TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Catherine Lord A2 - James P. McGee TI - Educating Children with Autism SN - DO - 10.17226/10017 PY - 2001 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10017/educating-children-with-autism PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Autism is a word most of us are familiar with. But do we really know what it means? Children with autism are challenged by the most essential human behaviors. They have difficulty interacting with other people—often failing to see people as people rather than simply objects in their environment. They cannot easily communicate ideas and feelings, have great trouble imagining what others think or feel, and in some cases spend their lives speechless. They frequently find it hard to make friends or even bond with family members. Their behavior can seem bizarre. Education is the primary form of treatment for this mysterious condition. This means that we place important responsibilities on schools, teachers and children's parents, as well as the other professionals who work with children with autism. With the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975, we accepted responsibility for educating children who face special challenges like autism. While we have since amassed a substantial body of research, researchers have not adequately communicated with one another, and their findings have not been integrated into a proven curriculum. Educating Children with Autism outlines an interdisciplinary approach to education for children with autism. The committee explores what makes education effective for the child with autism and identifies specific characteristics of programs that work. Recommendations are offered for choosing educational content and strategies, introducing interaction with other children, and other key areas. This book examines some fundamental issues, including: How children's specific diagnoses should affect educational assessment and planning How we can support the families of children with autism Features of effective instructional and comprehensive programs and strategies How we can better prepare teachers, school staffs, professionals, and parents to educate children with autism What policies at the federal, state, and local levels will best ensure appropriate education, examining strategies and resources needed to address the rights of children with autism to appropriate education. Children with autism present educators with one of their most difficult challenges. Through a comprehensive examination of the scientific knowledge underlying educational practices, programs, and strategies, Educating Children with Autism presents valuable information for parents, administrators, advocates, researchers, and policy makers. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Amy J. Houtrow A2 - Frank R. Valliere A2 - Emily Byers TI - Opportunities for Improving Programs and Services for Children with Disabilities SN - DO - 10.17226/25028 PY - 2018 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25028/opportunities-for-improving-programs-and-services-for-children-with-disabilities PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Although the general public in the United States assumes children to be generally healthy and thriving, a substantial and growing number of children have at least one chronic health condition. Many of these conditions are associated with disabilities and interfere regularly with children's usual activities, such as play or leisure activities, attending school, and engaging in family or community activities. In their most severe forms, such disorders are serious lifelong threats to children's social, emotional well-being and quality of life, and anticipated adult outcomes such as for employment or independent living. However, pinpointing the prevalence of disability among children in the U.S. is difficult, as conceptual frameworks and definitions of disability vary among federal programs that provide services to this population and national surveys, the two primary sources for prevalence data. Opportunities for Improving Programs and Services for Children with Disabilities provides a comprehensive analysis of health outcomes for school-aged children with disabilities. This report reviews and assesses programs, services, and supports available to these children and their families. It also describes overarching program, service, and treatment goals; examines outreach efforts and utilization rates; identifies what outcomes are measured and how they are reported; and describes what is known about the effectiveness of these programs and services. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine AU - National Research Council A2 - LaRue Allen A2 - Bridget B. Kelly TI - Professional Learning for the Care and Education Workforce DO - 10.17226/21786 PY - 2015 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21786/professional-learning-for-the-care-and-education-workforce PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences AB - Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and education of children from birth through age 8 bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8, a report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, explores the implications of the science of child development for the professionals who work with these children. This guide summarizes considerations from the report for planning and implementing high-quality and coherent professional learning for this workforce. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Emily A. Callahan TI - Challenges and Opportunities for Precision and Personalized Nutrition: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief DO - 10.17226/26407 PY - 2021 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26407/challenges-and-opportunities-for-precision-and-personalized-nutrition-proceedings-of PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Food and Nutrition AB - The Food Forum of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a public workshop exploring potential challenges and opportunities in applying precision and personalized nutrition approaches to optimize dietary guidance and improve nutritional status. The workshop, held on August 10-12, 2021, discussed ways to define both approaches, described current research designs and methodologies in diverse populations, and examined limitations in design and data. The workshop also reviewed innovative methodologies and technologies at the various scales of precision nutrition (including the genetic, physiologic/microbiome, individual, and social-ecologic scales) and discussed challenges and opportunities for implementing these approaches equitably. This Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief highlights the expert perspectives from academia, the federal government, and industry presented in the workshop. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council AU - Institute of Medicine TI - Improving Intergroup Relations Among Youth: Summary of a Research Workshop SN - DO - 10.17226/9754 PY - 2000 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9754/improving-intergroup-relations-among-youth-summary-of-a-research-workshop PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences AB - On November 9-10, 1998, the Forum on Adolescence of the Board on Children, Youth, and Families, a cross-cutting initiative of the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, convened a workshop entitled Research to Improve Intergroup Relations Among Youth. Held at the request of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, this workshop considered selected findings of 16 research projects that have focused on intergroup relations among children and adolescents; all 16 received funding from Carnegie Corporation of New York for their work on this issue. The funding of these projects was part of a larger research initiative supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York that sought to update and expand the knowledge, sources, and dynamics of racial and ethnic prejudice among youth, identifying approaches to foster intergroup understanding. Improving Intergroup Relations Among Youth is the summary of the workshop, which provided an opportunity to learn about the work and preliminary findings of the 16 projects. This report reviews the knowledge base regarding the effectiveness of interventions designed to promote peaceful, respectful relations among youth of different ethnic groups. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Laurene Graig A2 - Joe Alper TI - Family Caregiving for People with Cancer and Other Serious Illnesses: Proceedings of a Workshop SN - DO - 10.17226/26721 PY - 2023 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26721/family-caregiving-for-people-with-cancer-and-other-serious-illnesses PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - The National Academies Roundtable on Quality Care for People with Serious Illness, National Cancer Policy Forum, and Forum on Aging, Disability and Independence hosted a workshop that examined opportunities to better support family caregiving for people with cancer or other serious illnesses. This workshop built upon previous work, including the 2016 consensus report Families Caring for an Aging America. This Proceedings of a Workshop summarizes the discussions held during the workshop, which focused on: strategies to better capture, understand, and act on family caregiver input and experience; research gaps and opportunities to guide caregiving for patients with serious illnesses; potential policy and practice opportunities to advance family-centered care for serious illness; and opportunities to embed a health equity focus across family caregiving research, policy, and practice. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Margaret A. Honey A2 - Margaret L. Hilton TI - Learning Science Through Computer Games and Simulations SN - DO - 10.17226/13078 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13078/learning-science-through-computer-games-and-simulations PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Education AB - At a time when scientific and technological competence is vital to the nation's future, the weak performance of U.S. students in science reflects the uneven quality of current science education. Although young children come to school with innate curiosity and intuitive ideas about the world around them, science classes rarely tap this potential. Many experts have called for a new approach to science education, based on recent and ongoing research on teaching and learning. In this approach, simulations and games could play a significant role by addressing many goals and mechanisms for learning science: the motivation to learn science, conceptual understanding, science process skills, understanding of the nature of science, scientific discourse and argumentation, and identification with science and science learning. To explore this potential, Learning Science: Computer Games, Simulations, and Education, reviews the available research on learning science through interaction with digital simulations and games. It considers the potential of digital games and simulations to contribute to learning science in schools, in informal out-of-school settings, and everyday life. The book also identifies the areas in which more research and research-based development is needed to fully capitalize on this potential. Learning Science will guide academic researchers; developers, publishers, and entrepreneurs from the digital simulation and gaming community; and education practitioners and policy makers toward the formation of research and development partnerships that will facilitate rich intellectual collaboration. Industry, government agencies and foundations will play a significant role through start-up and ongoing support to ensure that digital games and simulations will not only excite and entertain, but also motivate and educate. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Microphysiological Systems: Bridging Human and Animal Research: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief DO - 10.17226/26124 PY - 2021 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26124/microphysiological-systems-bridging-human-and-animal-research-proceedings-of-a PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Microphysiological systems (MPS) are complex, multi-cellular in vitro systems that commonly include three-dimensional aspects, fluid flow, changing pressure or stretch, and multi-organ interactions. These systems are being developed to better mimic some aspects of specific organ systems or combinations of organ systems to improve upon standard two-dimensional cell systems, with the goal of eventually replacing animal models being used for hazard identification, risk assessment, and disease modeling, among other uses. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine convened a workshop to discuss current progress in developing MPS that realistically model in vivo animal and human physiology and to strategize about the potential to establish sustainable human and animal MPS banks. Speakers discussed how MPS fit within the portfolio of tools used in their fields of expertise, the limitations and areas of needed improvement for MPS, and how MPS may be used in the future as the technology develops. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Transportation Research Board AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Richard G. Frank A2 - Dylan Rebstock A2 - Melissa Welch-Ross TI - Substance Misuse Programs in Commercial Aviation: Safety First SN - DO - 10.17226/27025 PY - 2023 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27025/substance-misuse-programs-in-commercial-aviation-safety-first PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine KW - Transportation and Infrastructure AB - While there is a limited data on safety-sensitive professionals, substance use disorders potentially affect pilots and flight attendants at the same rate as the general population - around 15 percent - but due to the high-risk nature of their jobs, aircraft operators are held to a higher standard for substance misuse on the job. To protect the safety of the public and the aviation workforce, the Human Intervention Motivation Study (HIMS) and the Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program (FADAP) were launched to help treat critical aviation workers - pilots and flight attendants, respectively - who misuse substances. In response to a congressional mandate, this new report reviews available evidence on the effectiveness of HIMS and FADAP and offers recommendations for improving these programs. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Parole, Desistance from Crime, and Community Integration SN - DO - 10.17226/11988 PY - 2008 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11988/parole-desistance-from-crime-and-community-integration PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences AB - Every day, about 1,600 people are released from prisons in the United States. Of these 600,000 new releasees every year, about 480,000 are subject to parole or some other kind of postrelease supervision. Prison releasees represent a challenge, both to themselves and to the communities to which they return. Will the releasees see parole as an opportunity to be reintegrated into society, with jobs and homes and supportive families and friends? Or will they commit new crimes or violate the terms of their parole contracts? If so, will they be returned to prison or placed under more stringent community supervision? Will the communities to which they return see them as people to be reintegrated or people to be avoided? And, the institution of parole itself is challenged with three different functions: to facilitate reintegration for parolees who are ready for rehabilitation; to deter crime; and to apprehend those parolees who commit new crimes and return them to prison. In recent decades, policy makers, researchers, and program administrators have focused almost exclusively on "recidivism," which is essentially the failure of releasees to refrain from crime or stay out of prison. In contrast, for this study the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) of the U.S. Department of Justice asked the National Research Council to focus on "desistance," which broadly covers continued absence of criminal activity and requires reintegration into society. Specifically, the committee was asked (1) to consider the current state of parole practices, new and emerging models of community supervision, and what is necessary for successful reentry and (2) to provide a research agenda on the effects of community supervision on desistance from criminal activity, adherence to conditions of parole, and successful reentry into the community. To carry out its charge, the committee organized and held a workshop focused on traditional and new models of community supervision, the empirical underpinnings of such models, and the infrastructure necessary to support successful reentry. Parole, Desistance from Crime, and Community Integration also reviews the literature on desistance from crime, community supervision, and the evaluation research on selected types of intervention. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Engineering AU - National Academy of Engineering TI - Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2010 Symposium SN - DO - 10.17226/13043 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13043/frontiers-of-engineering-reports-on-leading-edge-engineering-from-the PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics KW - Engineering and Technology AB - This volume highlights the papers presented at the National Academy of Engineering's 2010 U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. Every year, the symposium brings together 100 outstanding young leaders in engineering to share their cutting-edge research and technical work. The 2010 symposium was held September 23 - 25, and hosted by IBM at the IBM Learning Center in Armonk, New York. Speakers were asked to prepare extended summaries of their presentations, which are reprinted here. The intent of this book is to convey the excitement of this unique meeting and to highlight cutting-edge developments in engineering research and technical work. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Georges C. Benjamin A2 - Michael McGeary A2 - Susan R. McCutchen TI - Assessing Medical Preparedness to Respond to a Terrorist Nuclear Event: Workshop Report SN - DO - 10.17226/12578 PY - 2009 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12578/assessing-medical-preparedness-to-respond-to-a-terrorist-nuclear-event PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine KW - Conflict and Security Issues AB - A nuclear attack on a large U.S. city by terrorists--even with a low-yield improvised nuclear device (IND) of 10 kilotons or less--would cause a large number of deaths and severe injuries. The large number of injured from the detonation and radioactive fallout that would follow would be overwhelming for local emergency response and health care systems to rescue and treat, even assuming that these systems and their personnel were not themselves incapacitated by the event. The United States has been struggling for some time to address and plan for the threat of nuclear terrorism and other weapons of mass destruction that terrorists might obtain and use. The Department of Homeland Security recently contracted with the Institute of Medicine to hold a workshop, summarized in this volume, to assess medical preparedness for a nuclear detonation of up to 10 kilotons. This book provides a candid and sobering look at our current state of preparedness for an IND, and identifies several key areas in which we might begin to focus our national efforts in a way that will improve the overall level of preparedness. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Steve Olson A2 - Adam C. Berger TI - Establishing Precompetitive Collaborations to Stimulate Genomics-Driven Product Development: Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/13015 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13015/establishing-precompetitive-collaborations-to-stimulate-genomics-driven-product-development-workshop PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Despite the many basic research discoveries in genetics, relatively few gene-based treatments, drugs, or preventative measures have been developed. One way to bridge this gap may be for industry, academia, and government to develop partnerships that share resources while distributing risk. However, intellectual property protections and other barriers can inhibit collaborative efforts. The Institute of Medicine held a workshop on July 22, 2010, to explore these issues and develop solutions. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Theresa Wizemann A2 - Sally Robinson A2 - Robert Giffin TI - Breakthrough Business Models: Drug Development for Rare and Neglected Diseases and Individualized Therapies: Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/12219 PY - 2009 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12219/breakthrough-business-models-drug-development-for-rare-and-neglected-diseases PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - The process for developing new drug and biologic products is extraordinarily expensive and time-consuming. Although large pharmaceutical companies may be able to afford the cost of development because they can expect a large return on investment, organizations developing drugs to treat rare and neglected diseases are unable to rely on such returns. On June 23, 2008, the Institute of Medicine's Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation held a public workshop, "Breakthrough Business Models: Drug Development for Rare and Neglected Diseases and Individualized Therapies," which sought to explore new and innovative strategies for developing drugs for rare and neglected diseases. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Stephen T. Kent A2 - Lynette I. Millett TI - IDs -- Not That Easy: Questions About Nationwide Identity Systems SN - DO - 10.17226/10346 PY - 2002 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10346/ids-not-that-easy-questions-about-nationwide-identity-systems PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Computers and Information Technology AB - IDs—Not That Easy highlights some of the challenging policy, procedural, and technological issues presented by nationwide identity systems. In the wake of the events of September 11, 2001, nationwide identity systems have been proposed to better track the movement of suspected terrorists. However, questions arise as to who would use the system and how, if participation would be mandatory, the type of data that would be collected, and the legal structures needed to protect privacy. The committee’s goal is to foster a broad and deliberate discussion among policy-makers and the public about the form of nationwide identity system that might be created, and whether such a system is desirable or feasible. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Megan Snair TI - Reimagining a System of Care to Promote the Well-Being of Children and Families: Proceedings of a Workshop SN - DO - 10.17226/26098 PY - 2021 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26098/reimagining-a-system-of-care-to-promote-the-well-being-of-children-and-families PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences AB - The economic and physical and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic were disproportionately borne by Black, Hispanic, and Native Americans. The true impacts on children and families may not be fully known until after the pandemic ends, but many agree that a new system of care is needed to promote the well-being of children and families in the pandemic’s aftermath. On September 14-15, 2020, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Forum for Children’s Well-Being organized a workshop focused on building systems to support children and families in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Workshop speakers and organizers paid particular attention to how economic, behavioral, and public health systems that can combat racism and promote the well-being of children and families. Participants engaged in discussionsabout a broad range of existing tools and resources that could be used to further promote family well-being and health equity in the United States. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Crystal J. Bell A2 - Austen Applegate A2 - Lyle Carrera A2 - Tracy Lustig A2 - Carol Berkower TI - Mechanisms for Organizational Behavior Change to Address the Needs of People Living with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Proceedings of a Workshop SN - DO - 10.17226/26772 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26772/mechanisms-for-organizational-behavior-change-to-address-the-needs-of-people-living-with-alzheimers-disease-and-related-dementias PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) rely on family members, their community, and the health care system for progressively increasing support over the course of their disease. These people receive care through a frequently siloed health care system across hospitals, nursing homes, ambulatory care settings, and long-term care settings, as well as community- and home-based care. As the number of people living with a diagnosis of ADRD continues to grow, so does the need to provide better support for these people and their caregivers. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Division of Behavioral and Social Research suggests that organizational behavior change will be needed for health care systems to integrate all of the services and supports required to provide high-quality care for people with ADRD.NIA sponsored a workshop hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to explore mechanisms to improve the quality of care for people living with ADRD and the potential of innovative payment models to incentivize health care systems to make the necessary systemic changes. The workshop convened a diverse array of experts in fields including nursing, geriatrics, health care economics, health care services research, quality measurement, social work, medical ethics, law, health care finance, and health care policy. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Medicine A2 - Peak Sen Chua A2 - Ayodola Anise A2 - Jennifer Lee A2 - Mandy Cohen A2 - Patrick Conway A2 - Julian Harris A2 - Peter Long A2 - Mark B. McClellan A2 - David Muhlestein A2 - Amol S. Navathe A2 - Rebecca Onie A2 - Edwin Park A2 - Rocco Perla TI - Catalyzing Innovative Health System Transformation: An Opportunity Agenda for the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation SN - DO - 10.17226/26675 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26675/catalyzing-innovative-health-system-transformation-an-opportunity-agenda-for-the PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English AB - Since its founding, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) has tested more than 50 alternative payment models reaching more than 28 million patients across 528,000 health care providers and plans, yielding invaluable insights on the implementation of models to achieve better care, better health, and lower costs. On the other hand, many basic lessons learned are lessons unapplied. U.S. population health outcomes lag behind its highly economically developed peers and our health system is still firmly entrenched in the fee-for-service payment system that rewards service volume. This Special Publication suggests six key priority actions for CMMI centered on signaling, mapping, measuring, modeling, partnering, and demonstrating. These priority actions, coupled with implementation considerations that focus on meaningful and continuous engagement, intersectionality and diversity, and expanding CMMI activities and impact, are intended to assist in aligning, supporting, and informing the implementation of CMMI’s Strategic Refresh. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Theresa M. Wizemann A2 - Kathryn Asalone A2 - Meredith Hackmann A2 - Sarah Beachy TI - Realizing the Potential of Genomics across the Continuum of Precision Health Care: Proceedings of a Workshop SN - DO - 10.17226/26917 PY - 2023 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26917/realizing-the-potential-of-genomics-across-the-continuum-of-precision-health-care PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - The National Academies Roundtable on Genomics and Precision Health, in collaboration with the National Cancer Policy Forum, hosted a public workshop that examined how genomic data are used in health care, outside of the traditional settings for clinical genetics. The workshop identified opportunities for advancement of precision health care delivery. The event also explored how patients, clinicians, and payers assess and act upon the risks and benefits of genomic screening and diagnostic testing. Discussions focused on strategies to ensure that genomic applications are responsibly and equitably adopted to benefit populations as well as individuals over time. This Proceedings of a Workshop summarizes content from the event. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - A Plan for Evaluating the District of Columbia's Public Schools: From Impressions to Evidence SN - DO - 10.17226/13114 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13114/a-plan-for-evaluating-the-district-of-columbias-public-schools PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Education AB - The District of Columbia (DC) has struggled for decades to improve its public education system. In 2007 the DC government made a bold change in the way it governs public education with the goal of shaking up the system and bringing new energy to efforts to improve outcomes for students. The Public Education Reform Amendment Act (PERAA) shifted control of the city's public schools from an elected school board to the mayor, developed a new state department of education, created the position of chancellor, and made other significant management changes. A Plan for Evaluating the District of Columbia's Public Schools offers a framework for evaluating the effects of PERAA on DC's public schools. The book recommends an evaluation program that includes a systematic yearly public reporting of key data as well as in-depth studies of high-priority issues including: quality of teachers, principals, and other personnel; quality of classroom teaching and learning; capacity to serve vulnerable children and youth; promotion of family and community engagement; and quality and equity of operations, management, and facilities. As part of the evaluation program, the Mayor's Office should produce an annual report to the city on the status of the public schools, including an analysis of trends and all the underlying data. A Plan for Evaluating the District of Columbia's Public Schools suggests that D.C. engage local universities, philanthropic organizations, and other institutions to develop and sustain an infrastructure for ongoing research and evaluation of its public schools. Any effective evaluation program must be independent of school and city leaders and responsive to the needs of all stakeholders. Additionally, its research should meet the highest standards for technical quality. ER -