This annual report highlights SREB's recent achievements and how its services are helping the 16 member states rise to the challenge of improving education at all levels. The report also includes remarks from the Board Chair and President, acknowledges chief contributors and lists members of the Board, Legislative Advisory Council and SREB staff.…

Higher standards, motivation and extra help go hand-in-hand in preparing students for success in the middle grades, high school, further education and careers. This newsletter highlights best practices in more than 20 middle grades and high schools that are meeting the challenge of raising expectations for all students, motivating them and…

This newsletter of best practices describes steps that schools have taken to establish a guidance and advisement system that helps students plan for and succeed in students high school, further study and careers. Articles in this issue include: (1) Advisory Program Boosts Achievement and Career Planning; (2) District-Wide Guidance Program Assists…

In elementary and secondary education governance, the need to build an effective system of public education is the driving force behind the selection of a state's key education leaders. This paper provides a snapshot of what state K-12 governance looks like in SREB states. (Contains 7 tables.)

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) follows education budgets and legislation during regular and special legislative sessions, from governors' proposals through final legislative actions in the 16 SREB states. This report includes legislative Web site addresses and descriptions, by state, of gubernatorial budgetary requests and proposals…

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) follows education budgets and legislation during regular and special legislative sessions, from governors' proposals through final legislative actions in the 16 SREB states. Reports include bill numbers and legislative Web site addresses to allow prompt access to current legislation. This report…

Nationwide, students in the middle grades and high school are failing to develop the reading and writing skills they need in order to meet higher academic standards. This report discusses the urgency of the problem and recommends that each Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) state develop a comprehensive set of policies that establishes…

Unfortunately, Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states are not immune to the economic slowdown sweeping the nation. States are taking action to bring budgets into balance while working to protect essential services and programs. In a 1991 report, "Coping With the Sluggish Economy," SREB noted the accelerated efforts to reshape schools and…

This report, part of the "Challenge to Lead" education goals series, documents the continued progress of SREB [Southern Regional Education Board] states in preparing early grades students for success in the middle grades--and beyond. It analyzes scores on state assessments and the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) and discusses what…

When the economy weakens, heightened consideration is given to ways in which schools can more efficiently use financial resources. Discussions about implementing four-day school weeks--with students attending school more hours each day--are surfacing again in some states. While the need to balance the budget is real, the current emphasis on…

By 2007, more than 950 charter schools, some of them nearly 15 years old, were operating in 13 SREB states, with enrollments approaching 350,000 students. This report explores how the achievement of charter school students in certain SREB states compares with the achievement of traditional public school students, and it examines roles of statewide…

In elementary and secondary education governance, the need to build an effective system of public education is the driving force behind the selection of a state's key education leaders. This paper provides a snapshot of what state K-12 governance looks like in SREB [Southern Regional Education Board] states. (Contains 3 footnotes and 6 tables.)

This report provides a plan that teachers and school supervisors can use to implement seven tips for improving instructional skills. Designed to be referred to regularly, it includes three levels of implementation, as well as recommendations for utilizing technology to support each tip. The seven recommendations include: (1) Use technology to help…

Using the "HSTW" ["High Schools That Work"] Assessment Reading Test results, SREB [Southern Regional Education Board] has identified a set of literacy-based experiences that may contribute to higher reading achievement. This report explains the different school and classroom practices experienced by students reading above and below the Proficient…

The authors advocate harnessing the applied teaching strategies of career/technical education (CTE) and infusing them into college-preparatory academics to transform secondary schools into high-performing centers of learning where students are both challenged and engaged. By pursuing this strategy, say the authors, states can help many more…