written policies regarding Response to Intervention and how do those states inform parents of the process?" In response, the SECC queried several state departments of education to obtain the requested information.

Rapid Response: Strategies for Improving Achievement in High-Needs Schools (2008)
This resource was produced in response to a request: "Are there states that have had success in improving achievement at high-needs schools? What strategies have been successful?" In response to this request, the Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) queried numerous organizations by e-mail and telephone. The SECC also used several Web search engines to obtain information on strategies for improving achievement in high-needs schools. The results are provided along with references and resources that may provide additional information on this topic.

Rapid Response: Studies of Mathematics Software Programs (2011)
This resource was developed in response to a request for information regarding the use of the My Math Lab project and similar math software programs (i.e., Plato, Aleks, Math in Focus, and others), and information on the effectiveness of math software programs in practice. In response to this request, staff conducted web-based and hand searches of literature and other resources to obtain information on the topic. The staff selected for inclusion in this report mathematics software products based on the following criteria: Specific products that were requested by the client, products with studies available that were evaluated in accordance with the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence review protocol for elementary school mathematics interventions (WWC, 2009d) and evidence review protocol for middle school mathematics interventions (WWC, 2009e), and products for which studies have been published in peer-reviewed journals and in other publications.

Rapid Response: Web-Based State Longitudinal Data Systems (2009)
This resource was produced in response to a request from a state department of education (SDE) served by the Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC). The SDE requested information on Web-based state data systems that can generate customized reports for stakeholders for analyzing student and school performance. The SDE also would like to identify any states that have Web-based data systems that guide school improvement planning through the retrieval of school data; multiyear, disaggregated student assessment data; and suggested resources for addressing areas in need of improvement. The requester is particularly interested in obtaining access to view other data systems, such as those in the states of Massachusetts and Iowa.

Reaching Out to Diverse Populations: What Can Schools Do to Foster Family-School Connections? (2005)
This strategy brief includes strategies schools can use to promote involvement of families from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Readiness: School, Family, & Community Connections (2004)
The fourth research synthesis focusing on family and community connections with schools describes 48 research studies on the contextual factors associated with children's school readiness.

Reading Assessment Database for Grades PreK–3 (2006)
This database, a complementary tool to the Cognitive Foundations of Learning to Read: A Framework, enables reading teachers to search for preK–3 reading assessments that test the framework's 14 reading skills.

Reading First Notebook: The Newsletter for the Reading First Program (2005)
The Reading First Notebook was published on a quarterly basis from 2004 to 2006, and is now available online for download in pdf format. The newsletter provided thematic issues covering topics such as assessment, professional development, and instruction for special population students.

Realizing School Improvement through Understanding the Change Process: Issues About Change, Volume 1, Number 1 (1990)
This paper focuses on two important questions that you need to answer when implementing successful school change: What exactly is the innovation? What happens to the educators who implement new programs and ideas in their schools and classrooms?

Registry of Systematic Reviews (2009)
This registry, produced in part by SEDL’s National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR), provides access to quality systematic reviews of disability and rehabilitation research studies. The studies address topics relevant to researchers, service providers, and people with disabilities and their families.

REL 2004 Policy Forum - Closing the Achievement Gap: School Resources and Beyond (2004)

From 2001-2005, SEDL invited a regional network of education policymakers and influencers to an annual policy forum. These policymakers come from state departments of education, legislative committees, and governor's offices in the five states in the region: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The participants exchanged information on topics of common interest, and also heard about the latest developments in research, policy, and practice from national experts on the topics featured.

The Policy Forums held during SEDL’s 2001-2005 Regional Educational Laboratory contract with the U.S. Department of Education focused on the topics of school finance, instructional spending, teacher quality, and student achievement.

This forum was help on September 27-28, 2004 in Austin, TX.

REL 2005 Policy Forum - Pay and Performance: Teacher Resource Policy (2005)

This forum was help on September 29-30, 2005 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Research on the Brain: Classroom Compass - Volume 3 Number 2 (1997)
This newsletter for teachers highlights some relevant theories and findings from cognitive research and links them to classroom applications.

Research-Based Strategies for Teaching Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics to ELs at the Secondary Level: Texas Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, Number 9 (2012)
This article provides useful research-based information for educators and others seeking to support English learners (ELs) at the secondary level in social studies, science, and mathematics. The article may also prove helpful for those who would like to learn about factors that influence the educational achievement of this significant and growing number of students. Furthermore, the authors provide some general strategies used in English as a Second Language (ESL) programs to demonstrate the distinction between ESL and the content needs of ELs.

Response to Intervention (RtI) 2009 Regional Summit on Funding Models (2009)
The objectives of the Response to Intervention Summit on Funding Models were to increase knowledge of funding models for RtI implementation, to develop strategies and action steps for addressing RtI funding, and to increase networking opportunities for improved implementation of funding models

School Finance Adequacy: The State Role: (Insights on Education Policy, Practice, and Research, Number 16) (2004)
Perhaps the most visible school finance issue today is adequacy. Defined as the provision of adequate resources to enable all children to meet a stateÕs proficiency standards, school finance adequacy is being addressed in some way in almost every state, especially since the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has upped the ante with its Adequate Yearly Progress provisions. At the same time, most states and districts are facing reduced revenue growth and tighter budgets. State governments in particular feel this pinch because in recent years they have assumed increased fiscal responsibility for funding education. In this issue, we discuss how adequacy can be determined and the challenges it presents to policymakers.

Schools as Learning Communities: Issues About Change, Volume 4, Number 1 (1994)
This publication describes how four principals transformed an urban elementary school in New Orleans into a learning community, with the help of parents, students, and faculty.

Science As Inquiry: Classroom Compass - Volume 2 Number 1 (1995)
This newsletter for teachers concentrates on discovering new science understanding which focuses on science and mathematics for all.

Science in Afterschool: An Instructor's Guide to the Afterschool Training Toolkit (2008)
The five promising practices in afterschool for science identified in the Afterschool Training Toolkit are as follows: Investigating Science Through Inquiry; Exploring Science Through Projects and Problems; Integrating Science Across the Curriculum; Engaging Families and Communities in Science; Tutoring to Enhance Science Skills. When used with the Afterschool Training Toolkit, the lessons in this instructor’s guide will help you master these promising practices. Once you become proficient at these practices, you should be able to use them to develop other science lessons.

Secondary Content-Area Literacy: Time for Crisis or Opportunity for Reform?: Texas Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, Number 12 (2012)
This brief examines the critical need to implement instruction at the secondary level around adolescent, or content-area, literacy. The challenge is to connect the teaching of literacy to the rest of the secondary education improvement agenda.

SEDL 2007 Annual Report: Teach. Discover. Solve. Engage. Learn. (2008)
2007 was a memorable year for SEDL. Read about our work in the Recovery School District in New Orleans, about how we train early-career researchers, about our work to change schools in Texas, and much more in SEDL's 2007 annual report.

SEDL 2008 Annual Report: Innovative Strategies, Winning Results (2009)
Our 2008 annual report shares SEDL's accomplishments for the year. Highlights include showing teachers in rural New Mexico how to integrate technology into instruction, providing professional development resources for afterschool leaders and instructors, and helping education leaders find effective ways to implement Response to Intervention.

SEDL 2009 Annual Report: Solving Problems, Changing Lives (2010)
Our 2009 annual report shares SEDL's accomplishments for the year. Highlights include conducting research studies of reading programs, providing training for disability researchers, and leading professional development to help teachers improve classroom instruction in South Carolina schools.

SEDL 2010 Annual Report: Roadmaps to Results (2011)
SEDL's 2010 annual report provides an overview of our successes and achievements for the past year. Highlights include our national research projects, the ongoing work of our two comprehensive centers, and our fee-for-service work with districts and schools to improve teaching and learning.

SEDL 2011 Annual Report: Getting the Edge (2012)
Our 2011 annual report provides an overview of our successes and achievements for the past year. Highlights include the ongoing work of our comprehensive centers in building state capacity, our fee-for-service work with districts and schools to improve teaching and learning, our upcoming revision of Paso Partners (renamed Mosaic), and our research and evaluation work.

SEDL 2012 Annual Report: Open the Possibilities (2012)
Highlights of our 2012 annual report include accomplishments of our Center for High-Performing Schools, the work of our Southeast and Texas Comprehensive Centers, news on SEDL's Center on Knowledge Translation for Disability and Rehabilitation Research, and an update on our Louisiana Striving Readers Research Study.

SEDL 2013 Annual Report: Evidence to Practice (2013)
Highlights from our 2013 annual report include the innovative research alliances that are guiding the work of the Regional Educational Laboratories, the regional concerns addressed by the Southeast and Texas Comprehensive Centers, and the Center for High-Performing Schools’ research-based strategies to support improved reading outcomes for students in New Mexico.

SEDL Insights, Vol. 1, No. 1: Leadership Actions for Transforming Schools (2013)
Effective leadership is a crucial part of school improvement. Yet leaders at schools in the process of transformation often struggle with how to best guide their staff and students to better outcomes. Our experiences serving as turnaround principals in Texas and South Carolina and then working with underperforming schools while at SEDL have revealed insights on the core actions that leaders take in successfully leading school transformations. These actions can create the conditions needed to shape a school culture where teaching and learning can improve.

SEDL Insights, Vol. 1, No. 2: Managing the Implementation of School Improvement Efforts (2013)
For a school improvement initiative to succeed, education leaders must do more than adopt a new program and train staff. This issue of SEDL Insights explores steps that leaders can take to ensure the successful implementation of a new program or practice.

SEDL Insights, Vol. 1, No. 3: Increasing the Effectiveness of Literacy Coaches (2013)
Many districts turn to literacy coaches to deliver professional development, follow-up, and support in implementing evidence-based instructional practices and programs. While literacy coaches offer an effective job-embedded professional learning mechanism for teachers, districts should also provide professional development opportunities for literacy coaches This issue of SEDL Insights how education leaders can help literacy coaches have the greatest impact at their schools.

SEDL Insights, Vol. 1, No. 4: Teaching Mathematics Conceptually (2014)

Mathematics instruction in the United States has historically focused on procedures, facts, and algorithms. Because of that focus, mathematics instruction, in essence, becomes lessons in arithmetic and efficiency. While there are promising changes occurring in mathematics instruction, we still need to help both teachers and students develop a more conceptual understanding of mathematics. This issue of SEDL Insights helps educators shift from helping students memorize rules to facilitating a deeper understanding of mathematics concepts.

SEDL Insights, Vol. 2, No. 1: Building Supportive Relationships in Afterschool (2014)

Afterschool programs can help students develop knowledge to enhance academic success while also providing them with opportunities to develop social and problem-solving skills. In our work with afterschool programs, we have seen that positive relationships with school-day personnel, families, community members, and between and among program staff and students help these programs thrive. This issue of SEDL Insights explores how afterschool practitioners can build strong relationships that benefit all stakeholders.

SEDL Insights, Vol. 2, No. 2: How Districts Can Lay the Groundwork for Lasting Family Engagement (2014)
Family engagement in a student’s education can lead to improved student academic achievement, attendance, and behavior. Yet many districts and schools still struggle to form strong partnerships with the families they serve. Having a supportive district-level infrastructure is key to the success and sustainability of family engagement initiatives.

SEDL Insights, Vol. 2, No. 3: Implementing Effective Professional Learning Communities (2014)
“Professional learning communities,” the name given to teachers’ collaborative professional learning—or PLCs, as they are often called—has become so overused that we often don’t think about the term’s meaning. Only when teachers reflect on their instructional practice, consider the impact instruction has on students, and implement insights gained from a meeting to improve their teaching performance, can this process be called a professional learning community. This issue of SEDL Insights explores ways that education leaders can guide their staff in the implementation of effective PLCs.

SEDL Insights, Vol. 3, No. 1: Teaching Content-Area Literacy and Disciplinary Literacy (2015)
This issue of SEDL Insights focuses on two types of literacy that are crucial to helping students become college and career ready: content-area literacy and disciplinary literacy.

SEDL Letter Volume XXI, Number 1: Improving School Performance (2009)
School improvement isn’t just about schools. It’s also about students and teachers, and how education leaders at all levels—state, district, school, and classroom—work together to help students succeed. This issue of SEDL Letter explores school improvement in a variety of areas.

SEDL Letter Volume XXII, Number 1: Science, Technology, and Math (2010)
In this issue of SEDL Letter, we address challenges and solutions related to science, technology, engineering, and Math (STEM) instruction. We describe three different professional development projects, where SEDL content experts are helping teachers provide instruction in math, science, and technology—or some combination of the three—more effectively and in a more integrated way. We examine the importance of evaluation in helping educators identify and meet goals on STEM-related projects. We also review a research report on ways that instructors can engage students, especially those who are underrepresented in STEM fields.

SEDL Letter Volume XXII, Number 2: Linking Research and Practice (2010)
New challenges and opportunities in the area of research use have prompted us to explore how practitioners use research and evidence to inform their work. This issue of SEDL Letter examines what researchers themselves have learned about the use of education research over the past several years, how the use of data is shaping instruction, and knowledge translation in the Disability Research to Practice program. We also provide an interview with the Institute of Education Sciences’ communications director, Tracy Dell’Angela.

SEDL Letter, Vol. XVI, No. 2: Changing High Schools, Changing Our Future (2004)
This issue of SEDL Letter explores how high schools are creating new learning environments to better meet the needs of a changing student population.

SEDL Letter, Volume XIV, Number 3 (Dec. 2002): Putting Reading First (2002)
This issue of SEDL Letter focuses on early reading instruction and assessment, including topics such as reading and migrant students and the importance of phonemic awareness.

SEDL Letter, Volume XIX, Number 1: Developing a Staff of Learners (2007)
This issue of SEDL Letter examines various forms of on-the-job professional development as well as standards of effective professional development.

SEDL Letter, Volume XIX, Number 2 (Oct. 2007): Reading: Practices to Help Improve Instruction (2007)
This issue of SEDL Letter examines ways to strengthen literacy through father-child interactions and systemic approaches, including Response to Intervention and school improvement.

SEDL Letter, Volume XV, Number 1 (Dec. 2003): Improving Achievement In Mathematics and Science (2003)
This issue of SEDL Letter examines issues related to improving math and science achievement, including the importance of providing a foundation in algebraic thinking well before high school.

SEDL Letter, Volume XVII, Number 1: Reaching Our Reading Goals (2005)
This issue of SEDL Letter is devoted to topics related to reading instruction, including the role of literacy coaches, how to motivate readers, and instruction to improve comprehension.

SEDL Letter, Volume XVII, Number 2: Leadership for Learning (2005)
This issue of SEDL Letter discusses strategies that can help education leaders ensure that students are well served.

SEDL Letter, Volume XVIII, Number 1: Time for Achievement - Afterschool and Out-of-School Time (2006)
Afterschool and out-of-school programs across the country are providing students with more than a place to hang out after school. In this issue of SEDL Letter, read about promising practices and new research findings related to afterschool programs.

SEDL Letter, Volume XVIII, Number 2: A Culture of Data (2006)
Building a culture of quality data means administrators, teachers, and other staff members must have access to the data they need and must know how to analyze the data and use it to make instructional decisions. The current issue of SEDL Letter examines these issues. It looks at a recent research study about state data and discusses how school staffs can take the first steps in learning to analyze data effectively.

SEDL Letter, Volume XVIII, Number 3: 40 Years of SEDL's Building Knowledge to Support Learning (2006)
This issue of SEDL Letter celebrates SEDL's history and touches upon new work.

SEDL Letter, Volume XX, Number 1 (April 2008): Making the Most of Middle School (2008)
This issue of SEDL Letter tackles issues facing middle school educators—the lack of a national policy addressing these years, how U.S. middle schoolers are falling behind in math compared to their peers abroad, whether we should return to a K–8 system, and how afterschool programs can support middle schools.

SEDL Letter, Volume XX, Number 2 (Aug. 2008): Afterschool, Family, and Community (2008)
This issue of SEDL Letter is devoted to topics centered around afterschool and family and community involvement, with a focus on what the latest research shows.

SEDL's Working Systemically Model: Final Report (2006)
From December 2000 through December 2005, the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) developed and refined a systemic model to improve student achievement in reading or mathematics in sites composed of low-performing districts and schools. This report describes the Working Systemically model developed under this contract, presenting analyses of data related to its impact in 12 sites distributed across SEDL's five-state region.

Shared Features of High-Performing After-School Programs: A Follow-Up to the TASC Evaluation (2005)
This study examined high-performing after-school projects funded by The After-School Corporation (TASC), to determine what characteristics, if any, these projects shared. Evaluators reanalyzed student performance data collected during the multiyear evaluation of the TASC initiative to identify projects where the TASC afterschool program was especially likely to have contributed to improvements in studentsÕ academic achievement.

Site-Based Decision-Making: Its Potential for Enhancing Learned Outcomes: Issues About Change, Volume 1, Number 4 (1991)
This paper defines site-based decision-making, looks at new roles developed when site-based decision-making takes place, and explains how site-based decision-making is linked to learner outcomes.

Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 1, Number 1: Rapid Response Services (2006)

Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 2, Number 1: Teaching Academic English to Ensure the Success of English Language Learners (2007)
This issue of eBulletin, published quarterly, focuses on strategies for helping English language learners (ELLs) develop academic English.

Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 2, Number 2: The Challenge of Educational Leadership (2008)

The message for leaders is clear—relationships matter, and character counts. Time must be spent developing and mentoring strong ethical leaders who understand that trusting relationships among adults and among children and adults will determine the success of our students. The challenges for educational leadership are many, but the journey toward best responses is interesting and important work.

Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 2, Number 3: Teacher Quality Reports and Resources (2008)

Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 3, Number 1: School Turnarounds-Recommendations, Actions, and Results (2008)
This issue of the Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin provides information from the Center on Improvement & Innovation and the Institute for Education Sciences regarding evidence-based practices for turning around chronically low-performing schools.

Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 3, Number 2: Effective Interventions for Dropout Prevention (2008)
This edition of the Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin highlights effective interventions for dropout prevention.

Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 3, Number 3: Final Report of National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2009)
Student effort matters! This is just one of the findings of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel in its 2008 report titled Foundations for Success—The Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. This 120-page report addresses one central question: How can schools in the United States improve mathematics curriculum, instruction, assessment, teacher training and support so that all American students learn mathematics so that they can compete with students from other nations? In the report, the advisory panel discusses 45 findings and recommendations on key topics, such as instructional practices, materials, professional development, and assessments. The authors stress the importance of knowledgeable teachers, effective instruction, effective assessment, and the need for rigorous research in mathematics education.

Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 3, Number 4: SECC RtI Funding (2009)
In February, 2009, SECC convened key leaders from SEAs in six southeastern states to discuss various approaches to funding Response to Intervention (RtI) during a summit held in Atlanta, GA. Participants attended an interactive session by representatives of various offices in the U.S. Department of Education (Title I, Title III, and the Office of Special Education Programs) to gain insight into fiscal policies that support the implementation of RtI and what is allowable under specific provisions of federal law. Based on information from SECC's evaluation and debriefing session on the summit, this edition of the SECC eBulletin discusses important lessons that were learned.

Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 4, Number 1: Improving Teacher Quality and Equitable Distribution of Effective Teachers (2009)
In this edition of the Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) eBulletin we highlight the issues of teacher quality and the equitable distribution of effective teachers. We hope that the information included in this issue will provide you details on research and practice occurring both nationally and within our region. Be sure to read the stories from our states about their work in this area to find some innovative strategies for addressing both the teacher effectiveness issue and the teacher shortage issue that exists in some areas.

Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 4, Number 2: Adopting Rigorous College- and Career-Ready Standards and High-Quality Assessments (2009)
In this edition of the eBulletin, we highlight the issues of raising standards, ensuring access to rigorous curricula and assessments, and ensuring that every child is both work and college ready upon graduation. With the increased emphasis placed on these issues in recent years through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and through a growing body of research in this area, our nation is actively addressing the issues of college and work readiness.

Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 4, Number 3: Turning Around Low-Performing Schools (2010)
This issue of the Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin summarizes some of the best practices in turning around schools and provide readers with references and resources to gain a deeper knowledge of the literature on turning around low-performing schools and strategies to help state departments and districts in their attempt to reform challenging schools.

Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 5, Number 1: Strengthening Literacy Programs and Instruction (2010)
This issue of the Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin focuses on literacy, specifically on how states can strengthen their literacy programs or plans and provide effective professional development and technical assistance for high-need districts in their efforts to implement quality literacy instruction.

Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 5, Number 2: Increasing High School Graduation Rates and Improving College Enrollment for High-Need Students (2011)
This edition of the Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin highlights data on high school graduation rates.

Southeast Comprehensive Center eBulletin, Volume 5, Number 3: Improving School Readiness and Success for Children (2011)
In this edition of the Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) eBulletin we highlight school readiness, how early experiences matter, the role of preschool in supporting
readiness, and state and local efforts to implement recommendations from the National Governors Association (NGA).

Southeast Comprehensive Center Spotlight (2009)
The Southeast CC Spotlight highlights resources, materials, technical assistance, and professional development services offered by the Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) at SEDL. The newsletter also focuses on the work that SECC does with the states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina to build their capacity to implement the programs and goals of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).

Southeast Comprehensive Center Spotlight, Volume 1, Number 3: Early Childhood Education Programs and Curricula for PreK Students (2008)
This issue of the Southeast Comprehensive Center Spotlight newsletter summarizes the Rapid Response research document of the same title.

Staff Development and Change Process: Cut from the Same Cloth: Issues About Change, Volume 4, Number 2 (1994)
This informative document spells out the firm relationship between effective staff development and successful change programs. It covers six success strategies that can help ensure your staff development program will serve as a potent motivator of school change initiatives.

State Mathematics and Science Curriculum Framework Development & Implementation: A Case Study Synthesis (1997)
This study compares and contrasts the development and implementation frameworks in 16 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Stepping Stones: A Texas Migrant Early Childhood Program for 3- and 4-Year-Olds (2012)

This home-based migrant preschool program provides 100 lessons aligned to the Revised Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines. The lessons, available in both English and Spanish, are organized around early learning themes or units. A manual to guide home educators and migrant program coordinators is included.

Students: How They View Learning and Their Schools: Issues About Change, Volume 5, Number 3 (1995)
This concise summary of SEDL case studies reveals how students define successful learning, how students perceive classroom relationships, what motivates students to succeed in school, how students see teachers' actions as helpful to learning, and how students wish their teachers would act.

Superintendents of Small Districts and School Improvement: Planning, Providing Resources, and Professional Development: Issues About Change, Volume 3, Number 1 (1993)
This paper details how the superintendents of rural and small school districts planned for and provided resources and staff development—and how they used these improvements to implement successful school change.

Support Student Transition From Middle to High School: Texas Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, Number 1 (2010)
This brief was developed by SEDL's Texas Comprehensive Center to answer the question, "What strategies can be implemented to aid students and their parents in the transition from eighth grade into high school?" The transition from eighth grade to high school results in a higher drop-out rate and more grade retentions than any other grade. However, when districts and schools develop and implement a sound transition program, the outcomes for ninth graders are improved.

Supporting Sustainability Efforts in School Turnaround (2013)
Staff members from states in the Southeast Region met with their counterparts in the area of school turnaround and learned from experts in the field from the U.S. Department of Education and other organizations.

Taking Charge of Change (2006; 2nd printing, with minor additions and corrections, 2008; revised version uploaded on Lulu.com, 2014.)
This easy-to-read introduction to the Concerns-Based Adoption Model is a cornerstone in the school-change literature. The book provides concepts, tools, and techniques that educators can use to facilitate school change and improvement programs.

Teacher as Facilitator: Classroom Compass - Volume 1 Number 1 (1994)
This newsletter's main article, Working for Reform, looks at the idea of teacher as facilitator - a basic part of the reformed classroom.

Teacher Preparation Programs: Research and Promising Practices: Texas Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, Number 11 (2012)

The literature on teacher preparation programs in the United States is extensive. However, there is limited scientifically based research on what kind of program produces effective teachers; rather, the literature consists mostly of calls for change in teacher preparation programs. Almost all experts agree that major changes are needed in these programs, with the emphasis being to produce teachers who are effective in enhancing student learning.

This paper reports evidence-based research and offers suggestions based on studies that include theoretical work, qualitative analysis, statistical analysis, and randomized experience that could provide strong causal evidence of the effects of teacher preparation on student learning.

Teacher Resources and Student Achievement in High-Need Schools (2006)
With the growing federal, state, and local policy emphasis on teacher quality and student achievement, the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) investigated teacher resources and their relationship to student achievement in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. The purpose of this study was to provide policymakers with information about the relationship between teacher salary, experience, and education, and the relationship between these teacher resources and student achievement, particularly in high-need schools.

Technology in Afterschool: A Guide to Using the Afterschool Training Toolkit for Professional Development (2008)
This guide focuses on using a practical staff development model for learning about the six technology practices featured in the Afterschool Training Toolkit and how they can support learning. Each technology practice is introduced with two to four activities ranging in length from 15 to 20 minutes. Activities include watching videos, planning lessons, and reading related resources.

Technology in Afterschool: An Instructor's Guide to the Afterschool Training Toolkit (2008)
The six promising practices in afterschool technology identified in the Afterschool Training Toolkit are as follows: Developing Self-Expression and Creativity; Gathering and Sharing Information; Finding and Solving Problems; Living and Working With Technology; Learning in Virtual Spaces; Building Skills and Understanding. When used with the Afterschool Training Toolkit, the lessons in this instructor’s guide will help you master these promising practices. Once you become proficient at these practices, you should be able to use them to develop other technology lessons.

Teenage Parents and Their Educational Attainment: Texas Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, Number 5 (2011)
Becoming a parent, at any age, can be a life-altering experience. Regardless of race, education, and socio-economic status, motherhood—and fatherhood—uniformly places demands on one’s life that were non-existent prior to the birth of a child. When school-aged students become parents, the new responsibilities can be overwhelming. For teenage parents who lack support from their own parents, this experience can be even more daunting as they seek support in adult-oriented systems, which even older parents may find challenging.

Texas Focus, Vol. 1, No. 4 (2008): Collecting, Interpreting and Using Data in the Working Systemically Approach (2008)
This issue of Texas Focus, published by SEDL’s Texas Comprehensive Center, discusses the importance of data—including assessment data—in the Working Systemically model of school improvement.

Texas Focus: The Newsletter of the Texas Comprehensive Center (2009)
Meeting the goals of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is tough for everyone involved—schools, districts, and states. That's why the Texas Comprehensive Center (TXCC) is producing Texas Focus, a quarterly newsletter. Each edition will focus on challenges that Texas educators face. In addition, the newsletter offers a review of the TXCC's recent events and activities as well as national news regarding NCLB. We hope you will find information here that stimulates your thinking and increases your knowledge about resources, practices, and programs that support the achievement of the goals and purposes of NCLB.

The Arts and Afterschool Programs: A Research Synthesis (2008)
This research synthesis examines the intrinsic and extrinsic value of arts instruction in afterschool programs and the extent to which arts instruction enhances overall learning and academic achievement.

The Challenge of Evidence in Disability and Rehabilitation Research and Practice: A Position Paper (2009)
This paper states the position of the National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) Task Force on Standards of Evidence and Methods (TFSE) regarding the need for (a) the thoughtful determination of research evidence on the basis of both the rigor of the research and the relevance of the research to the lives of people with disabilities; and (b) systems that facilitate our ability, on a timely basis, to describe what the best available evidence is in response to specific topical questions in disability and rehabilitation.

The National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning Randomized Controlled Trial Studies of Promising Afterschool Programs: Summary of Findings (2009)
SEDL provided analytic and technical support to three large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of promising literacy curricula in afterschool settings on student academic achievement. This research brief, the last in a three-part series, presents an overview of the studies and a summary of the implementation and findings across the 2 years of funding.

The Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle: Introduction (2008)
The professional teaching and learning cycle (PTLC) is a professional development process in which teachers collaboratively plan and implement lessons aligned to state standards. PTLC is a critical component of the Working Systemically approach that directly impacts classroom instruction and student learning.

The Rhythm of Mathematics: Classroom Compass, Vol. 4, No. 2, (Fall 1998) (1998)
This issue of Classroom Compass focuses on the Alvord School in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where instructors are using dance and music to make math more engaging for students.

The School-Family Connection: Looking at the Larger Picture, A Review of Current Literature (2008)
This review of family involvement literature published from 2005 to 2008 explores a range of family involvement programs, challenges, needs, strategies, and contexts.

The Trouble With Math Is English (2010)
The Trouble With Math Is English was presented by Como Molina at the Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching, San Antonio, TX, in July 2010.

The presentation slides for The trouble with Math is English are available online in PDF format. Click here for a text transcript of the slides.

The Use of Student Perceptual Data as a Measure of Teaching Effectiveness: Texas Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, Number 8 (2012)
States are carefully reviewing their teacher evaluation systems to make them more meaningful and comprehensive by including multiple measures. This paper looks at one of those multiple measures—the use of student perceptual data to inform a performance-based teacher evaluation.

Title III Supplemental Funds: Creative Ways to Support the Education of English Language Learners in Texas Schools: Texas Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, Number 4 (2010)
This report describes how two school districts in Texas supported the achievement of English language learners (ELLs) beyond classroom instruction, through ancillary education enrichment opportunities with Title III funds. These particular districts were identified as those with some of the most successful ELL programs, as determined by improvement in student achievement.

Total Quality: A Missing Piece for Educational Improvement: Issues About Change, Volume 3, Number 3 (1994)
This paper summarizes the Quality experiences of three educational organizations: an instructional services division, a school district, and a primary school. It also presents a lucid introduction to the Quality program while correlating its principles to school improvement strategies such as site-based decision-making.

Transforming Low-Performing Rural Schools: Texas Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, Number 10 (2012)
This brief examines how rural districts and schools can integrate the unique attributes and resources found in rural communities into improvement efforts to promote the transformation of low-performing schools.

Using Community Resources: Classroom Compass - Volume 3 Number 1 (1996)
This newsletter for teachers features Using Community Resources to Enhance Mathematics and Science Education, an introduction to SCIMAST's Directory of Science-Rich Resources.

Using Formative Assessment to Improve Student Achievement in the Core Content Areas: Southeast Comprehensive Center Briefing Paper, January 2012 (2012)
Since 2001, federal laws such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 have made raising student achievement standards the center of our national conversation. Consequently, educators have increasingly turned their attention to exploring the potential of formative assessments as one approach to increasing student outcomes in order to meet federal and state accountability requirements.

Vision, Leadership, and Change: Issues About Change, Volume 2, Number 3 (1993)
This paper focuses on vision, its definition, and how it is demonstrated in educators. It also provides a process for the collaborative development of a shared vision resulting in a vision statement.

What Can a Mathematics Teacher Do for the English Language Learner? (2009)
Based on a 2006 professional development session for math and ESL specialists, this online interactive document includes teaching strategies for ELLs at various levels, critical components to include when designing math lessons for ELLs, and a list of relevant resources.

What Do We Mean by "Family and Community Connections with Schools?" (2002)
This strategy brief was produced by SEDL's National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools, part of SEDL's Regional Educational Laboratory contract. The Center links people with research-based information and resources that they can use to effectively connect schools, families, and communities.

What Works? Common Practices in High Functioning Afterschool Programs: The National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning Final Report (2008)
In an effort to identify and incorporate quality practices into existing and future afterschool programs, the U.S. Department of Education commissioned the National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning (National Partnership) to study high functioning 21st Century Community Learning Center programs. The purpose of this study was to document practices to be used to develop resources and professional development that address issues relating to the establishment and sustainability of afterschool programs, to provide models and indicators of promising practices, and to highlight other descriptive information that local sites can access in planning new afterschool programs or improve existing ones.

When the Best Is the Enemy of the Good: The Nature of Research Evidence Used in Systematic Reviews and Guidelines (2009)
The Task Force on Systematic Review and Guidelines developed this paper to explore critical issues related to the "gold standard" for research designs, the emergence of systematic reviews, and the implications for evidence-based rehabilitation and clinical practice.

Will our Phones Go Dead? The Changing Role of the Central Office: Issues About Change, Volume 2, Number 4 (1993)
This paper proposes new roles for central office staff, illustrated with examples from three school districts. It explains site-based management, lists nine metaphors used to describe the new administrator's functions, and describes three school districts undergoing transformation from central control to site-based management.

Working Systemically in Action: Engaging Family & Community (2010)
Many educators recognize the importance of family and community involvement in school improvement efforts and are seeking to reframe the way they engage these groups. This publication, which supplements Working Systemically in Action: A Facilitator’s Guide (No longer available, as the publication has been replaced by the book, Getting Serious About the System), provides practical guidance for educators who are seeking to engage family and community members in systemic school improvement efforts.

Year One and Year Two: What Do You Do in Comprehensive School Improvement?: Issues About Change, Volume 9, Number 2 (2000)
This briefing paper discusses the experiences of SEDL staff as they worked with partner schools during the first and second year of implementing a school improvement plan.

A-Z List of Free SEDL Publications

There are 252 free resources available to you.

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A-Z List of Free SEDL Publications

There are 252 free resources available to you.

Free ResourcesSubject Areas

Additional Options

Periodicals

Free Resources
Subject Areas