In 2012, FSG and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation published five in-depth case studies on leading blended learning practitioners across the country called "Blended Learning in Practice: Case Studies from Leading Schools". A key question that emerged from this work was how schools can manage the rapid pace of change inherent in blended learning. This case study, a Year 2 follow up in the 2012-13 school year, examines how a rigorous, intentional process for innovation has enabled Summit Public Schools San Jose to continuously improve its blended and whole school learning model.

Council of the Great City Schools understands that reforms work best when implemented in tandem; it urges urban school districts to develop a unifying vision with multilayered strategies for addressing the academic needs of African American males. This e-book is a compilation of solution briefs, representing educational and noneducational strategies. Ranging from reading and math to mental health, school discipline, and public policy, the essays have in common a belief in the potential of African American male students.

Milwaukee Succeeds is a unique effort is bringing together all the key stakeholders to support a common set of goals to improve educational outcomes for all children in the city of Milwaukee.

Milwaukee and its children often end up on the wrong end of the list when it comes to education, poverty and the myriad of social and emotional issues surrounding them. To overcome these challenges, it will take a vision that all in our community embrace. After all, "success for every child, in every school" is a pretty large undertaking; one that will require a big commitment to fulfill. Milwaukee Succeeds believes our community is up for the challenge because we believe in the promise of our city. We know how hard individuals and groups are already working to improve the educational environment in Milwaukee. We have seen some dedicated efforts getting remarkable results with the children in our schools. But we also know it will take more than hard work. The work is too big for any one organization to tackle and the issues are too complex for any single group to overcome. It will take all of us -- parents, educators, community leaders, faith-based leaders, business leaders and more -- working toward our common goals.

This Milestone Report lays out the challenges we face and the goals that have been set to tackle them. In the data section, the issues are outlined as they exist today - some of which may seem daunting. With each challenge, there are clear outcomes we have set to achieve by 2020. But this report also makes a promise: We pledge to work together to achieve the goals we have laid out and to fulfill our commitment to the kids. That is the spirit of Milwaukee Succeeds and all who will join forces with us to take on this important work. We are a diverse group who pledges to collaborate and to focus on issues where our collective effort can make an impact. One issue at a time, one problem at a time working across the spectrum of cradle to career is how we will see success unfold.

We share the communitywide sense of urgency on improving the educational outcomes for children in our city, but we know that to create lasting change, we have to be in this for the long haul. This Milestone Report is just a starting point. It lays out the journey we have in front of us and the goals we expect to achieve along the way. We believe that by working together we all will get there. We know that by working together, we all will help Milwaukee succeed.

Exclusionary school discipline, also known as "zero tolerance," was chosen as the subject of this report for three reasons: it offers a window into inequalities in education, criminal justice, and broader social life; social scientists have come to a consensus about its harms and provided clear alternatives; and it illustrates the need for comprehensive knowledge and holistic solutions for complex problems.

The STEM Teacher Corps is a bold initiative to advance STEM teaching and learning across the United States by recognizing the nation's top K-12 STEM teachers. In order to attract and retain the best STEM teachers, we must significantly reward excellence in STEM teaching, elevate the status of the profession, and create paths within the profession to which all STEM teachers can aspire. We also have an opportunity to create a cadre of the nation's most accomplished teachers who will broadly advance education and education policy.

The need for such a Corps was outlined in a September 2010 report to President Obama from his Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). The President announced his Administration's plans to launch a Teacher Corps in July 2012. A national STEM Teacher Corps would recognize a larger percentage of teachers than any existing recognition program, create an interactive professional community of teachers empowered to make broad improvements to STEM education, and provide significant stipends to reward teachers and their schools. It would also provide a growth trajectory for teachers to develop within the profession and avenues for them to engage in improving STEM teaching and learning beyond their classrooms. The Corps is a coherent cadre of teachers with national visibility, and with linked national, regional, state, and local networks of teachers who help improve each other's practice and professionalize STEM teaching.

In New York City and around the nation, there is intense interest in the question of what it takes to turn around a low-performing school. This study focused on two sets of initially low-performing NYC middle schools. The first group (the "turnaround schools") exhibited significant growth in academic performance between 2006 and 2010, while the other group saw minimal growth or remained stagnant during the same period. To gain an understanding of how the turnaround schools improved, researchers conducted in-depth interviews with principals and focus groups with teachers in both sets of schools.

This report presents a rich picture of the conditions and strategies that enabled the turnaround schools to boost student achievement. Specifically, it identifies three interrelated "essential conditions" that were largely principal driven: aligning needs with goals, creating a positive work environment, and addressing student discipline and safety. These essential conditions, in turn, set the stage for implementing specific strategies to improve teaching and learning: developing teachers internally, creating small learning communities, targeting student sub-populations, and using data to inform instruction. The report also describes several ongoing challenges faced by all the schools. Finally, it draws on the study's findings to make recommendations for improving the effectiveness of middle schools here in New York City and around the country. The study is part of an ongoing focus on the middle grades for the Research Alliance.