What Makes Schools Work

March 22, 2010

John Smithson and colleagues are analyzing how teachers in about 150 schools teach grades 2-8 mathematics. The goal is to determine practices and policies that promote success in schools, classrooms, and students. During the first two years of the study, researchers surveyed principals and teacher in about 500 schools, collecting data about what they are doing to help students learn. The study will benefit not only research but the classroom. As teachers submit their surveys they receive reports showing their results and how they align with state standards and assessments. ‘What Makes Schools Work’ is a project of Vanderbilt University's National Center on School Choice, in association with the Northwest Evaluation Association, WCER , and Mountain Measurement. The project is sponsored by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.