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SERVE supports
educational improvement through its work in areas of greatest
need. The knowledge we generate through our work is shared with
you in this website. We offer information organized into eight
topic areas, which are outlined below and linked to the topic
area pages: Assessment, Curriculum
and Instruction, Educational Research,
Educator Quality, Expanded
Learning Opportunities, Policy
and Legislation, School and District
Improvement, and Technology in
Learning. These topics were chosen because they represent
crucial components of pre-K–12 education, are important
to implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, and reflect
SERVE’s areas of work.
It is difficult
to divide education into discrete areas because the entire endeavor
is made up of so many interrelated parts and the whole is much
greater than the sum of those parts. Certainly, most SERVE activities
cross several of these topic areas. Nevertheless, to address the
issues facing educators, it is necessary to identify major areas
of focus and to understand how they interrelate. Each area needs
to be operating effectively and in concert with the others.
The eight
topic areas will address questions such as:
- How can
we use assessment not only to inform us about student progress
but also to improve our instruction?
- How can
rich curriculum and instructional practices be employed to help
students meet high standards?
- What new
information does research provide to us about effective practice?
- Teachers
and administrators are key to good practice, so how can we support
them and ensure that they do the best job possible?
- What additional
support for preschoolers and struggling at-risk students will
lead to better outcomes for them?
- What can
policymakers do to strengthen and support high-quality, effective
educational practices?
- What practices
work best at the district level to improve schools?
- How can
technology strengthen and expand our capacity to help students
learn?
SERVE’s
website and the information in these eight topic areas provide
some of the tools that SERVE has designed to help you answer these
and many other questions.
Assessment
In
the last decade, states have implemented content standards, testing
programs, and accountability mechanisms as primary tools for raising
student achievement. This section of SERVE's website provides
information on the following topics:
Curriculum
and Instruction
With
the advent of the No Child Left Behind (Act) and the emphasis
on student mastery of content, high-quality professional development,
and exemplary teaching, the need for research-based professional
development activities, products, and resources in core content
areas has never been greater. To respond to these needs, SERVE
offers a range of curricular and instructional opportunities in:
