White Papers

• The Tennessee Vocabulary Project - ASCD
• Building 21st Century Skills with Project Learning - Oracle
• Transform Learning with Interactive Video Communication - Tandberg
• Blended Learning: The Intersection of Online and Face-to-Face Instruction - Blackboard K-12
• The Achilles Heel of Education and How to Fix It - APQC
• Performance Measurement: Measuring What Matters Most - Baldrige
• The Research Foundation for Successful Reader - Renaissance Learning
• Longitudinal data systems in education: Leveraging the SAS® Business Analytics Framework to accelerate implementations and minimize risk

The Tennessee Vocabulary Project

Sponsor: ASCD Topics: Research Posted: January 2010

Follow the authors' four-step process for creating and implementing a statewide vocabulary.

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Building 21st Century Skills with Project Learning

Sponsor: Oracle Education Foundation Topics: Online learning Posted: November 2009

In project learning, students discover the meaning of what they learn by working together to solve complex, real-world problems, rather than being taught facts from books. A growing body of evidence indicates that project learning supports the development of critical skills students must have to meet the demands of the 21st century.

In response, the Oracle Education Foundation has developed an online learning platform called ThinkQuest to extend the benefits of project learning to classrooms globally. This paper draws on a broad international research base and case studies of actual classroom projects supported by ThinkQuest to illustrate both the theory and practice of 21st century teaching and learning.

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(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Transform Learning with Interactive Video Communication

Sponsor: Tandberg Topics: Distance Learning Posted: January 2010

Video communication facilitates distance learning and helps students better grasp, understand and apply knowledge by actively participating in their own education. This special report describes how schools can use interactive video communication (IVC) to create a climate of learning that inspires and motivates students - while at the same time supporting teachers. Learn how video communication can help reshape and transform education to keep pace with today's learning environment.

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Blended Learning: Where Online and Face-to-Face Instruction Intersect for 21st Century Teaching and Learning

Sponsor: Blackboard K-12 Topic: Alternative Instruction Posted: January 2010

Blended learning, the teaching practice that combines teaching methods from both face-to-face and online learning, is an established, rapidly growing model of instruction. It has proven highly effective in helping schools and districts address the challenges of student achievement, limited resources, and the expectations of 21st century learners.

Blended Learning: Where Online and Face-to-Face Instruction Intersect for 21st Century Teaching and Learning reviews the working definitions of blended learning, explores relevant efficacy data, recaps innovative and practical implementation models and provides profiles of several schools and districts that are experiencing success with their blended learning programs.

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The Achilles Heel of Education and How to Fix It

Sponsor: APQC Education Topics: Education Reform, Process & Performance Management Posted: November 2009

Improving outcomes has long been the focus of education reform efforts in the U.S., with strict emphasis on improving test scores, graduation rates, teacher quality, and low performing schools. However, the American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC) reveals that an ‘outcomes-only’ focus has created a fundamental weakness in public education. The paper explores the problem and how it is being solved through an innovative pilot program called North Star that is achieving remarkable results in leading schools across the U.S.

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Performance Measurement: Measuring What Matters Most

Sponsor: Baldrige National Quality Program Topic: Performance Measurement Posted: November 2009

This white paper looks at one of the most promising features of the Baldrige framework for K-12 education – an expanded idea of performance measurement focused on three questions: why should you measure, what should you measure, and how should you measure it? It also illustrates successful results some school districts have achieved.

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(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

The Research Foundation for Successful Reader

Sponsor: Renaissance Learning Topic: Reading Intervention Posted: January 2010

In a time when budgets are tight, teachers are overburdened, and schools face increased pressure to show results, making the right decision on a reading intervention program has never been more critical.

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Longitudinal data systems in education: Leveraging the SAS® Business Analytics Framework to accelerate implementations and minimize risk

Sponsor: Renaissance Learning Topic: Data-driven decision-making Posted: January 2010

Data-driven decision-making

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