The GE Foundation's Foray into Urban School Improvement - Hear Robert Corcoran talk about the tremendous resources the GE Foundation has committed to education over the past several years. He was speaking at the 2011 ECS National Forum on Education Policy....

Improving Academic Achievement in Urban Schools: What Can Policymakers Do? PDF - This report, based on the input of nine urban district superintendents and experts, provides state policy recommendations that target improving the academic achievement of urban students. The report recommends that state policymakers consider comprehensive state policy support for urban districts rather than piecemeal support. The policy areas addressed include school governance, school finance, teaching quality, English language learners, early learning, data management, finances related to special education and integrated social, medical and mental health services for students. A three-page summary also is available. (Education Commission of the States, November 2003)...

America's Best (and Worst) Cities for School Reform: Attracting Entrepreneurs and Change Agents - This study evaluates how welcoming 30 American cities--the 25 largest and 5 smaller "hot spots"--are to "nontraditional" problem-solvers and solutions. To make this determination the analysts examined six domains that shape a jurisdiction's receptivity to education reform: (1) Human capital; (2) Financial capital; (3) Charter environment; (4) Quality control; (5) District environment; and (6) Municipal environment. Few cities are rolling out the red carpet and no city received an "A". (Thomas B. Fordham Institute, August 2010)...

Quality Matters 2004: A Wake Community Review of the Public’s Schools - The School Finance Committee, a gathering of civic, business and community leaders in Wake County, North Carolina, has assembled this collection of facts and statistics about the district’s financial stewardship and “return on investment”. The document examines: (1) the district’s revenues and expenditures; (2) the district’s disaggregated reading and math test scores in the 2002-03 school year; (3) the district’s progress towards its ambitious Goal 2003 and Goal 2008 student achievement objectives; and (4) the district’s English as a Second Language program, student college preparation efforts, and teacher quality indicators and recruitment/retention strategies. According to the authors, “Wake County and its municipalities have been the proud recipients of a host of accolades” from such publications as Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine and Money Magazine, including recognition as “#1 Best City for Education” from the 2003 edition of the Places Rated Almanac. Read this report to find out what Wake County is doing right. (The School Finance Committee, April 2004)...