Resources
In this section
Research proves that students learn best when their academic, emotional, physical, and social needs are met. Click the links above to find reports, surveys, articles, and tools that demonstrate the power of educating the whole child, one who is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. For more general information, see below.
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ResearchDoing What Works: Dropout Prevention. U.S. Department of Education, 2009. (web resource) The U.S. Department of Education provides information on recommended research-based practices educators can use to prevent dropouts. Multimedia content and school success stories make the site a fun and valuable destination. Family Engagement in Education: Seven Principles for Success. National Resource Center on Charter School Finance and Governance, 2009. (PDF, 60 pgs.) Research shows the best predictor of urban family involvement at the K-8 level is what the school does to promote this involvement. Knowing what to do will help educators be more effective in promoting family engagement. Helping Immigrant and Refugee Students Succeed: It's Not Just what Happens In the Classroom. Center for Health and Care in Schools, 2009. (PDF, 8 pgs.) Problematic behaviors exhibited by students have a direct impact on student success and the importance of engaging families for student academic achievement has been well documented. The challenges are more pronounced among immigrant and refugee students and their families. This research highlights a number of successful strategies used to engage immigrant and refugee families in support of their children's mental health. Local Wellness Policies: Assessing School District Strategies for Improving Children's Health. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2009. (PDF, 102 pgs.) While most students nationwide are enrolled in a school district with a wellness policy on the books, these policies are weak, failing to provide our children with the healthy foods and physical activity they need to learn and grow, according to a new report released today by Bridging the Gap and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Research Review: School-based Health Interventions and Academic Achievement. Washington State Board of Health, 2009. (PDF, 33 pgs.) This report provides important new evidence that links student health and academic performance. It identifies proven health interventions and practical resources that can positively affect both student health and academic achievement. Impact of Community and Youth Organizing on Public School Reform. Annenberg Institute for School Reform, n.d. (Web resource.) This study looks at organizing efforts by residents of seven urban communities across the country to improve their public schools. It aims to document the organizing campaigns and measure the impact on three critical indictors of education reform: district-level policy, school-level capacity, and student outcomes. Realizing the Promise of Promise Neighborhoods. The Bridgespan Group, 2009. (PDF, 22 pgs.) The U.S. Department of Education is preparing to issue RFPs for planning grants to create Promise Neighborhoods in 20 of the country's poorest communities. This paper discusses the lessons learned from earlier models and how policymakers and community leaders can benefit from this opportunity to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. A Look at Community Schools. Center for American Progress, 2009. (PDF, 28 pgs.) This report provides an overview of community school strategies in the United States and how community schools can decrease poverty's detrimental effect on students. Using examples of community school initiatives, it highlights where research shows community schools have had the most success. It also reviews England's extended school model and suggest how the United States can expand community schools based on England's experience. The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University, 2009. (Web resource and PDF, 34 pgs.) This research report shows that youth development programs like 4-H play a special and vital role in the lives of America's young people. Among the findings, eighth graders who participated in 4-H programs at least twice per month also scored higher on civic identity and engagement measures and had a greater ability to express opinions on community issues. Graduating America: Meeting the Challenge of Low Graduation-Rate High Schools. Jobs for the Future and the Everyone Graduates Center, 2009. (PDF, 52 pgs.) The federal government has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to stimulate significant progress in solving the nation's graduation crisis. While high schools with low graduation rates exist in every state and many communities across the country, they are concentrated in a subset of 17 states that produce approximately 70 percent of the nation's dropouts. Data from these states are used to develop new analytic tools for examining the characteristics of schools, districts, and states that make certain approaches more likely to succeed in certain places. Achieving Graduation for All: A Governor's Guide to Dropout Prevention and Recovery. National Governor's Association, 2009. (PDF, 48 pgs.) This report shares reform strategies that build a comprehensive approach to dropout prevention and recovery. Lowering dropout rates statewide expands opportunities for youth to be successful in college, career, and life; strengthens communities and civic engagement; and helps achieve economic growth. Partners in Prevention: The Role of School-Community Partnerships in Dropout Prevention (Executive Summary). National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), 2009. (PDF, 7 pgs.) In a study of the current dropout crisis, a NASBE study group shares how school-community partnerships can work as a critical strategy within a systemic, comprehensive model to combat the crisis. The report contains state and local examples of effective programs and policies that support school-community partnerships and dropout prevention, as well as guiding questions and numerous resources for policymakers as they grapple with these issues. Latest Child Well-Being Indicators. Child Trends, Fall 2009. (PDF, 10 pgs.) This issue of The Child Indicator summarizes the latest child indicator data and includes surveys and articles on racial/ethnic disparities in behavioral and learning disorders, young children in the criminal justice system, high school graduation rates, and international child well-being. Also in the issue is information on the new editions of the KIDS COUNT Data Book and America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being. A Developmental Perspective on College and Workforce Readiness. Child Trends, 2008. (PDF, 49 pgs.) A report providing the developmental perspective on what competencies young people need to be ready for college, the workplace, and the transition to adulthood. It also provides perspective of the research in three fields: youth development, college readiness, and workforce readiness, and the need for competencies at each level. 21st Century Skills, Education, and Competitiveness: A Resource and Policy Guide. Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2008. (PDF, 20 pgs.) This guide summarizes the challenges and opportunities that, if left unaddressed, will curtail our competitiveness and diminish our standing in the world. We can thrive in this century only with informed leadership and concerted action that prepares Americans to compete. Quality Counts 2008: Tapping Into Teaching, Unlocking the Key to Student Success. Education Week with support from the Pew Center on the States, 2008. (web report) Examine strategies that states can use to unlock the full potential of the teaching profession, find out how various states are approaching pay for performance, learn how working conditions influence teacher retention, and more in this annual 50-state report. Success In the Middle: A Policymaker's Guide to Achieving Quality Middle Level Education. National Middle School Association (NMSA), 2006. (PDF, 44 pgs.) NMSA describes the 14 characteristics of successful middle schools, and argues that government policy has a profound impact on educators' ability to be successful. Breaking Ranks II: Strategies for Leading High School Reform. National Association of Secondary School Principals, 2004. (book, available for purchase, 220 pgs.) This report, a follow-up to Breaking Ranks (1996), outlines proven strategies for positive change that have proven successful in all types of high school settings. Every Child Learning: Safe and Supported Schools. Learning First Alliance, 2001. (PDF, 51 pgs.) This report synthesizes the literature, identifies four research-based elements essential to safe and supportive schools, and makes recommendations on how schools and districts can build safe and supportive learning communities.
Facts and StatsAmerica's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2008. The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, 2008. (PDF, 23 pgs.) Statistical data on children and families collected through the coordination and integration of 22 federal agencies. Indicators are organized into seven sections: Family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health. Good Measures for Good Schools. Center for Public Education, 2008. (web resource) How good are our nation's schools? How good are the schools in your own community? If you are a parent seeking the best education for your child or a local school official or legislator making broader policy decisions about your schools, you have probably asked these questions more than once. Likewise, if you are a business person who needs capable workers or an average taxpayer who desires a vibrant community with cost effective public services, these questions have probably crossed your mind. These successful school measures can help you evaluate your school's successes. Here you to can find answers and perhaps make decisions for the future of your community's children, your district's schools, and even your own child. Education at a Glance 2008: OECD Indicators. Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), 2008. (web publication) This report enables countries to see themselves in the light of other countries' performance. It provides a rich, comparable, and up-to-date array of indicators on the performance of education systems and represents the consensus of professional thinking on how to measure the current state of education internationally. The Condition of Education 2008. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2008. (PDF, 334 pgs.) A major national report presents statistics on 43 different educational indicators. Kids Count 2008. Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2008. (web and free print publication) Each year, the Kids Count Data Book provides information and statistical trends on the conditions of America's children and families. By providing policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, Kids Count seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children. Cities in Crisis: A Special Analytic Report on High School Graduation. Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 2008. (PDF, 16 pgs.) This new report supported by America's Promise Alliance and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provides stark data on the gap in graduation rates between urban and suburban areas of major metropolitan centers. |
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Quality Counts 2008: Tapping Into Teaching, Unlocking the Key to Student Success. Education Week with support from the Pew Center on the States, 2008. (web report) Examine strategies that states can use to unlock the full potential of the teaching profession, find out how various states are approaching pay for performance, learn how working conditions influence teacher retention, and more in this annual 50-state report.
The 39th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International and The Gallup Organization, 2007. (PDF, 16 pgs.) As Congress debates changes to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act with an eye to maximizing the achievement of all students, the findings from this PDK/Gallup Poll highlight potential improvements in our nation's education policy and identify the public's interests and concerns.
Tools
Move It! And Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes School Kit. National Diabetes Education Program American Indian Work Group, 2006. (PDF, 24 pgs.) Encourage physical activity in the school setting to help reduce risk for diabetes among youth using fact sheets, customizable posters and newsletter items, resources, and activity ideas.
Doing What Works: Dropout Prevention. U.S. Department of Education, 2009. (web resource) The U.S. Department of Education provides information on recommended research-based practices educators can use to prevent dropouts. Multimedia content and school success stories make the site a fun and valuable destination.
Working Together: School-Family-Community Partnerships. Center for the Education and Study of Diverse Populations at New Mexico Highlands University, 2009. (web resource) This tool is designed to provide educators and families with information, resources and strategies to both increase and strengthen parent, family, and community involvement. Also available in Spanish.
School Health Policy Resources from the CDC. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2009. (web resource) The CDC and its funded partners provide information, tools, and resources to support school policy and program development, implementation, and evaluation.
2009 Health and Wellness Best Practices Guide for Colorado School Districts. Colorado Legacy Foundation, 2009. (web resource) Designed for administrators, school board members, parents and community members, this online guide highlights school district level best practices for healthy schools, students and staff. A shorter version of this guide is available for download in English and Spanish.The Compendium of Assessment and Research Tools (CART). (web resource) CART is a database that provides information on instruments that measure attributes associated with youth development programs. It includes descriptions of research instruments, tools, rubrics, and guides and is intended to assist those who have an interest in studying the effectiveness of service-learning, safe and drug-free schools and communities, and other school-based youth development activities. Support for assembling this compendium of research instruments was supported by The Star Center and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Learning In Deed Initiative.
PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships Assessment Guide. PTA, 2008.(PDF, 32 pgs.) The PTA's National Standards for Family-School Partnerships offer a framework for how families, schools, and communities should work together to support student success. This assessment guide, or rubric, helps facilitate the implementation of these standards. The guide includes specific goals for each standard, indicators for measuring these goals, and examples for each indicator to show what good practice looks like at different levels of development.
Whole Child Resolution Tool Kit. ASCD, 2008. (web resource) A tool kit for parents, educators, and community members to work with policymakers to pass a whole child resolution in your community-an important first step in raising awareness and support across the country.
Communities In Schools and The Model of Integrated Student Services: A Proven Solution to America's Dropout Epidemic. Communities In Schools, 2008. (PDF, 8 pgs.) This report documents the linkage between well-designed and implemented community-based programs and significant improvements in student and school performance.
Quality Counts 2008: Tapping Into Teaching, Unlocking the Key to Student Success. Education Week with support from the Pew Center on the States, 2008. (web report) Examine strategies that states can use to unlock the full potential of the teaching profession, find out how various states are approaching pay for performance, learn how working conditions influence teacher retention, and more in this annual 50-state report.
PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. PTA, 2007. (PDF, 2 pgs.) This short report outlines the benefits of parent, family, and community involvement and include the National PTA's six standards for family-school partnerships. The standards reflect recent research and focus on how parents, schools, and communities can work together to support student success.
Whole Child Community Conversations Project. ASCD, 2007. (free web guides) ASCD offers a framework to explore and discuss the best ways to support the whole child. Two versions of a facilitator's guide are available for local community and student engagement.
Childhood Obesity & Schools. National School Boards Association (NSBA), 2010. (web resource) NSBA shares information on childhood obesity, why it matters for schools, and the role school leaders play in addressing childhood obesity. Find relevant data and research; resources for developing sound policies and practices related to childhood obesity; and examples of school successes in addressing childhood obesity.
Other Resources
Ten Top Tips for Teaching with New Media. Edutopia, 2009. (PDF, 9 pgs., free registration required) Full of succinct and practical ways to prepare students for 21st century success, this guide offers tips for making the most of the latest technologies and innovative ways to use them.
Consumer Reports Safety Alerts. Consumers Union, 2009. (web resource) Consumer Reports has launched a major new initiative to deliver critical, time-sensitive information on recalled and unsafe products to the homes of millions of school-aged children. It is teaming up with the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the National School Boards Association (NSBA) to distribute Web-based safety alerts and recall notices on children's products including toys, food, furniture, and clothing.
Democracy at Risk: The Need for a New Federal Policy in Education. Forum for Education and Democracy, 2008. (PDF, 72 pgs.) Prepared by Linda Darling-Hammond and George Wood, this report calls on the federal government to payoff the "education debt," invest in a new "Marshall Plan" for teachers and school leaders, support educational research and innovation, and engage and educate local communities.
Whose Problem is Poverty? Educational Leadership, ASCD, 2008. (web article) Richard Rothstein, the author of Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic, and Educational Reform to Close the Black-White Achievement Gap says, "It's no cop-out to acknowledge the effects of socioeconomic disparities on student learning. Rather, it's a vital step to closing the achievement gap."
Framework for 21st Century Learning. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2007. (web report) The Framework for 21st Century Learning, a plan to help students and educators achieve 21st-century learning goals, addresses key concerns by developing a clear vision for student outcomes in the new global economy and defines how school systems can best support them.
New Hampshire's Vision for Redesign: Moving from High Schools to Learning Communities. State of New Hampshire Department of Education, 2007. (PDF, 56 pgs.) A report bringing together state, regional, and national resources with the work of New Hampshire educators in a plan to support the improvement of our secondary schools.
Kids' Share 2007. Urban Institute, 2007. (web report) Over the next decade, children's programs are scheduled to decline both as a share of GDP and federal domestic spending, because they do not compete on a level playing field with rapidly growing entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
The Learning Compact Redefined: A Call to Action. ASCD, 2007 (PDF, 30 pgs.) ASCD's Commission on the Whole Child advances five major recommendations for ensuring that all children are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
The Whole Child. ASCD Infobrief, ASCD, 2007. (web brief) This issue reviews the objectives of ASCD's whole child initiative, promising practices from around the world, and the immense work left to be done.
The Whole Child Meets No Child Left Behind. Is It Good For the Kids?, ASCD, 2007 (web column) Advocacy for the whole child is at the heart of the ASCD mission. Our position calls for comprehensive education of all children from preschool through college. This editorial discusses how the success of this endeavor depends on broad engagement of all stakeholders, including parents, communities, and policymakers at all levels.
Engaging the Whole Child. Educational Leadership, ASCD, 2007. (web publication) Which practices put the whole child at the center of the education enterprise? Learn about practices that challenge students academically, engage their interests and enthusiasm, and support them as learners and people.
All Together Now: Sharing Responsibility for the Whole Child. Coalition for Community Schools for ASCD, 2006. (PDF, 23 pgs.) This paper discusses strategies policymakers and educators can use to provide a more balanced education for students.
The Whole Child in a Fractured World. ASCD, 2006. (PDF, 35 pgs.) This report provides an overview of the complexities and challenges of U.S. education to inform those who seek to educate the whole child.