Research and Best Practices

The largest in-depth study of school leadership to date, this report gathers and analyzes quantitative data confirming that education leadership has a strong impact on student achievement, as measured by student test scores. The study shows that leadership makes its mark largely by strengthening a school’s “professional community” – an environment where teachers work together to improve classroom instruction. It also finds that rapid turnover of principals reduces student achievement. In addition, the study shows that although the.....

Special Education Resources

Uncharted Territory: Using Tiered Intervention to Improve High School Performance
A new report from the High School Tiered Interventions Initiative (HSTII), a collaboration among the National High School Center, the Center on Instruction, and the National Center on Response to Intervention, summarizes what HSTII has learned thus far about effective implementation of RTI in high schools. Tiered Interventions in High Schools: Using Preliminary ‘Lessons Learned’ to Guide Ongoing Discussion, provides a brief description of the RTI framework and the essential components of RTI, illustrates how the essential components of.....
Professional Learning for Culturally Responsive Teaching from NCCRESt
Understanding the need to explore personal and professional identities as well as the necessity of responding to the strengths and needs that students from all cultural backgrounds bring to classrooms, The Equity Alliance at ASU has generated a set of principles to guide culturally responsive professional learning. The principles were influenced by research from the Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence (CREDE), the research of McLaughlin and Talbert (2006) with teacher learning communities around the.....
Intervention Report on three Voyager Reading Programs by the What Works Clearinghouse
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) is releasing an Intervention Report on three Voyager Reading Programs. The three programs are Voyager Passport, a supplemental reading intervention system for students in grades K-5, Voyager Passport Reading Journeys, a reading intervention program designed for adolescents who struggle with reading, and Voyager Universal Literacy System, a K-3 reading program. The Clearinghouse examined the research on these Voyager reading programs for students with learning disabilities and identified 44 studies that were.....
WWC Intervention Report on the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) Program
WWC Intervention Report on the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) program that is designed to teach students the skills they need to decode words and to identify individual sounds and blends in words. The Clearinghouse reviewed 31 studies that investigated the effects of LiPS on students with learning disabilities. One study that falls within the scope of the Students with Learning Disabilities review protocol meets What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards. Based on this study, the WWC found LiPS to have potentially positive.....
IDEA Partnership Collection (K-12 Special Education resource)
A Partnership Collection, a website developed by the IDEA Partnership, is the result of the collaborative work of 65 partner organization representatives, five technical assistance providers, and a number of state and local organizations and agencies representing a range of roles at all levels of the education system and geographic locations across the country. The Collection provides access to a comprehensive database of materials and resources to assist in the understanding of RTI processes and best practices for its implementation on all.....
Research base of individual learning plans at the high school level and its impact on student outcomes
The information provided addresses the origins and effectiveness of Individual Learning Plans (ILP) for all high school students. Although the use of ILPs may build upon the well established Individual Education Plan (IEP) for students with learning disabilities, it is not explicitly linked to that practice in the resources reviewed. (From the National High School Center)
A Research Paper Discussing Direct Instruction in Middle and High School Mathematics for Students with Learning Disabilities
This paper focuses on direct instruction (DI) and the Six Teaching Functions as applied to middle school math for students with learning disabilities. DI refers to a specific method of teaching that focuses on both “what” to teach (i.e., the design of the curriculum) and “how” to teach (i.e., specific teaching techniques), direct instruction (di) refers to more general teaching methods.
Bridges4kids - HelpIng Students Transition to Adult Life
Bridges4kids is a non-profit organization providing a comprehensive system of information and referral for parents and professionals seeking help for children from birth through transition to adult life.
The Educator's Reference Desk - Sample Lesson plans by subject sponsored by GEM/ERIC
This collection contains more than 2000 unique lesson plans which were written and submitted by teachers from all over the United States and the world. These lesson plans are also included in GEM, which links to over 40,000 online education resources. The Educator's Reference Desk builds on over a quarter century of experience providing high-quality resources and services to the education community. (From the Information Institute of Syracuse, the people who created AskERIC, the Gateway to Educational Materials, and the Virtual Reference.....
TIps for Art Teachers on Planning and Teaching Special Needs Students
This website offers tips for art teachers on how to plan and teach special needs students.
Implementing Response to Intervention: Practices and Perspectives from Five Schools
Frequently Asked Questions [K-8] Published by COI The Center on Instruction is working to identify practices that may be effective in implementing Response to Intervention (RTI) at the school, district, and state levels. This document describes the school-level implementation of RTI at five schools across the country, with particular focus on instruction and the implementation of effective practices. A "frequently asked questions" (FAQ) format is used, with answers based on the collective experience of the five schools (three elementary, one.....
The Center On Instruction Catalog

The Center On Instruction catalog is an excellent collection of scientifically based research and information on K-12 instruction in reading, math, science, special education, and English language learning. Part of the Comprehensive Center network, the Center on Instruction is one of five content centers serving as resources for the 16 regional U.S. Department of Education Comprehensive Centers. ACC will be happy to download, copy and mail to.....