The expectation that teachers will use student achievement data to improve their instruction is a major feature of national and local reform agendas. The theory of action behind data-driven decision making is a mostly causal model of professional action, whereby teachers diagnose weaknesses and implement solutions. The purpose of this article is…

This article is a summary of findings from an extensive review of literature of research on educational reform originating at or being supported by various systemic levels. The goal of this review was to gain a better understanding of the factors influencing the improvement of education for racially and linguistic minority youth. We report…

The purpose of this article is to examine how the relationship between comprehensive school reform (CSR) and state accountability systems helps or hinders school improvement efforts. This article draws on case study data collected in schools in 3 states that received funding to implement reforms through the federal CSR program. Findings show that…

Summarizes findings of diverse multi-year studies conducted by the Systemic and Policy Research team of the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk. Results of 16 projects and more than 300 case studies suggest that efforts to implement diverse reforms are more likely to succeed when educators at different levels share…

Uses data from a study of 13 multicultural, multilingual schools, each implementing one of 6 externally developed reform designs, to examine the implementation process from an interactive perspective. Concludes that, although schools and design team actions were influential, state and school district forces were more important in determining…

Examines the successful efforts of a detracked urban middle school that attempted to simultaneously meet the requirements of both equity and educational excellence within a multicultural, racially mixed educational setting. Barriers and pitfalls of the program are discussed, as well as the links between heterogeneous grouping and multicultural…