In my view, the concept of program evaluation represented by NCLB's scientifically based research provisions is the most important issue in federal education policy the candidates don’t discuss. This week’s Letter addresses the options available if a Presidential candidate decides to take a position.

However minor my role in the development of Senator McCain’s education policy, I think it’s better for all concerned if the relationship is placed on the table at a time when it is least likely to influence or be influenced by campaign events - or be characterized as such.

The Department of Education intends to make a sole source award to the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), located in Washington, D.C.

The ability of schools and districts to offer employees low cost car and home insurance can only improve the attractiveness of job offers and employee retention. Something for full-service providers to add to their stable of offerings, or firms involved in teacher recruitment to suggest to their clients?

The NW Education Cluster has been reviewing progress towards the goals established back in September 2007.

If I were a gambling man, I would not bet in favor of the candidates tackling SBR, but this outcome is not inevitable .It is quite unlikely that campaign directors will be all that interested - unless public education policy were to become far more important to winning the general election. In my estimation that would only come about if African-American and Latino votes prove to be crucial when the Presidential election is viewed from the perspective of the Electoral College. More on this later.

The list of capabilities that VoIP enables includes voice messaging, enhanced data services, number portability, Emergency 911 and... untethered roaming within a school or district. [B]y converging both phone and data onto a single network, it’s possible to simplify system administration and lower operational costs....

Complicated, jargon laden information management tools have little pragmatic use if only a few, highly technical individuals are able to effectively use the system to guide decision-making.... Meaning, the DSS will not require the end-user to obtain specialized training to use the system....

My top five press releases from July's School Improvement Industry Announcements – Federal Politics and Policy. For a well-rounded understanding of current events in school improvement. • Getting closer to a Department of Education Budget for FY 2009: FY 2009 Congressional Action (Jul 16). • Republican candidate spells out his idea of federal role in public education: John McCain’s Plan for Strengthening America’s Schools (Jul 16). • The New Union Leaders (I): Incoming NEA President (Dennis Van Roeke): ‘New Era Arising for Public Education’ (Jul 6) • The New Union Leaders (II): New AFT President Randi Weingarten Asks Members to Rededicate Themselves to ...

The following are one teacher's recommendations for NCLB II. John Thompson would like to pay special attention to the way that these sorts of proposals could benefit the education providers industry.

Researchers may not want their work to be subject to review prior to publication because they fear it might not be published sufficiently close to "as is" to support their conclusions and recommendations. Alternatively, they might be "above the law" in fact - subject to no real world penalties for disregarding professional norms.

Today's Letter was to examine why I was not surprised to read that he has “no problem with research becoming public with little or no review.” In the interim, however, Greene advanced a number of arguments defending his position. The air needs to be cleared of these smoke screens first, so my plan is address his arguments here and return to my plan tomorrow.

Very little frightens me as much as the application of traditional facility security planning and thinking to public schools.

New contracting concepts inevitably build on existing contractual models. Consider this as one starting point for the terms of school contracting.

My top five press releases from July's School Improvement Industry Announcements – Research and Evaluation Organizations • Basic "must have" data from the Department of Education's Institute for Education Sciences: Characteristics of the 100 Largest Public Elementary and Secondary School Districts in the United States: 2005-06 (Jun 26) • Accelerated Middle Schools Intervention Report (Jul 8): Consumer information from the Department of Education's What Works Clearinghouse - on a program not offered in the market? • The budget is policy (Aron Wildavsky, The Politics of the Budgetary Process.) School funding maze frustrates effort to close student achievement gaps (Jun 18). Another of the Center ...

Eight school districts in Southern California use classroom technology to improve writing skills.

I find Greene ‘s final statement statement about education research both incredible and unsurprising. When consumers are left to determine the basic quality of quantitative research unaided by prior review, why shouldn't we consider such work to be the intellectual equivalent of patent medicine?

Those employees interested and qualified to participate in this program would take full retirement and then be formally hired by the successful firm and placed back in their same position (or other position as qualified) as a contract employee.

The Department will fund projects that will serve as national models of how these two federally authorized afterschool initiatives can be coordinated so that a greater number of students enroll in, participate in, and complete academic after-school services that improve their achievement in reading and mathematics.

My top five press releases from July's School Improvement Industry Announcements – Providers

Congress intended NCLB to enlist the private sector to improve public schools, but officials administering the law lack a strategy to foster supply.

No Child Left Behind’s concept of scientifically-based research has had very little impact on the sale of school improvement products, services and programs. It has had a great influence on the sale of evaluation services.

Someday, someone will come up with an automated “expert systems” approach to standards alignment.