| Date |
Title |
| 04/02/2013 |
REL Central Mentoring Study |
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REL Central Mentoring Study
As part of a three-organization group which now operates the federal education laboratory for the central region of the country (REL Central), APA is leading a study to understand the impacts of an innovative program which utilizes retired master educators to serve as mentors to new teachers in high need elementary schools. The study, which will commence this summer in the Aurora Public School District in Colorado, will utilize a randomized control trial with control and treatment groups to understand the program's impact over two years on student and teacher performance and teacher retention. For more information, please contact APA's Dale DeCesare at 720-227-0089 or dmd@apaconsulting.net.
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| 01/04/2013 |
APA Report on MS Agricultural Schools |
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APA Report on MS Agricultural High Schools
In late 2012, APA was commissioned by the Mississippi Department of Education to review the condition of the three remaining agricultural high schools in Mississippi and to make recommendations about whether the status of those schools should be changed in the future. APA analyzed performance, enrollment, and spending data for each school and conducted interviews with numerous key stakeholders in the schools and communities. Our report was submitted to, and approved by, the state Board of Education in December 2012. For more details about the report and its recommendations, please see this news article.
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| 11/19/2012 |
Fall 2012 Southwest TURN Results for Students Conference |
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Fall 2012 Southwest TURN Results for Students Conference
On the weekend of November 16-18, over 70 teachers, association members and administrators came together in Denver for the Fall 2012 Southwest TURN conference. The agenda was focused on achieving results for students and included sessions on the Common Core, Extended Learning Opportunities, and the use of student survey data to improve teaching. Participants came from Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Nebraska, Utah and Arizona. APA helped organize and facilitate this conference as part of its work in Teacher Effectiveness. The event took place with the generous support of the Rose Community Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Ford Foundation. For more information about Southwest TURN, and this conference, please visit: www.turnexchange.net/southwest.
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| 09/26/2012 |
APA helps facilitate Southwest TURN PAR conference |
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APA Helps Facilitate Southwest TURN PAR Conference
On September 22, over 80 teachers, administrators and association members came together in Denver for the first annual Southwest TURN/CEA Labor-Management Fall Summit. The conference, titled "Shared Accountability and Leadership for Student Achievement" focused on enhancing teacher quality through Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) systems. Dal Lawrence, former President of the Toledo Federation of Teachers, who developed the PAR model, and Jo Anderson, Senior Adviser to the US Secretary of Education, both presented at the conference. Participants also had the chance to hear from and ask questions of local teachers, principals, administrators and association members who have already implemented PAR. APA helped organize and facilitate this meeting as part of our work in Teacher Effectiveness. The event took place with the generous support of CEA and local Colorado Associations who attended, along with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
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| 07/26/2012 |
APA Hired as Program Evaluator for School Readiness Initative |
|
Mile High United Way School
Readiness Initiative
APA has been hired as the program evaluator for three of the 11 grantees
that are part of the Mile High United Way's School Readiness Initiative. The United Way has a goal of producing a 25 percent increase in third grade reading proficiency over the next five years for children served by evidence-based programs. The programs for which APA will serve as evaluator represent a range of innovative approaches, from providing a summer school literacy program, to an in-school tutoring program for struggling readers, to a program designed to locate and
train family, friend, and neighbor preschool providers in low income
Hispanic communities. For more information on the initiative, click here.
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| 07/02/2012 |
APA Partners with NCTL to Develop ELT Cost Models |
|
Expanded Learning Time Cost Models
APA is working with the National Center on Time & Learning to develop a set of high-quality, cost-effective expanded learning time (ELT) cost models based on the specific context of Colorado. The cost models will feature low to no-cost approaches for expanding student instruction time and maximizing efficiency of current student time, while keeping within Colorado’s 40-hour teacher work week. For more information about NCTL and expanded learning time initiatives please click here.
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| 06/04/2012 |
APA & REL Central Assists with Development of Nebraska Educator Evaluation |
|
Nebraska Educator Evaluation Framework
As part of REL Central - the federal regional education lab for the central region of the country - APA is currently providing technical assistance to Nebraska as the state develops its Educator Evaluation Framework. At the end of May, meetings were held with a Nebraska Educator Committee to develop both teacher and principal evaluation models. Working through REL Central, APA staff facilitated these discussions around evaluation model components and evaluation frameworks, and will further facilitate a conversation between the Nebraska Department of Education and additional outside experts in July.
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| 01/17/2012 |
APA Forms New Federal Education Research Lab with Marzano Research Laborato |
|
APA,
Marzano Research Laboratory, and RMC Research Corporation have received a contract from the U.S. Department of
Education to form the Central States Education Lab. The new lab will build
alliances with state and district education leaders in seven central
states to explore key policies surrounding educator effectiveness, closing the
achievement gap, and postsecondary and workforce readiness. Click here for the full press release: www.prweb.com/releases/2012/1/prweb9106748.htm.
For more information on the regional labs, please click here.
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| 11/21/2011 |
APA Designs Statewide Survey to Inventory Assessments |
|
APA has contracted with the Colorado Legacy Foundation to design a statewide survey instrument that will inventory the types of student assessments currently used in the state. The survey will provide a variety of important data for district and state leaders on how these assessments are utilized across grade levels and subject areas.
|
| 08/08/2011 |
APA Provides Expertise in Colorado School Funding Lawsuit |
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APA Vice President Justin Silverstein testified as a national school finance expert in Colorado's Labato court case which is testing the adequacy of the state's sytem for funding public schools. For more information on the case, please click here.
|
| 06/30/2011 |
APA Completes Evaluation of Closing the Achievement Gap Program |
|
Working in conjunction with the University of Colorado at Denver, APA completed a six month evaluation of an innovative, multi-year program to support efforts in six districts to close student achievement gaps. The evaluation findings, which were presented to Colorado's Commissioner of Education, included both an analysis of student test scores over time and qualitative data gathered through site visits, interviews, and focus groups of teachers, principals, district leaders, state policy personnel, and other experts.
|
| 04/30/2011 |
APA Works with Southwest Teacher Leaders |
|
Since 2009, APA has worked with education leaders in Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Nevada, and Texas to revitalize the SW-TURN region of the Teacher Union Reform Network (TURN). TURN is a nationwide network of more than 50 American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and National Education Association (NEA) locals whose goal is to enable teachers to be participants in shaping education policies and to anticipate changes that are forthcoming. Click here for more information.
|
| 03/07/2011 |
APA Works With Districts on Teacher Mentoring and Evaluation |
|
APA is working directly with school districts to provide technical assistance to improve teacher retention and professional development. Through support from a Title II grant provided through the Colorado Department of Education, APA is working with Aurora Public Schools to implement and evaluate a mentoring program for new teachers in several high-poverty schools that have experienced high levels of teacher turnover in recent years. APA is also working with Brighton School District 27J to evaluate and provide data on the district's implementation of a new system for evaluating teachers. For more information, contact APA's Dale DeCesare at 720-227-0089 or dmd@apaconsulting.net.
|
| 01/31/2011 |
APA Develops Early Childhood Education Cost Model |
|
APA is developing an interactive early childhood cost model for the State of Minnesota. The model will allow policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders to design a customized comprehensive early childhood system for the state and view projected costs for the system. The model will also map current funding available for early childhood services in the state.
|
| 11/05/2010 |
APA Helps Three Districts Secure TIF Grants |
|
APA staff worked with three school districts to help them secure federal grants under the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF). TIF is designed to help districts plan for and implement alternative compensation systems for educators. Over the past year, APA staff worked with the Austin Independent School District and the Round Rock School District in Texas as well as the Jefferson County School District in Colorado. APA also worked with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to help that organization secure TIF funding for additional districts.
|
| 09/14/2010 |
APA Work Informs Mississippi Education Commission |
|
The Mississippi Commission on Educational Structure, chaired by BancorpSouth Chairman and CEO Aubrey Patterson of Tupelo, today released its final report of criteria to be used when considering school district consolidation to Governor Haley Barbour. The Commission's work was informed by a district consolidation study completed earlier this year by APA. For more information on the Comission's recommendations, click here.
|
| 08/10/2010 |
APA Evaluates Mississippi Program |
|
APA is part of a team effort to evaluate the work of the Mississippi Center for Education Innovation (MSCEI). MSCEI seeks to improve the education opportunities for children in the Mississippi Delta by strengthening school and district leadership, teacher professional development, community engagement, and early childhood education. APA is partnering with Cascade Educational Consultants in conducting the program evaluation.
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| 06/01/2010 |
APA Continues Work on Alternative Teacher Pay |
|
APA continues to provide policy and fiscal planning advice to the Austin Independent School District (AISD) in Texas regarding the district's innovative alternative teacher compensation pilot program. Over the past several years, APA staff have worked to help facilitate the discussions of a district steering committee for the AISD Reach Strategic Compensation Initiative.
|
| 04/22/2010 |
APA Completes Mississippi Consolidation Study |
|
APA recently completed a school district consolidation study in Mississippi, and presented recommendations to a panel appointed by Governor Haley Barbour. For more information, visit: http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20100420/NEWS/4200360/18-school-districts-recommended-for-consolidation .
|
| 03/01/2010 |
APA Selected to Conduct North Carolina Study |
|
APA has been selected by the North Carolina General Assembly to examine the procedures and formulas that the state uses to fund public elementary and secondary education. APA will conduct its analyses throughout the spring and summer with a report expected later this fall.
|
| 02/11/2010 |
Mississippi Hires APA for District Merger Study |
|
A commission appointed by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour has selected APA Consulting to conduct a statewide study designed to determine whether school district consolidation might be an effective strategy to increase efficiency and reduce costs. APA returns to a state where, in the late 1990's, the firm helped design a new public education funding formula. For more information, click here.
|
| 01/11/2010 |
APA Evaluates Reach Out and Read Colorado |
|
APA has been hired to conduct an evaluation of Reach Out and Read Colorado, a nonprofit organization that aims to make literacy a standard component of child health care. The evaluation will be conducted throughout the spring.
|
| 10/22/2009 |
APA Conducts Teacher Working Condition Studies |
|
APA Analyzes Teacher Working Conditions. APA recently completed studies for two school districts analyzing the impact of working conditions on the ability to attract and retain high quality teachers. APA recommendations addressed specific areas -- such as professional development , planning time, and teacher collaboration -- that have the greatest impact on teacher retention, especially in high poverty schools. For more information on teacher retention, click here.
|
| 09/01/2009 |
APA Supports Facility Use Planning |
|
APA is supporting the work of Jeffco Public Schools in Colorado to help the district better understand how school buildings and facilities are currently utilized and to identify potential ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency. For more information on the district's Facilities Usage Committee that APA is working with, please click here.
|
| 07/07/2009 |
New District Consolidation Report |
|
APA has written a new report summarizing the status and research on school district consolidation across the country. Produced for the Colorado School Finance Project, the report can be found by clicking here.
|
| 04/14/2009 |
Court Supports APA Work in New Jersey |
|
The Superior Court of New Jersey has issued recommendations to that state's supreme court regarding the validity of New Jersey's new school finance formula passed into law last year. The formula was based in part on recommendations and analysis from an APA costing-out study. Plaintiffs in the case attempted to attack the validity of the professional judgement analysis (which draws upon the input of panels of experienced educators) used in the costing out work. However, in supporting the analysis the court held that while no one methodology can precisely predict the amount of funds needed to meet a specific academic performance standard, "the court is satisfied the Professional Judgement Panel process established fairly and equitably the first step in constructing a constitutionally mandated equitable funding formula for all districts."
|
| 03/04/2009 |
APA Produces Special Education Report |
|
APA has produced a new statewide report on special education programs and funding in Pennsylvania. The report provides information on how much it costs to educate children eligible for special education programs. It also explains the reasons behind the costs, as well as the potential benefits that appropriate funding for special education can provide to students, teachers, parents, and the state. The report has been endorsed by a wide array of organizations across Pennsylvania. Click here for the full report.
|
| 01/14/2009 |
APA Conducts Tax Analysis For Massachusetts Secretary of Ed |
|
APA completed a report for Massachusetts Secretary of Education Paul Reville examining the impact of state and local taxes and comparing Massachusetts to other states. The report helps policymakers determine how changes in tax policy might allow new revenues to be generated without harming the state's competitive position with nearby states. To see the report, please click here.
|
| 01/01/2009 |
Vice President Doug Rose leaves APA |
|
APA Vice President Doug Rose has left the firm but will continue collaborating and assisting in our work on specific projects.
|
| 11/14/2008 |
APA Assists District with Declining Enrollment |
|
The Littleton Public School District has experienced declining enrollment over the past several years, making budget cuts likely if steps are not taken to change the way its facilities and resources are used. APA provided expertise, data analysis, and other support to enable a district-created task force to produce a series of recommendations -- including the repurposing of several schools -- to the district's school board. On November 13, the Littleton Public School Board adopted the task force recommendations pertaining to the repurposing of two elementary schools. Click here for the district's press release. The task force web site is located here. The group's final report is available here.
|
| 10/15/2008 |
APA Helps Texas District Develop Alternative Teacher Pay Program |
|
APA is working with the Austin Independent School District in Texas to facilitate stakeholder discussions regarding the creation of a new, strategic compensation initiative for educators. Among other activities, APA provides expertise and advice and facilitates meetings of the initiative's steering committee. For more information on the Austin initiative, please click here.
|
| 09/23/2008 |
APA Releases Teacher Retention Report |
|
With support from the Rose Community Foundation, APA has released a new report identifying a series of best practices for attracting and retaining teachers in hard to staff schools. The report was prepared in cooperation with district and education association leaders from three of Colorado's largest school districts. To view the report, please click here.
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| 07/08/2008 |
APA Recommendations Lead to Historic Increase in Education Funding |
|
Pennsylvania has signed into law legislation which, based on APA's recommendations, raises funding for public education by nearly $275 million -- an historic increase for the state. The state also adopted APA's recommendations on how the money can most effectively be distributed to school districts. These recommendations include recognizing higher costs associated with helping children in poverty and English language learners achieve state performance standards. They also include cost adjustments that recognize differences in district size and regional cost of living. Click here for APA's full Pennsylvania costing-out report. Click here for a press release from Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell.
|
| 06/10/2008 |
Pennsylvania House Committee Passes Funding Bill |
|
Members of Pennsylvania's House Education Committee voted 23-5 to pass legislation creating a new school funding formula. The formula would use APA's costing out study -- completed in late 2007 -- as the basis for calculating the needs of each school district based on aspects such as size and student characteristics. For more information, click here.
|
| 05/16/2008 |
APA Conducts Preschool Program Evaluation |
|
APA is now working under a contract with the Denver Preschool Program (DPP) to conduct an extensive evaluation designed to help policymakers and DPP leaders understand how the program is functioning. The DPP was created through a voter-funded initiative, and is designed to promote the participation of Denver four-year-olds in high quality preschool experiences. For more information on DPP, visit: http://www.dpp.org/ .
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| 03/18/2008 |
APA Releases County-wide Education Study |
|
Creating a new, county-wide cyber charter school and a county-wide research and best practices clearinghouse were just two of the key recommendations that APA identified in a new study of the 16 school districts in York County, Pennsylvania. APA was hired to analyze the districts, interview superintendents, and use research and other data to produce recommendations to help the districts cooperate more effectively. The study, which includes an analysis of York district resource use efficiency, is available by clicking here.
|
| 02/26/2008 |
Colorado Ed Commissioner Lauds APA's Closing the Achievement Gap Study |
|
Schools that are closing the achievement gap between students from lower and higher socio-economic backgrounds have important common characteristics, according to a joint study conducted by the Donnell-Kay Foundation and Augenblick, Palaich & Associates, Inc. The study examines eight schools in Colorado who have made significant progress in closing the gap, and identifies commonalities across these schools. To view the "Profiles of Success" report, please click here. The report was released in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Education. For a link to the Department's press release, click here.
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| 02/08/2008 |
Pennsylvania Governor Adopts APA Recommendations |
|
In his 2008-09 budget address, Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell is calling for the Pennsylvania Legislature to support the findings in APA's December 2007 costing out study. The study outlined the resources needed for all schools in the state to reach student performance goals. According to Rendell, "I am proud to report that this budget incorporates the findings of your Costing-Out Study, and includes a new funding formula that phases-in over six years the funds to help all Pennsylvania school districts reach the funding targets established by this ground-breaking research." For the Governor's full address, please click here.
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| 01/22/2008 |
New Jersey Incorporates APA Work |
|
New Jersey enacted a new school finance formula in January 2008 that treats all school districts in the state uniformly, replacing a system under which the state dealt with 31 special needs districts set up under the Abbott v. Burke litigation separately. The formula uses a base amount and a series of cost adjustment factors to consider the varying needs of all 616 school districts. APA worked for several years with New Jersey educators to redesign the state aid system and developed the parameters used to determine each district's funding level.
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| 01/18/2008 |
APA Unveils New Web site |
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Welcome to our new site! In January 2008 APA completely revamped and revised its Web site. The new site is more user friendly and contains a variety of new information on APA's projects, clients, and reports. We invite you to browse the site and to provide feedback on its design and content using the "Contact Us" link.
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| 12/14/2007 |
Pennsylvania State Board Releases APA Costing Out Study |
|
The Pennsylvania State Board of Education has approved and released APA's statewide costing out study. The study, which used three state-of-the-art research methods, identifies the resources needed for each district in the state to achieve the performance that is expected of them. For more information from the State Board of Education, please click here. For a direct link to the study, please click here.
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