College Knowledge

California Student Aid Commission  www.csac.ca.gov

The California SAC assists students, parents, and school staff in searching for state, federal, and institutional financial aid information to “make education beyond high school accessible to all Californians.”

California Colleges  www.californiacolleges.edu

Targeting students, parents, and counselors, this website provides information about higher education in California, including:  College/career exploration, planning/paying for college, college admissions.

California Postsecondary Education Commission  www.cpec.ca.gov

Established in 1974, CPEC serves as the State’s policy advisor for postsecondary education by integrating policy, fiscal, and programmatic analyses about California’s entire system of postsecondary education in order “to assure the effective utilization of public postsecondary education resources…and to promote diversity, innovation, and responsiveness to student and societal needs through planning and coordination.”

Campaign for College Opportunity  www.collegecampaign.org

The Campaign for College Opportunity is a nonprofit 501c3 organization devoted to ensuring that “the next generation of college-age students in California has the chance to go to college as promised by the state 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education.

Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis  www.usc.edu/dept/chepa

CHEPA, located at the University of Southern California, offers a multidisciplinary perspective to complex social, political, and economic issues in higher education.  The Center conducts theoretically informed research and focuses on three areas of higher education:  improving urban postsecondary education, strengthening school-university partnerships, and understanding international education.

The Chronicle of Higher Education  http://chronicle.com

The Chronicle offers a great source of news, information, and jobs for individuals working in academe.  The website features news content from the Chronicle’s latest issues, daily news and advice columns, job listings, discussion forums, and career-building tools.

College Knowledge:  Addressing Information Barriers to College

http://www.teri.org/pdf/research-studies/CollegeKnowledge.pdf

Funded by TERI (The Education Resources Institute), this study by Joel Vargas (2004) describes the “college knowledge” information that students need to apply to and attend college and analyzes the barriers faced by low-income, minority, and first generation college-bound students.

College Opportunities Online Locator  http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool

This tool from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) allows individuals to view and compare profiles of nearly 7,000 colleges and universities across the nation.  Searches are available by geographic region, type of institution, size of enrollment, program/major, and degrees offered.

Federal Student Aid Commission  www.studentaid.ed.gov

The Federal SAC’s core mission is to ensure that all eligible individuals benefit from federal financial assistance—grants, loans, and work-study programs—for education beyond high school.  The Commission administers the nation’s largest source of student aid ($78 billion in new aid to 10 million postsecondary students and their families in 2005-06).

Free Cash for College

Created by former mayor of Los Angeles James Hahn, this outreach program educates students and parents about the importance of higher education and how a college education can be accessible and affordable.  Free Cash for College provides assistance in navigating existing financial aid programs.

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities  www.hacu.net

Established in 1986, HACU represents more than 450 colleges and universities (Hispanic Serving Institutions) committed to Hispanic success in higher education.

Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy  www.csus.edu/ihe

Housed at California State University, Sacramento, IHELP seeks to enhance leadership and policy for higher education in California and the nation, with an emphasis on community colleges in recognition of their importance to providing an educated and diverse citizenry and workforce.  IHELP’s work is aimed at producing information and services relevant to policymakers, practitioners, and educators.

Institute for Higher Education Policy  www.ihep.org

IHEP is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to access and success in postsecondary education around the world.  Based in Washington, D.C., IHEP uses unique research and innovative programs to inform key decisionmakers who shape public policy and support economic and social development.  

Latino College Dollars  www.latinocollegedollars.org

This website was developed and compiled by the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute (www.trpi.org) in an attempt to address the common misperception of the prohibitive costs of higher education.  Latino College Dollars offers an up-to-date diretor of scholarships and grants available to Latino students.

National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education  www.highereducation.org

The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education promotes public policies that enhance American’s opportunities to pursue and achieve high quality education and training beyond high school.  This independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization prepares action-oriented analyses of pressing policy issues facing states and the nation regarding opportunity and achievement in higher education.

PALMS:  Post-secondary Access for Latino Middle-grade Students  www.palmsproject.net

PALMS seeks to improve the life chances of Latino youth by opening doors to postsecondary education through communicating information about how to effectively equip and support students and their families in the pursuit of education beyond high school.  The website offers tools for parents, students, and schools.

The Roosevelt Institution 
http://rooseveltinstitution.org/publications/25ideas/2007_highered

Billed as “the nation’s first student think tank”, the Institution is a non-profit, non-partisan national network of campus-based student think tanks whose members conduct policy research on pressing political issues, including access to higher education.

English Learners

Bilingual Tips for Parents  http://www.wkkf.org/default.aspx?tabid=94&CID=16&ItemID=

160417&NID=85&LanguageID=0

ENLACE’s (ENgaging LAtino Communities for Education) tip sheets (English and Spanish) provide parents with information about tutoring, supplemental learning services for children, and how to help improve their child's reading ability and test-taking skills.

California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE)   www.bilingualeducation.org

Established in 1976, CABE a statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to promote equity and educational achievement for students with diverse cultural, racial, and linguistic backgrounds and for whom language poses an additional barrier to schooling and full participation in our educational system and society.

Californians Together www.californianstogether.org

Founded in 1998 after the passage of Proposition 227, Californians Together is a statewide coalition of parents, teachers, education advocates, and civil rights groups committed to securing equal access to quality education for all children.  Californians Together works with coalition members, educators and supporters of English Learners in a variety of ways, including:  Developing education policy and advising legislators and policy makers; Promoting the educational development of teachers and administrators through professional development workshops and institutes; Supporting and encouraging parent involvement; Seeking and developing collaborations and partnerships with private and public entities that are supportive of English Learners; Working with various school districts and governmental bodies to develop strategies to best address the needs of all English Learners.

A Diminished Vision of Civil Rights: No Child Left Behind and the Growing Divide in How Educational Equity Is Understood
http://www.elladvocates.org/media/NCLB/EdWeek6jun07.html

This commentary by James Crawford (2007) of the Institute for Language and Education Policy analyzes a core question in the debate over school accountability and high stakes testing:  Does the federal No Child Left Behind Act represent a historic advance for civil rights, or a giant step backward for the children it purports to help, particularly English language learners?

English Language Learners in the Southeast
http://www.serve.org/_downloads/publications/ell.pdf

Published by SERVE, this policy report provides an overview of federal and state legislation, instructional models for EL students, and trends for EL students in the U.S.

English Learners in California Schools (Jepsen & de Alth, 2005)

This report examines the obstacles to student reclassification (from English Learners to Fluent English Proficient) in California.  To obtain a copy of the report, visit: 

http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/

detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED48483

1&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_accno&accno=ED484831

How Far Behind in Math and Reading are English Language Learners?  (2007)

http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=76
The fast-growing number of students designated as English language learners are among the farthest behind in reading and math, according to an analysis that is based on standardized test scores. About 51% of 8th grade ELL students trail whites in reading and math, meaning that the scores for one out of every two will have to improve for the group to achieve parity. In the 4th grade, 35% of ELL students are behind in Math and 47% are behind in Reading when compared with their white counterparts.

Institute for Language and Education Policy
http://www.elladvocates.org/index.html

The Institute for Language and Education Policy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting research-based policies in serving English and heritage language learners.

Listening to Teachers of English Language Learners:  A Survey of California Teachers’ Challenges, Experiences, and Professional Development Needs (Gandara, Maxwell-Jolly, & Driscoll, 2005).  http://pace.berkeley.edu/reports/Listening_to_Teachers.pdf

National Council of Teachers of English
http://www.ncte.org/edpolicy/ell  

Since 1911, NCTE has worked to advance teaching, research, and student achievement in English language arts at all scholastic levels.  NCTE offers information related to the challenges of English language learning, current legislative proposals, and research-based policy statements on the issue.

Policy Matters in Teaching English Language Learners: New York and California. Urban Diversity Series. (Rossell, 2003) ED482922
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/
content_storage_01/0000019b/80/1b/99/89.pdf

Examines historical and current policy in the teaching of language minority students in New York and California, and explores the key issues in the public’s understanding of bilingual education.  Part II, “Dismantling Bilingual Education:  The Impact of Proposition 227 in California,” analyzes the implementation of Prop 227 and its outcomes.

Teachers Not Prepared for English Learners’ Needs  http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=7364

Provides an overview of UC Davis research (Gándara, et al, 2005) concluding that teachers of English learners face unique challenges and yet receive few tools and little professional development geared to the task.

UC Linguistic Minority Research Institute  www.lmri.ucsb.edu/

The Institute is a multi-campus research unit of the University of California established in 1984 to pursue “…knowledge applicable to educational policy and practice in the area of language minority students’ academic achievement and knowledge,” including their access to the University of California and other institutions of higher education.  Offers a searchable database of information on issues of language, education, and public policy, especially as they relate to linguistic minorities.

Family Engagement

Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP)   http://www.gse.harvard.edu/~hfrp/
The Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) strives to promote more effective educational practices, programs, and policies for disadvantaged children and youth by generating, publishing, and disseminating research. 

Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/joinfine.html
The Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) is a national network interested in promoting strong partnerships between children's educators, their families, and their communities. FINE's membership is composed of faculty in higher education, school professionals, directors and trainers of community-based and national organizations, parent leaders, and graduate students.  FINE was launched in November 2000 by Harvard Family Research Project to serve as a hub of resources for family engagement in children's education, and to enable colleagues in the field to connect and communicate.

Working Together: School-family-community partnerships  www.ped.state.nm.us/div/rural_ed/toolkit/toolkit.htm
This toolkit was developed by the New Mexico Public Education Department and the Center for the Education & Study of Diverse Populations to support the creation of school, family and community partnerships focused on helping all children and youth succeed in school and in life.

PALMS:  Postsecondary Access for Latino Middle-grade Students  http://www.palmsproject.net
The PALMS project (a partnership of the Education Development Center, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grade Reform) offers various strategies and tools for involving Latino parents in preparing children for postsecondary success.  Check out the Additional Resources page for families, which provides resources related to college access, guides to school systems & NCLB, and links to parent leadership & education programs.

Involving Refugee Parents in their Children’s Education  www.brycs.org/brycs_spotspring2007.htm
Bridging Refugee Youth & Children’s Services spotlights issues related to refugee parent involvement in their Spring 2007 newsletter.

Hmong Translation Initiative:  Minnesota Humanities Commission  http://www.thinkmhc.org/Literacy/bilingual.htm
The Hmong Translation Initiative is a multi-year family literacy project aimed at increasing literacy for Hmong children and their families. This initiative includes the translation and publication of high-quality children’s literature into Hmong and provides specialized training for Hmong educators and social service providers to conduct classes using the translated books. The Humanities Commission has also developed "Tips for Reading with Your Children" that are available in multiple languages, including Hmong.

Materials & Resources for Parents 

California Department of Education  http://www.cde.ca.gov
The California Department of Education (CDE) collects data from California schools to identify trends and educational needs and to measure performance.  Visit the "Data & Statistics" page to search data available on DataQuest or EdData.  The Data Resource Guide provides definitions for all data available through CDE.

Ed Source:  Using Data in Education Reporting  http://www.edsource.org/press_tip.cfm 
Written for reporters but useful for reformers as well, Ed Source’s Using Data in Education Reporting offers 7 tips for working effectively with education data.

The Education Trust  www.edtrust.org 
Ed Trust offers several data tools, guides, and presentations, including

• Education Watch Online:  State and national data site that allows users to compare achievement and opportunity data across states. 

• Dispelling the Myth Online:  Allows users to search school-level data in almost every state. 

• Making Data Work:  A Parent & Community Guide

Be sure to visit Education Trust-West, the west coast presence of Ed Trust, as well!

Just for the Kids  www.just4kids.org
The data resource on this website allows users to compare academic achievement between similar schools in their state. 

National Center for Education Statistics  http://nces.ed.gov/
The U.S. Department of Education’s primary source of data collection, analysis, and reporting.  Along with data reports and publications, the NCES website contains numerous data tools, including:

• Common Core of Data:  Allows users to easily create tables with school, district, and state-level data.  www.nces.ed.gov/ccd

• Education Finance Statistics Center:  Provides information on school district finances and allows users to compare finances of their district with the finances of similar or nearby districts.  www.nces.ed.gov/edfin

• NAEP Data Tool:  Provides information on how students in every state perform on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the “Nation’s Report Card.”  www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

School Matters  www.schoolmatters.com
This website reports all school, district, and state-level data required under NCLB. 

UC ACCORD College Opportunity Ratio http://ucaccord.gseis.ucla.edu/indicators
Developed by the University of California’s All-Campus Consortium on Research for Diversity (UC/ACCORD), the College Opportunity Ratio (COR) was designed to allow policymakers and the public to monitor the progress of California public high schools in moving students from being college-hopeful 9th graders to being college-ready graduates.  CORs are calculated for every California comprehensive public high school and displayed on Geographic Information System (GIS) maps for every legislative district in the state, setting schools’ CORs against the median household income of residents in the neighborhood where the schools are located.  These maps reveal the startling degree to which high school completion and college preparation differs for students at different schools, in different legislative districts, and among different racial/ethnic groups. (Oakes, Mendoza, & Silver, 2004).

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights  http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/data.html?src=rt
This data collection provides information about student access to elementary and secondary schools and to programs and services within those schools. These data are disaggregated, or broken out, by factors including race, ethnicity, gender, and disability.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs  www.ideadata.org
This web site provides public access to the most recent data about children with disabilities served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These data are collected annually by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs in accordance with Section 618 of IDEA. They are provided in the form of tables produced for the Annual Reports to Congress. The tables, and most pages of this web site, are organized according to the part of the law that governs services for children in an age group. Part B serves children ages 3 through 21. Part C serves infants and toddlers, ages birth through 2.

U.S. Census Bureau  www.census.gov
The Census Bureau serves as a leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy.  Use the American FactFinder, an interactive application that supports most of the Bureau's data sources (Census, American Community Survey, Population Estimates), or click on the "Data Tools" menu for additional resources.

Education Policy & Issues

 Consortium for Policy Research in Education http://www.cpre.org/
Created in 1985, the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) unites researchers from seven of the nation's leading research institutions in an effort to improve elementary and secondary education through practical research. CPRE’s work focuses on the relations between education policy and organization on the one hand, and school, classroom practice, and student learning on the other.

National Center for Policy Analysis 

http://www.ncpa.org/iss/edu/
NCPA promotes private-sector solutions to public policy problems.

Evaluation & Logic Model Resources

American Evaluation Association 

http://www.eval.org/find_an_evaluator/evaluator_search.asp
Search the Find an Evaluator database to locate evaluation consultants in your area.

Evaluation Exchange

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/eval
Published by the Harvard Family Research Project, the Evaluation Exchange offers tips on designing and executing effective evaluation strategies for family engagement programs and advocacy efforts.  Check out the Spring 2007 issue describing new developments in evaluating advocacy and policy change efforts that attempt to inform or influence public policy at the local, state, or federal levels. (www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/eval/issue34/index.html)

Harvard Family Research Project

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/

resources/learning logic models.html
HFRP offers a step-by-step approach for developing and using a logic model as a framework for a program or organization's evaluation.  The guide seeks to provide a tool to guide evaluation processes and to facilitate practitioner and evaluator partnerships.  Click here to download the HFRP logic model guide. Check out the Out-of-School Time Evaluation Snapshot series, which examines specific aspects of out-of-school time (OST) evaluation.

United Way of America: A Practical Approach to Measuring Program Outcomes http://national.unitedway.org/outcomes/resources/mpo/excerpts.cfm
Offers a step-by-step manual for health, human service, and youth- and family-serving agencies that is both methodologically sound and highly practical.   The Program Outcome Model (available http://national.unitedway.org/outcomes/resources/mpo/model.cfm) provides a simplified version of a logic model. 

University of Wisconsin Extension  http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Program-Development-Evaluation-C234.aspx
Offers several publications on program, evaluation, and survey development that can be ordered for a small fee ($2 - $20)

Utilization-Focused Evaluation Checklist (Patton, 2002)  http://www.wmich.edu/evalctr/checklists/ufe.pdf
Utilization-Focused Evaluation (U-FE) begins with the premise that evaluations should be judged by their utility and actual use, e.g. intended users are more likely to use evaluations if they understand and feel ownership of the evaluation process and findings.  Patton offers a guide for helping intended evaluation users to select the most appropriate content, model, methods, theory, and uses for their evaluation.