A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Mission

To promote and support the continuous improvement of educational opportunities for learners in the Southeast.

Key Initiatives

Low-Performing Schools. The goal of this initiative is to assist states in networking, sharing lessons learned, and identifying promising strategies for assisting low-performing schools. A regional seminar was convened by SERVE in response to the emerging emphasis on assisting schools that do not meet state accountability standards. The seminar, titled Southern Seminar on Low-Performing Schools, provided state education agency staff from each of the six states in SERVE's region the opportunity to examine progress, share effective strategies and policies, identify current needs, and consider how SERVE and other OERI-funded assistance providers can best meet their needs. These conferences have served as a type of benchmarking for participants.

National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE). NCHE, established in 1998 to enhance educational opportunities and outcomes for homeless children and youth in our nation's school communities, has set the following goals:

• Disseminating important resource and referral information related to the complex issues surrounding the education of homeless children;
• Fostering collaboration among various organizations that have interest in addressing the education of homeless children;
• Promoting national grassroots awareness of homeless issues; and
• Providing linkages to resources to help local communities across the nation respond more effectively to the educational needs of homeless children, as prescribed by the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act.

Cross-Organizational Initiative on Teachers and Teaching. The goal of this initiative is to provide a comprehensive organizational focus on teachers and teaching. There is an abundance of evidence that indicates that teachers have the potential to truly contribute to the reform of the educational system, in addition to having an impact on student learning. However, structural, professional, personal, political, and cultural influences affect teacher effectiveness. This initiative addresses these influences by forging connections between research and practice. Several mechanisms are utilized, including regional and national collaborative efforts; teacher dialogue forums; alliances between college faculty, practitioners, and researchers; a network of accomplished and award-winning teacher leaders; and administrator institutes. The initiative also addresses issues related to knowledge and skill development, standards, improved professional development, pre-service education, teacher leadership, renewal, and policy development. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to promote and support the continual improvement of teachers and teaching in the Southeast for the purpose of increasing learning opportunities for students.

Signature Programs

The following six major work units of SERVE are designated as programs— led by staff who possess expertise in an area of education having high importance in the Southeast, and conduct research and development and provide technical assistance to education agencies in the region. These programs, supported by SERVE's Executive Services, Operations, Office of Publishing and Quality Assurance, and Office of Evaluation, cut across contracts and grants. The Cross-Organizational Initiative listed above also addresses a topic of high importance in the region, involves effort in most or all of these six programs, and requires intensive coordination to achieve organizational focus.

Program on Assessment, Accountability, and Standards. The goal of this program is the advancement of thinking and practice in the areas of student assessment, teacher assessment, program evaluation, and accountability. Major activities include:

• Helping teachers assess students' progress in the classroom in ways that affect achievement and motivation;
• Working with high schools to implement higher expectations for all students (e.g., through senior projects);
• Helping administrators develop teacher evaluation systems that support professional growth and accountability;
• Disseminating promising school and district approaches to improving reading;
• Building the capacity of schools and districts to conduct useful program evaluations; and
• Supporting district administrators in exploring effective strategies for raising standards for students in an era of school-based decisionmaking and more demanding state accountability models.

Program for Children, Families, and Communities. This program addresses the educational and developmental needs of learners from birth through adulthood in the context of school, home, and community in traditional and nontraditional settings and supports the work SERVE is doing in its specialty area — early childhood education. This program operates the Anchor School Project, an innovative technology project designed to support migrant farm-worker families as they move from place to place in search of agricultural work. The Region IV Comprehensive Center provides training and technical assistance to schools, school districts, and state education agencies in North and South Carolina; and the newly created National Center for Homeless Education became operational in the Fall of 1998. The program also studies special education programs serving learning-disabled students and those with attention deficit disorder in an effort to inform public and private schools about the most effective way to reach these special groups of children.

Program on Education Policy. This program addresses policy and policy development implications of local, state, regional, and national issues, problems, and initiatives in education. It serves the region through a group of senior policy analysts, one located in each state education agency (SEA). The analysts spend the majority of their time assisting chief state school officers with policy issues and facilitating communication among SERVE, the chiefs, and SEA staff. The program sponsors a regional policy network that includes educators, legislators, and others involved in assessing and setting the direction of education in the region. An annual meeting of the network is conducted to build and extend relationships and knowledge of major policy issues in the region and the nation. Policy Program staff develop policy briefs on issues of high importance to the SEAs and coordinate their work with the other programs in SERVE.

Program for the Improvement of Science and Mathematics Education (PrISME). The mission of this program is to improve science and mathematics through a focus on teaching and learning. This mission is pursued by developing and/or identifying capacity-building models of technical assistance and identifying and disseminating exemplary materials. It operates the Eisenhower Consortium for Mathematics and Science Education at SERVE for the six states in the Laboratory's region. The Consortium coordinates mathematics and science resources, disseminates exemplary mathematics and science instructional materials, and provides technical assistance for the implementation of teaching methods and assessment tools for use by elementary and secondary school students, staff, and administrators.

Program on School Development and Reform. The purpose of this program is to improve schools in the Southeast by disseminating research-based information and providing technical assistance on implementing models and processes of school reform that have shown proven impact on teaching and learning. Program staff assist state education agencies with developing plans and conducting workshops and conferences that support the scaling up of statewide comprehensive school reform initiatives. Districts and schools are offered assistance with developing comprehensive school improvement plans based on assessed needs, researching and selecting appropriate designs and strategies, and implementing a wide range of school reform models and initiatives in both urban and rural settings. Other initiatives that promote effective school change and reform throughout the region include identifying and sharing successful programs developed and implemented by states, districts, and schools; convening groups to provide opportunities for exploring choices and exchanging ideas; and working with intensive sites to test assistance processes that are helpful to schools that are implementing school reform programs. The program is part of the national collective and collaborative efforts of the Regional Educational Laboratories to disseminate school reform designs, tools, and strategies. SERVE's Charter Schools Resource Center and Leadership Institute are operated out of this program.

Program on Technology in Learning. The purpose of this program is to improve the processes of teaching and learning through the use of electronic technologies. These technologies include, but are not limited to, computers and computer-driven devices, telecommunications, and software. Program staff conduct research and development in strategies, methods, and materials and provide technical assistance and staff development to educators, parents, and others whether in schools, districts, SEAs, or other settings. The program is responsible for the operation of the Southeast and Islands Regional Technology in Education Consortium (SEIR*TEC) and for conducting the technology activities of the Regional Educational Laboratory for the six states in SERVE's region.

Specialty Area

Early Childhood Education. SERVE is developing its ability to provide expert leadership and support to the early childhood community nationwide. Based on the results of a national assessment SERVE conducted in conjunction with the Laboratory network and other national associations to identify critical needs, SERVE is:

• Establishing a research agenda and identifying sites for data collection and development activities in order to advance new knowledge;
• Planning for the development and dissemination of products, publications, training, and technical assistance activities to build capacity and inspire innovation;
• Establishing a resource and referral system and forming coalitions and networks to address critical issues; and
• Developing plans to influence national policy development.

SERVE's specialty area work focuses on five areas of concern for early childhood educators, caregivers, and advocates: quality care/education, linking of services, education/training for caregivers and educators, equitable access to quality care, and policy development that supports quality care and education.

SERVE will continue its work with practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and program leaders to improve the care and education of young children by conducting research and development activities, providing training and staff development, and developing and disseminating resource materials. Major activities to be initiated include convening a national conference devoted to early childhood education issues and field testing a document designed to improve the continuity of care for children and their families.

Selected Recent Products

Achieving Your Vision of Professional Development: How to Assess Your Needs and Get What You Want. This "Hot Topic" publication, awarded the 1998 Book of the Year by the National Staff Development Council, assembles the most current research on professional development and change for educators looking to accelerate their professional growth and improve student learning.

Family-Focused Workplace Guide. This early childhood publication assists businesses of all sizes and sectors in examining their current work/family policies and programs in the spirit of continuous improvement.

Teacher Evaluation: The Road to Excellence — Current Findings on Teacher Evaluation Models That Support Professional Growth. This R&D publication, which summarizes promising practices in effective teacher induction and teacher evaluation, provides the rationale for implementing formative teacher evaluation programs.

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This page last modified 19 October 1999. (lvb)