Research Results

This presentation describes the best practices used by schools in working with critical needs students. These practices include: (1) close engagement with and understanding of young people with critical needs; (2) literacy-and technology-enriched instruction; and (3) fluid adaptation and deployment of resources.

This case study is one of a series of studies conducted by Know Your Schools~for NY Kids since 2005. For the study of critical needs elementary schools, conducted during the 2010-11 school year, research teams investigated ten consistently higher-performing and five consistently average-performing elementary schools. Schools were selected based on the performance of critical needs subgroups – African American, Hispanic, English language learners, and special education students, and students living in poverty as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch – on New York State Assessments of English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 3 through 4, 5, or 6 in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

This case study is one of a series of studies conducted by Know Your Schools~for NY Kids since 2005. For the study of critical needs elementary schools, conducted during the 2010-11 school year, research teams investigated ten consistently higher-performing and five consistently average-performing elementary schools. Schools were selected based on the performance of critical needs subgroups – African American, Hispanic, English language learners, and special education students, and students living in poverty as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch – on New York State Assessments of English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 3 through 4, 5, or 6 in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

Evidence indicates that collaboration is one of the keys to a school’s success in improving student performance and closing achievement gaps, though policymakers at the national and state levels, including New York, are moving toward teacher evaluation systems that attempt to attribute student progress to the efforts of individual teachers.

This case study is one of a series of studies conducted by Know Your Schools~for NY Kids since 2005. For the study of critical needs elementary schools, conducted during the 2010-11 school year, research teams investigated ten consistently higher-performing and five consistently average-performing elementary schools. Schools were selected based on the performance of critical needs subgroups – African American, Hispanic, English language learners, and special education students, and students living in poverty as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch – on New York State Assessments of English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 3 through 4, 5, or 6 in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

This case study is one of a series of studies conducted by Know Your Schools~for NY Kids since 2005. For the study of critical needs elementary schools, conducted during the 2010-11 school year, research teams investigated ten consistently higher-performing and five consistently average-performing elementary schools. Schools were selected based on the performance of critical needs subgroups – African American, Hispanic, English language learners, and special education students, and students living in poverty as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch – on New York State Assessments of English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 3 through 4, 5, or 6 in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

This case study is one of a series of studies conducted by Know Your Schools~for NY Kids since 2005. For the study of critical needs elementary schools, conducted during the 2010-11 school year, research teams investigated ten consistently higher-performing and five consistently average-performing elementary schools. Schools were selected based on the performance of critical needs subgroups – African American, Hispanic, English language learners, and special education students, and students living in poverty as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch – on New York State Assessments of English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 3 through 4, 5, or 6 in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

This case study is one of a series of studies conducted by Know Your Schools~for NY Kids since 2005. For the study of critical needs elementary schools, conducted during the 2010-11 school year, research teams investigated ten consistently higher-performing and five consistently average-performing elementary schools. Schools were selected based on the performance of critical needs subgroups – African American, Hispanic, English language learners, and special education students, and students living in poverty as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch – on New York State Assessments of English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 3 through 4, 5, or 6 in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

This case study is one of a series of studies conducted by Know Your Schools~for NY Kids since 2005. For the study of critical needs elementary schools, conducted during the 2010-11 school year, research teams investigated ten consistently higher-performing and five consistently average-performing elementary schools. Schools were selected based on the performance of critical needs subgroups – African American, Hispanic, English language learners, and special education students, and students living in poverty as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch – on New York State Assessments of English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 3 through 4, 5, or 6 in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

This case study is one of a series of studies conducted by Know Your Schools~for NY Kids since 2005. For the study of critical needs elementary schools, conducted during the 2010-11 school year, research teams investigated ten consistently higher-performing and five consistently average-performing elementary schools. Schools were selected based on the performance of critical needs subgroups – African American, Hispanic, English language learners, and special education students, and students living in poverty as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch – on New York State Assessments of English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 3 through 4, 5, or 6 in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

This case study is one of a series of studies conducted by Know Your Schools~for NY Kids since 2005. For the study of critical needs elementary schools, conducted during the 2010-11 school year, research teams investigated ten consistently higher-performing and five consistently average-performing elementary schools. Schools were selected based on the performance of critical needs subgroups – African American, Hispanic, English language learners, and special education students, and students living in poverty as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch – on New York State Assessments of English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 3 through 4, 5, or 6 in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

This case study is one of a series of studies conducted by Know Your Schools~for NY Kids since 2005. For the study of critical needs elementary schools, conducted during the 2010-11 school year, research teams investigated ten consistently higher-performing and five consistently average-performing elementary schools. Schools were selected based on the performance of critical needs subgroups – African American, Hispanic, English language learners, and special education students, and students living in poverty as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch – on New York State Assessments of English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 3 through 4, 5, or 6 in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

This case study is one of a series of studies conducted by Know Your Schools~for NY Kids since 2005. For the study of critical needs elementary schools, conducted during the 2010-11 school year, research teams investigated ten consistently higher-performing and five consistently average-performing elementary schools. Schools were selected based on the performance of critical needs subgroups – African American, Hispanic, English language learners, and special education students, and students living in poverty as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch – on New York State Assessments of English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 3 through 4, 5, or 6 in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

2010 Collaborative Conversation Essential for Middle-Level Success

This presentation shares findings on collaborative conversations essential for middle-level success. The three essential components for trust include a climate of respect and trust, structures to support it, and an expectation of collaboration.

2010 Lessons from Higher-Performing Middle Schools - Putting Research Findings into School Improvement Practice

School improvement practices for middle schools. The presentation offers best practice research findings – where they came from and how the research was conducted. Additionally, it provides other free resources to inform continuous school improvement efforts in the future.

2008 What Makes Middle School Work - A Report on Best Practices in NYS Middle Schools

This presentation discusses the best practice research findings from a study of middle schools. It also offers free resources to inform continuous school improvement efforts in the future.

2010 Collaboration Does Make a Difference

This presentation shares research from NYKids on the importance of collaboration in middle school settings.

This case study was conducted in spring 2009 as one of a series of studies conducted by Just for the Kids~New York since 2005. For the study of middle school science, research teams investigated seven consistently higher-performing and three average-performing schools based on student performance on the New York State Intermediate-Level Science Examination in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Researchers used site-based interviews of teachers and administrators, as well as classroom observations and analyses of supportive documentations, to determine differences in practices between higher- and average-performing schools in the sample.

This case study was conducted in spring 2009 as one of a series of studies conducted by Just for the Kids~New York since 2005. For the study of middle school science, research teams investigated seven consistently higher-performing and three average-performing schools based on student performance on the New York State Intermediate-Level Science Examination in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Researchers used site-based interviews of teachers and administrators, as well as classroom observations and analyses of supportive documentations, to determine differences in practices between higher- and average-performing schools in the sample.

2009 Redefining Evidence of Success - Best Practices in NY

This presentation offers best practices across higher performing schools (elementary, middle and high). Key findings include that higher performing schools embrace a variety of data and culture of continuous improvement.

This case study was conducted in spring 2009 as one of a series of studies conducted by Just for the Kids~New York since 2005. For the study of middle school science, research teams investigated seven consistently higher-performing and three average-performing schools based on student performance on the New York State Intermediate-Level Science Examination in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Researchers used site-based interviews of teachers and administrators, as well as classroom observations and analyses of supportive documentations, to determine differences in practices between higher- and average-performing schools in the sample.

This case study was conducted in spring 2009 as one of a series of studies conducted by Just for the Kids~New York since 2005. For the study of middle school science, research teams investigated seven consistently higher-performing and three average-performing schools based on student performance on the New York State Intermediate-Level Science Examination in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Researchers used site-based interviews of teachers and administrators, as well as classroom observations and analyses of supportive documentations, to determine differences in practices between higher- and average-performing schools in the sample.

This case study was conducted in spring 2009 as one of a series of studies conducted by Just for the Kids~New York since 2005. For the study of middle school science, research teams investigated seven consistently higher-performing and three average-performing schools based on student performance on the New York State Intermediate-Level Science Examination in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Researchers used site-based interviews of teachers and administrators, as well as classroom observations and analyses of supportive documentations, to determine differences in practices between higher- and average-performing schools in the sample.

This case study was conducted in spring 2009 as one of a series of studies conducted by Just for the Kids~New York since 2005. For the study of middle school science, research teams investigated seven consistently higher-performing and three average-performing schools based on student performance on the New York State Intermediate-Level Science Examination in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Researchers used site-based interviews of teachers and administrators, as well as classroom observations and analyses of supportive documentations, to determine differences in practices between higher- and average-performing schools in the sample.

This case study was conducted in spring 2009 as one of a series of studies conducted by Just for the Kids~New York since 2005. For the study of middle school science, research teams investigated seven consistently higher-performing and three average-performing schools based on student performance on the New York State Intermediate-Level Science Examination in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Researchers used site-based interviews of teachers and administrators, as well as classroom observations and analyses of supportive documentations, to determine differences in practices between higher- and average-performing schools in the sample.