AES Publications

AES Publications – Education Reform California

This brief describes key research findings supporting that school climate and culture continue to be the single most indispensable ingredient of effective school reform; it also provides resources for using this data to make changes.

This brief identifies characteristics of high-performing schools and describes proven reforms, criteria and guidelines to improve student outcomes at low-performing, high poverty schools.

This brief discusses positive learning environments – the key to turning around low-performing schools – and developing the leadership capacity to create them – the core requirement for any comprehensive reform.

This report presents student data from an AES convening of Northern California high school/university students to include student perspectives in the Blueprint discussion and implementation process (The California Blueprint for Great Schools represents a new mission and planning framework for the State.) Student responses highlight the importance of teacher effectiveness and positive learning environments.

This policy and practice review, originally commissioned for a specific AES project, provides a good overview of school climate and culture efforts at the academic, national, state and local levels.

This brief discusses the impact of a “caring school climate” and other developmental principals at Genesis Charter High School, created in 2003 as part of Sacramento City School District reform efforts.