Resources Filtered by: Brief

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Brief |
Author: Institute for Community Inclusion | Published: August 2006

Postsecondary Education Options for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

This brief provides information about promoting college opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities. The benefits of supporting these students' efforts to reach college include improved self-esteem and productivity. In addition to policy and regulatory recommendations, the brief also includes strategies that can be undertaken at the school level to promote college access for students with disabilities.

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Brief |
Author: Tamara Butler Battaglino, Matt Haldeman, and Eleanor Laurans / Thomas B. Fordham Institute | Published: January 2012

The Costs of Online Learning

As part of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute's Creating Sound Policy for Digital Learning series, Tamara Butler Battaglino, Matt Haldeman, and Eleanor Laurans of the Parthenon Group wrote this brief estimating the costs of online education in K-12 public schools. Through a series of 50+ interviews and analysis of financial statements, the authors provide estimated expenditures of virtual schools and blended learning programs (schools that offer a portion of their instruction online). Several charter schools were profiled as part of the research for this brief.

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Brief |
Author: Project Forum | Published: October 2010

State-Level Efforts to Recruit and Retain Qualified Special Education Personnel Including Related Service Providers

Recruitment and retention of qualified education personnel remains an ongoing challenge, and all 50 states have reported teacher shortages of qualified special education and related services personnel. According to the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (NCCTQ, 2006), the need for qualified special education teachers will continue to rise faster than all other types of teaching personnel through 2014.

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Brief |
Author: National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality | Published: January 2007

Recruiting Quality Teachers in Mathematics, Science, and Special Education for Urban and Rural Schools

Urban and rural schools in particular face challenges in recruiting high-quality teachers in math, science, and special education. Strong recruitment strategies can assist school districts and charter schools with competing for the best teachers in these areas. Approaches discussed include grow-your-own strategies, financial incentives, and alternative certification routes.

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Brief |
Author: Robin Lake | Published: May 2007

Identifying and Replicating the "DNA" of Successful Charter Schools: Lessons from the Private Sector

In this 2007 Center on Reinventing Public Education brief, Robin Lake reviews the challenges associated with replicating high-quality charter schools and outlines lessons from the private sector that charter school leaders might consider as they scale up.

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Brief |
Author: Andrew Rotherham | Published: January 2008

Fair Trade: Five Deals to Expand and Improve Charter Schooling

In this 2008 Education Sector brief, Andrew Rotherham presents five deals that state and local policymakers might consider to expand the number of high-quality charter schools in their state or district.

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Brief |
Author: Kim Wechtenhiser | Published: December 2008

Stepping Up: University Leadership in the Charter Sector

This 2008 National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) issue brief provides an overview of the ways in which colleges and universities are getting involved with charter schools. Reasons for getting involved, common challenges faced by institutions of higher education, and benefits to both parties are discussed.

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Brief |
Author: Andrew Rotherham | Published: September 2007

Smart Charter School Caps

In this 2007 Education Sector brief, Andrew Rotherham argues for smart charter schools caps that can be used to promote proven models, set realistic growth, and incorporate charter schools into a systemic model for education reform.

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Brief |
Author: Gregg Vanourek and Evergreen Education Group | Published: September 2011

An (Updated) Primer on Virtual Charter Schools: Mapping the Electronic Frontier

Recognizing the need to develop practices for authorizing virtual charter schools, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers has updated this first in a series of issue briefs on the topic. Few authorizers have expertise in this area and few have yet developed special application processes for virtual schools. This brief lays out the basics of virtual charter schools and identifies key issues to consider from the perspective of an authorizer.

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Brief |
Author: Bryan C. Hassel and Emily Ayscue Hassel | Published: November 2011

Teachers in the Age of Digital Instruction

Brayn C. Hassel and Emily Ayscue Hassel of Public Impact, writing for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, envision a future with fewer teachers but more instructors filling new roles. In Teachers in the Age of Digital Instruction, Hassel and Hassel offer a briefing on the implications of online learning for human capital. Topics covered include virtual charter schools, various approaches to blended/hybrid learning, and the benefits of remote instruction for recruitment and retention of teachers.

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