Community Colleges and K–12 Teacher Preparation (2000)

More effective use of the community college in teacher preparation can be a major factor in resolving the teacher shortage and teacher quality issues. This policy brief addresses the role of community colleges and teacher preparation and provides recommendations to assist in developing effective programs.

Improving Basic Education for All Learners: The Role of Arts Education (1998)

This policy brief, undertaken in collaboration with the Southern Arts Federation, defines arts education as the teaching of four distinct subject areas—music, dance, theater arts, and visual arts—by certified arts educators. It suggests a mechanism to improve the performance of all students, particularly in the basics (reading, writing, and mathematics) and reports on selected research information in brain development.

Leandro: The Merging of Adequacy and Standards-Based Reforms (2001)

This policy brief addresses the North Carolina lawsuit on the state constitutional right to education, commonly referred to as Leandro. While the litigation is of greatest significance to North Carolina, it likely will cause a ripple effect in others, as courts, legislators, and policymakers look beyond their own state boundaries for new approaches to educational reform.

Milestones in Rural Education 1950–2000 (2001)

Over the past 50 years, rural education has seen numerous milestones—benchmarks signaling a significant change in research perspective or policy direction. This special report summarizes major rural education milestones that clearly show rural education at it's best, emphasizing the value of place, roots, and community involvement, which contribute to the healthy development of children.

Summer School: Research-Based Recommendations for Policymakers (2001)

This policy brief reviews research on the effectiveness of summer school programs. It offers a short history of the current school calendar and a summary of research examining the impact of the long summer break on students' achievement test scores, along with a history of summer school and its goals. The brief also presents research on whether summer school is effective and, if so, which program characteristics are associated with the most effective programs.