All Nonprofit Reviews 2010

Non-Ranked Nonprofit Reviews: National Education 2010

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Meet the experts and learn more about this research

Education is the transmission of civilization. -Will Durant

This is the complete list of all non-ranked nonprofits reviewed by our experts. We do not have enough information at this time to recommend these organizations, but have provided you with the complete expert reviews to learn more.

The type of expert is indicated by one of the following colors:

F	Foundation Professionals

R	Researchers and Faculty

N	Nonprofit Senior Staff

O	Other (consultants, journalists, policy makers)

Click on an organization to see what the experts say about its impact, strengths and areas for improvement.

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Annenberg Institute for School Reform (6 recommendations) It has influenced city educational policy, directing policymakers attention and public resources to improve the lowest performing middle schools; its research on community involvement in public education reform has been highly influential among education funders.

Annenberg Institute for School Reform

http://www.annenberginstitute.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	It has influenced city educational policy, directing policymakers attention and public resources to improve the lowest performing middle schools; its research on community involvement in public education reform has been highly influential among education funders.
F	They are an extremely high quality data and technical assistance provider out of Brown University focused on grassroots community organizing for education reform and providing critical new research and data on organizing for reform.
R	Their Voices in Urban Education publication and ongoing work in urban schools are examples of impact.
R	It is a broad based, multi-issue education organization. It is one of the few that is supporting research in the area of education organizing.
R	Anneberg agreed to give Boston Public Schools a grant which focused on system wide strategies for improvement rather than focus as it did with other urban districts on a cluster of schools within the district.
R	Their theoretical and practical work (theory of change, models and processes for how to engage in organizational development and change) have been used by districts across the country and have helped those districts address small and large issues of educational improvements.

Organizational Strengths

F	They have strong leadership and their staff bring a wide range of content expertise and skills.
F	They are experts in data--especially Kapitsa Mediteratta and Erik Zachery.
R	Warren Simmons is an extraordinary leader and spokesperson for education issues across America.
R	They have strong, well respected leadership.
R	Based on performance with the first five-year grant, Boston was one of three districts among 19 that received a second five year grant.
R	Warren Simmons and his staff have done a wonderful job working with practitioners and policy makers to advance "best practices" as well as highlighting "emerging practices" for school reform.

Areas for Improvement

F	Their communications capacity could improve.
F	They need additional resources to continue to support more local sites' organizing.
R	They could have wider dissemination to organizations that reach school populations.
R	Annenberg had very strict expectations about local districts matching their grants with the support of local grant makers which was an effective incentive and more doable in some cities than in others.

College Summit (6 recommendations) They dramatically increased college-going rates for students in their program. They also dramatically improved high school and school district cultures (focused on aspiring to college).

College Summit

http://www.collegesummit.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	They dramatically increased college-going rates for students in their program. They also dramatically improved high school and school district cultures (focused on aspiring to college).
N	They have demonstrated the ability to increase low-income students' enrollment in college...without reducing persistence.
O	They measure their program impact and share data with other educators. They work at both the educator and student-level to create buy-in. They have doubled the number of partner schools in 5 years.
F	They dramatically increased college-going rates for students in their program. They also dramatically improved high school and school district cultures (focused on aspiring to college).
N	They have demonstrated the ability to increase low-income students' enrollment in college...without reducing persistence.
O	They measure their program impact and share data with other educators. They work at both the educator and student-level to create buy-in. They have doubled the number of partner schools in 5 years.

Organizational Strengths

F	They have good national leadership in J.P. Schramm who is connected to powerful business interests and Washington Interests. This is an incredibly aspirational organization--one of the nicer guys in the school reform movement. No jerks in this shop.
N	They have a deep leadership bench. They are metrics-driven and have lots of partners.
O	They have great leadership and staff. College Summit is poised for significant growth over next 10 years and has invested in its strategic plan and staff build out.
F	They have good national leadership in J.P. Schramm who is connected to powerful business interests and Washington Interests. This is an incredibly aspirational organization--one of the nicer guys in the school reform movement. No jerks in this shop.
N	They have a deep leadership bench. They are metrics-driven and have lots of partners.
O	They have great leadership and staff. College Summit is poised for significant growth over next 10 years and has invested in its strategic plan and staff build out.

Areas for Improvement

F	They could have greater supervision and accountability for their local directors.
F	They could have greater supervision and accountability for their local directors.

Citizen Schools (5 recommendations) They have had a positive impact on academic performance and engagement of students who participate in their afterschool programs. The use of their model as part of a school turnaround that may serve as a prototype for others.

Citizen Schools

http://www.citizenschools.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	They have had a positive impact on academic performance and engagement of students who participate in their afterschool programs. The use of their model as part of a school turnaround that may serve as a prototype for others.
N	Student achievement results are a sign of impact.
N	They are accelerating achievement for students in middle school through coherent and engaging out of school, externships, and project based learning work.
N	Citizen Schools graduates students at a higher rate than other traditional public middle schools. Its apprenticeship approach gives students real-world experience that engages them in their studies and prepares them better for the rigors of high school and beyond.
O	This is a national after-school education program with a theory of change. it engages community volunteers in its model. It assess its program and impact to grow smart. The model improves student attendance and performance in middle school, and eventual high school completion.

Organizational Strengths

R	This is an organization that has learned and improved their model along the way. They have already scaled the program to several different states.
N	Their founder/leader is strong and visionary with a deep policy understanding. They also have a strong model and partnership with districts and states. Their expanded learning time works.
N	They are a strong national organization with significant capacity and understanding of the out of school policy context nationally.
N	Citizen Schools has grown exponentially in the past few years, it has great operations, staff, and marketing materials. Its leadership (Board) is very impressive.

Areas for Improvement

N	They could have better concentration in key urban centers; they are currently somewhat disbursed.
N	They could have a stronger focus on link to in-school work, integrating outcome measurement with in-school metrics.
N	Citizen Schools could do a better job partnering with other nonprofits and organizations that seek to expand its real-world, experience-based education model.

Education Sector (3 recommendations) This group gives very non-partisan analysis on education reform issues. They are about as unbiased as they come and provide quality commentary.

Education Sector

http://www.educationsector.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	This group gives very non-partisan analysis on education reform issues. They are about as unbiased as they come and provide quality commentary.
R	They do quite a few cross-cutting studies (meaning across the K-16 spectrum) that are widely distributed, and I assume widely read.
N	They make an impact by generating research and reports that are significantly impacting policy decisions at my organization. I have seen them quoted now in many leading publications. Additionally, they impact policy shifts related to assessment, 21st century skills, etc.

Organizational Strengths

F	Their strengths are research and leadership.
R	Their analysts are prolific, generating reports frequently. The group uses several types of new media.
N	Their strengths are their reliable research and white papers on topics that are extremely timely.

Areas for Improvement

F	It’s hard to say what their "reach" is beyond some wonky nerds.
R	Most of their studies are quantitative. This is problematic because it often skips over important questions like how specific policies are being implemented. In order to adequately answer this question, researchers would need to observe teachers at work.
N	I think they are not well known at practice levels.

PIE Network (3 recommendations) It has created a venue for K-12 state based advocacy organizations to share strategies that achieve impact that did not previously exist. While it is still growing and developing it is now seen as the 'association' for K-12 advocacy organizations which will help spread the education reform message across the nation.

PIE Network

http://www.pie-network.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	It has created a venue for K-12 state based advocacy organizations to share strategies that achieve impact that did not previously exist. While it is still growing and developing it is now seen as the 'association' for K-12 advocacy organizations which will help spread the education reform message across the nation.
N	PIE Network has emerged over the past several years to play a quiet but key role in convening state level education reform advocacy organizations and connecting them with national policy expertise. By building a peer learning network among these organizations and their leaders, PIE Network contributed very significantly to the success of Race to the Top in driving policy change at the state level because its network greatly facilitated the exchange of ideas and resources among the state reform organizations working to drive change--for example by facilitating the sharing of legislative draft language on a given reform topic from one state to the next while states were in the midst of their policymaking processes.
N	PIE Network is an organization of state education advocacy organizations that all support its core principles for K-12 education reform. It is now housed at the Fordham Institute (its fiscal agent) but will soon become an independent 501c(4). State action is the key to sustaining the momentum for education reform and these state EAOs are key to making state action happen.

Organizational Strengths

F	Their Executive Director is strong and is very focused on scaling promising practices of advocacy membership. She puts the membership first and let's them decide what is needed for organizational strength instead of pushing an agenda upon them.
N	The organization has operated with a very lean footprint because it is essentially a network of existing organizations, yet its convenings and conferences have been among the most pragmatic and useful in the field of education reform. It has also done a good job of maintaining a governing structure that has representation across the ideological spectrum, allowing it to present itself credibly as a convening organization to multiple audiences.
N	Their Executive Director is quite strong, but equally important is the leadership of every member EAO. They are incredible!

Areas for Improvement

F	They could certainly use more staff and have technical assistance capacity to help grow advocacy organizations in states.
N	Until recently, PIE Network has not done much to inform the world of its existence, so its work has not been as widely known as it should be. Likewise, it has not yet established itself as a fully-independent nonprofit and is still operating under a fiduciary relationship with one of the founding national organizations that brought it into being.
N	PIE Network needs a larger staff to sustain itself.

Posse Foundation (3 recommendations) This organization has consistently assured the admission of and retention of low-income black and Latino youth to excellent colleges which they would otherwise have had no opportunity to attend.

Posse Foundation

http://www.possefoundation.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	This organization has consistently assured the admission of and retention of low-income black and Latino youth to excellent colleges which they would otherwise have had no opportunity to attend.
R	They do high quality education research and often get it published in top peer reviewed journals.
N	This organization stands to change the face of America's leadership in the future. Posse Foundation supports urban students' success in private colleges throughout the US. They have a model that works and is helping to graduate incredibly well-prepared young people that understand urban living and needs.

Organizational Strengths

R	Debbie Bial is a MacArthur Fellow, outstanding leader, and entrepreneur. The Posse Foundation has had excellent success in selecting young people for their leadership potential and training them to operate well in teams.
N	They have created an alumni model that continues to include these graduates as part of a "posse" that keeps them moving forward and creating positive change in society. The staff of this organization are uniquely talented and aware of the needs of these posse members and alumni.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could improve scalability.
N	I would only say that I wish there were more colleges involved in this program, providing full-tuition scholarships for these promising students and opportunities for leadership roles at their schools.

American Educational Research Association (2 recommendations) AERA brings together the top educational researchers in the field to share their current research at annual meetings and through publication of highly respected journals.

American Educational Research Association

http://www.aera.net/

Evidence of Impact

R	AERA brings together the top educational researchers in the field to share their current research at annual meetings and through publication of highly respected journals.
R	Their impact is through their work in publishing and targeting research that addresses important education questions and priorities.

Organizational Strengths

R	Divisions and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are peer-led and provide a forum for discussion and peer review of papers. AERA also sets standards for professional practice in the research community.
R	Their work is representative of the best research and researchers in our field of education. Additionally, their leadership, marketing, and annual conference are strong.

Areas for Improvement

R	Allocation of space at annual meetings makes it difficult for smaller SIGs to present their research. More equitable sharing of space would help. AERA research journals publish articles written with excessive amounts of jargon. Research would have more impact if it were more accessible to all educators.
R	Practice is not well integrated into the organization. A link between research and best practice and more active involvement of practitioners would strengthen the organization and value of the work.

Annie E Casey Foundation (2 recommendations) They make an impact by working with a focus, making 3rd grade reading achievement an increasingly important element of their work, focusing on place-based work, and keeping a national communication about this work open and growing.

Annie E Casey Foundation

http://www.aecf.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	They make an impact by working with a focus, making 3rd grade reading achievement an increasingly important element of their work, focusing on place-based work, and keeping a national communication about this work open and growing.
R	They make an impact through their focus on urban educational issues.

Organizational Strengths

F	This organization does an excellent job in preparing their documents for sharing their work. The Annie E. Casey Foundation is working to develop relationships among funders with a similar focus nationally.
R	Their strengths are their commitment to issues and partnerships with other foundations.

Center for American Progress (2 recommendations) Over the past few years, CAP has built a strong education policy shop that is widely respected, especially in Democratic circles. Their support for reform in teacher compensation has weighted heavily in both the expansion of TIF (Teacher Incentive Fund) and in the increased traction that performance-based compensation is getting on Capitol Hill.

Center for American Progress

http://www.americanprogress.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	Over the past few years, CAP has built a strong education policy shop that is widely respected, especially in Democratic circles. Their support for reform in teacher compensation has weighted heavily in both the expansion of TIF (Teacher Incentive Fund) and in the increased traction that performance-based compensation is getting on Capitol Hill.
O	They helped shape federal and state policy agendas, especially in relation to the ARRA (Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) and the upcoming reauthorization of ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act).

Organizational Strengths

N	Strengths include executive leadership, especially John Podesta and Cindy Brown, and access to prominent democrats.
O	Cindy Brown, the senior program staffer, leads an excellent team. They have crafted a coherent body of policy recommendations. They unite a wider range of stakeholders than most Washington-based thought leadership organizations.

Areas for Improvement

N	So far, the size of their full-time staff in education isn't large; they could use more people. I would also like to see them do more work in higher education.
O	They could expand their work to cover emerging topics; i.e., changing educator workforce, labor relations, early childhood education, teacher preparation and recruitment, etc. They could also invest more time in the development of congressional staff.

Center for Teaching Quality (2 recommendations) This organization is a major player in the teacher compensation reform movement. They are currently leading an effort in Jefferson County Colorado and in a national virtual teacher network. They are also leading New Millennial Teacher Network in Colorado, Illinois, and California. While nascent, the effort has already had an impact on public policy in Colorado.

Center for Teaching Quality

http://www.teachingquality.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	This organization is a major player in the teacher compensation reform movement. They are currently leading an effort in Jefferson County Colorado and in a national virtual teacher network. They are also leading New Millennial Teacher Network in Colorado, Illinois, and California. While nascent, the effort has already had an impact on public policy in Colorado.
F	NCTQ produces important reports on the district and state level. Their TR3 database work on CBA’s (curriculum based assessments), bi-annual yearbooks, and reports on schools of education and the effectiveness of their graduates give cover and act as a catalyst for state and district change.

Organizational Strengths

F	This organization has the respect of many people on both sides of the reform debate, i.e., the "reformers" and the union establishment types. It is one of the few organizations in the country that is trusted by the union and can also push them. It has a good vision staff and good pragmatic staff; they are great researchers.
F	This is a small but mighty operation that is fueled by the dedicated and top-notch research produced by its staff. Intense attention to detail and accuracy has made them a go-to resource.

Areas for Improvement

F	They could improve with more fragments. They are sometimes a bit too forgiving of the bad behavior of teacher unions; they are sometimes a bit too unwilling to ruffle feathers.
F	NCTQ needs to expand and improve it marketability.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (2 recommendations) They have both great research and excellent political savvy.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

http://www.cbpp.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	They have both great research and excellent political savvy.
R	Given the widespread deficits in state budgets, broad-based cuts in spending, etc, accurate information on state budget issues and policy positions related to expenditure reductions is crucial. This organization provides highly relevant, up to date information and policy analysis of this sort.

Organizational Strengths

R	Their strength is their recognition for being inscrutable.
R	Their materials are very readable.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could improve with greater listening to those in the field at the state level and learning from them in developing national strategies.
R	They are not well enough known. They should reach out to the mainstream education media (Education Week, etc) and make more policy people in education aware of their research and materials.

Center on Education Policy (2 recommendations) Their research on federal policy issues (e.g. NCLB implementation) is timely, focused on the right issues, highly relevant, and well-respected. The Center had done focused, insightful empirical analyses of issues relating to the implementation of Center on Education Policy that is highly regarded, and, I believe, has had great influence on NGOs and members of Congress.

Center on Education Policy

http://www.cep-dc.org/

Evidence of Impact

Their research on federal policy issues (e.g. NCLB implementation) is timely, focused on the right issues, highly relevant, and well-respected. The Center had done focused, insightful empirical analyses of issues relating to the implementation of Center on Education Policy that is highly regarded, and, I believe, has had great influence on NGOs and members of Congress.

Organizational Strengths

R	They have experienced leadership with high integrity. Jack Jennings, the President of the Center, is highly regarded as an experienced policy analyst and a person of high integrity. All of the Center's publications are of consistently high quality.
R	Their leadership, initiative and, credibility are strengths.

Areas for Improvement

They have a reputation in some quarters for being partisan on the liberal side. I think this is an unfair allegation, but it is based on the fact that the organization's head for many years was the staff director for the Democrats of the House Education and labor committee. They would do well to hire a deputy who comes from a Republican background./In some quarters, CEP is regarded as partisan because of Jennings' extensive background as a staff director for the House Education and Labor Committee. I don't believe that this is a fair assessment of where the Center really stands on issues. The organization would do well, however, to have one or more prominent people who have a Republican background on the staff or on the board.

I think it should remain small and less bureaucratic.

Children's Defense Fund (2 recommendations) This Washington-based group is the quintessential advocacy organization for children and youth and is a national treasure as a result. Many do not know of their exemplary program for the education of children and youth, Freedom School.

Children's Defense Fund

http://www.childrensdefense.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	This Washington-based group is the quintessential advocacy organization for children and youth and is a national treasure as a result. Many do not know of their exemplary program for the education of children and youth, Freedom School.
N	This organization is resource rich. They have impact with their reach and loud voice on Capitol Hill.

Organizational Strengths

R	The leadership of this organization in the form of Marion Wright Edelman is unsurpassed in its integrity and ability to conduct relevant public outreach.
N	Their strengths are their leadership, marketing, and name recognition.

Areas for Improvement

R	It would be good to strengthen its ties with thoughtful academic researchers, even though the consequence could be to slow down the path of advocacy.

Core Knowledge Foundation (2 recommendations) Core Knowledge has championed the use of a coherent, cumulative, and content-specific curriculum in all schools. With the prospect that many states will embrace a common core of K-12 standards in language arts and math, this type of curriculum holds enormous promise. The Core Knowledge Foundation is ready to assist states, school districts, and individual schools in taking this step.

Core Knowledge Foundation

http://www.coreknowledge.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	Core Knowledge has championed the use of a coherent, cumulative, and content-specific curriculum in all schools. With the prospect that many states will embrace a common core of K-12 standards in language arts and math, this type of curriculum holds enormous promise. The Core Knowledge Foundation is ready to assist states, school districts, and individual schools in taking this step.
N	CK's K-8 curriculum sequence has been implemented and is working in hundreds of schools nationwide. It is proven to work for any type of student in any type of school.

Organizational Strengths

F	CK just updated their Core Knowledge Sequence and is now offering it at no cost. They are just about to release a K-2 English Language Arts curriculum.
N	Their strengths are their visionary leadership from Don Hirsch, their excellent board, and dedicated mid-level staff.

Areas for Improvement

F	They need to build their capacity.
N	They need resources to obtain data to prove without a doubt that the sequence is effective. They need to plan for next generation of leadership.

Data Quality Campaign (2 recommendations) They have impact through their national level data collection and advocacy around state-level longitudinal tracking of core educational outcomes.

Data Quality Campaign

http://www.dataqualitycampaign.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	They have impact through their national level data collection and advocacy around state-level longitudinal tracking of core educational outcomes.
F	They make an impact by putting data issues on the map and having advanced data issues in the context of stimulus.

Organizational Strengths

F	They have a great staff that is highly engaged and available for briefings to educate funders, donors, and policymakers. Another strength is their connections to stakeholders.

Areas for Improvement

F	They could improve with better connections to more grassroots groups on the local levels; they are mostly focused on national and state level conversations.

Education Pioneers (2 recommendations) Education Pioneers trains non-traditional educators to become leaders in the education sector. It works with MBAs, PhDs, Masters students, and JDs to become education consultants, principals, superintendents, and leaders of education nonprofits. It brings an outside-the-education-sector look and approach to changing education.

Education Pioneers

http://www.educationpioneers.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	Education Pioneers trains non-traditional educators to become leaders in the education sector. It works with MBAs, PhDs, Masters students, and JDs to become education consultants, principals, superintendents, and leaders of education nonprofits. It brings an outside-the-education-sector look and approach to changing education.
O	They get talented non-educators into education reform out of other graduate school tracks, thus creating exposure and opportunity.

Organizational Strengths

N	Education Pioneers has a name that attracts great speakers and events. They have great reach as a leading education firm with top-notch teachers and educators on staff. Its marketing is good.
O	The clarity and simplicity of their vision and implementation is a strength. Their visibility at grad schools they want to impact is also an asset.

Areas for Improvement

N	It costs a lot to hire an EP fellow ($10,000). Most of this money goes to the fellow for the summer, while the remaining (30%) goes to EP to build its capacity. However, for a start-up nonprofit, this is a lot of money to spend on a summer intern, and perhaps lowering that price tag would encourage more companies to apply for a fellow and achieve the impact it desires.
O	I assume they have internal growing pains of growing quickly in leadership, but they just brought on experienced operator to fix that - Frances McLaughlin, who is great.

Education Resource Strategies (2 recommendations) ERS is one of the only nonprofits in the country focused on the challenge of resource allocation decisions made by school districts. Understanding and allocating resources appropriately is critical if educational institutions are to meet their reform objectives. Impact is measured by the change in practice resulting from their technical assistance.

Education Resource Strategies

http://www.educationresourcestrategies.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	ERS is one of the only nonprofits in the country focused on the challenge of resource allocation decisions made by school districts. Understanding and allocating resources appropriately is critical if educational institutions are to meet their reform objectives. Impact is measured by the change in practice resulting from their technical assistance.
R	ERS works intensively with large school districts to help them become more strategic in their resource allocation decisions. With tools and technical assistance provided by ERS, rapidly improving school districts like Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, and Rochester are making difficult financial and personnel decisions based on performance data rather than politics.

Organizational Strengths

F	They have strong leadership and a deep understanding of districts and how they function as well as leverage points.
R	The organization has very strong leadership both programmatically and operationally.

Areas for Improvement

R	It needs help in marketing itself and in developing tools and materials that can reduce the demand for intensive on-site assistance.

Math for America (2 recommendations) This organization has impact by improving mathematics education in secondary schools.

Math for America

http://www.mathforamerica.org/nyc

Evidence of Impact

R	This organization has impact by improving mathematics education in secondary schools.
R	Their school leaders matter hugely. They are taking a thoughtful and compelling approach to developing effective ones.

Organizational Strengths

R	They have increased the number of math and science teachers with a strong background in their discipline. They strengthen the teacher workforce by supporting communities of discipline-focused teachers and retain experienced teachers in high-need school systems.
R	Their leadership is strong, as are their metrics.

Areas for Improvement

R	They need more teachers to take advantage of this opportunity.

N A A C P Legal Defense and Educational Fund (2 recommendations) The LDF has played a critical and longstanding role in fighting for educational equity and justice across the nation. It is one of the few nonprofits that takes seriously the persistent issues of racial inequality in schooling and understands the relationship between these problems and those related to inequality (jobs, housing, health) more broadly.

N A A C P Legal Defense and Educational Fund

http://naacpldf.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	The LDF has played a critical and longstanding role in fighting for educational equity and justice across the nation. It is one of the few nonprofits that takes seriously the persistent issues of racial inequality in schooling and understands the relationship between these problems and those related to inequality (jobs, housing, health) more broadly.
R	This organization stood for the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons when it was even more unpopular than today. Among other things, their leadership in the Brown v. Board of Education cases literally transformed how we think of education for minority youth today.

Organizational Strengths

R	Their key strengths are an understanding of educational processes and the ability to litigate educational injustices.
R	Most recently, they have acquired new national leadership, which is both visionary and knowledgeable. I am glad to see the "renaissance."

Areas for Improvement

R	They could improve with more activity in the area of new educational reforms resulting in school segregation and inequality.
R	They could improve by reissuing the "Crisis" magazine, in which there have been sterling articles about education.

National Council of La Raza (2 recommendations) NCLR, almost alone among "traditional" civil rights organizations has worked hard to shape federal education policy in the right directions. Their voice is well respected; moreover, they have worked well with both republicans and democrats in advancing the needs, especially, of English Language Learners.

National Council of La Raza

http://www.nclr.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	NCLR, almost alone among "traditional" civil rights organizations has worked hard to shape federal education policy in the right directions. Their voice is well respected; moreover, they have worked well with both republicans and democrats in advancing the needs, especially, of English Language Learners.
N	They have credibility on education policy issues. More and more NCLR is becoming the voice of the largest minority in the USA.

Organizational Strengths

N	The CEO and education vice president, Delia Pompa, is very strong. They also work to support the improvement of charter schools that are sponsored by their local affiliates.
N	Their strength is in their basic values and national status; they have a clear voice for equity and quality.

Areas for Improvement

N	Their policy advocacy shop needs to grow in size. The current staff is stretched across too many issues.
N	The biggest area for improvement is that NCLR begins to do less programmatic and project stuff and much more in policy and advocacy, with deep know-how and skill in helping push for systems improvement efforts.

Research for Action (2 recommendations) Their research on educational change has raised understanding of those interventions that have and have not worked in Philadelphia (and elsewhere) and the factors that have made a difference.

Research for Action

http://www.researchforaction.org/index.html

Evidence of Impact

R	Their research on educational change has raised understanding of those interventions that have and have not worked in Philadelphia (and elsewhere) and the factors that have made a difference.
R	Their impact is through research findings on relevant issues.

Organizational Strengths

R	Their strength is combining high quality qualitative and quantitative action research that has had an impact on programming and policy.
R	They have knowledgeable researchers and a focus on research than can improve education.

Rethinking Schools Limited (2 recommendations) This is an organization that engages stakeholders across multiple roles (teachers, parents, leaders, advocates, policy makers, unions) to think about and enact more equitable, high quality schooling.

Rethinking Schools Limited

http://www.rethinkingschools.org/index.shtml

Evidence of Impact

R	This is an organization that engages stakeholders across multiple roles (teachers, parents, leaders, advocates, policy makers, unions) to think about and enact more equitable, high quality schooling.
R	Teachers are well aware of the curricular materials this group puts out. A number of the teachers I know use the materials widely in their classroom practice.

Organizational Strengths

R	They are strong in communications and in outreach to multiple constituencies.
R	They have a large grassroots organization; the materials are oriented toward teachers and their needs.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could improve with more direct engagement with legislation and policy making.
R	Many people view this group as left-wing because they problematize different historical and social aspects of the US, and they use multiple perspectives. I'm not convinced they are ideological; if anything they are aligned with current social science and historical research practices. They could say this outright.

Spencer Educational Foundation (2 recommendations) In my own world of university-based education research Spencer is THE primary outside funder.

Spencer Educational Foundation

http://www.spencered.org/SPENCERED/SPENCERED/Home/

Evidence of Impact

R	In my own world of university-based education research Spencer is THE primary outside funder.
R	Spencer is a national organization that has impact by supporting high quality research in education.

Organizational Strengths

R	They have had excellent staff and leadership over many years (and many leaders).

Areas for Improvement

R	I think the foundation needs more publicity about what it does. I know about it, because of my role as a researcher, but I'm not sure how many people OUTSIDE of our community know about them.

Stand for Children Leadership Center (2 recommendations) SFC has been at the forefront (or behind the scenes) of several state-level legislative battles on choice and effective teaching. Their organization has been instrumental in Colorado, Massachusetts, Arizona, and quietly in Oklahoma, all states that passed significant K-12 reform legislation this cycle.

Stand for Children Leadership Center

http://www.standleadershipcenter.org/Page.aspx?pid=1621

Evidence of Impact

F	SFC has been at the forefront (or behind the scenes) of several state-level legislative battles on choice and effective teaching. Their organization has been instrumental in Colorado, Massachusetts, Arizona, and quietly in Oklahoma, all states that passed significant K-12 reform legislation this cycle.
N	They have had impact with their recent influence on legislation in Colorado and Arizona; improving the policy environment for education reform/improvement is critical, and they are the leader in this regard.

Organizational Strengths

F	SFC is best in class at organizing and marketing. They have perfected in person, on the ground mobilization of the local community. Their training courses and materials and tactics have proven most effective.
N	They have strong leadership and grassroots support.

Areas for Improvement

F	They could improve with targeted growth and scale and by avoiding mission creep and the temptation to expand into areas where they do not have expertise.

TERC (2 recommendations) TERC has had considerable impact on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum nationally and internationally. They have vastly improved the quality of teaching materials and pedagogical approaches for students all over the world.

TERC

http://www.terc.edu/

Evidence of Impact

R	TERC has had considerable impact on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum nationally and internationally. They have vastly improved the quality of teaching materials and pedagogical approaches for students all over the world.
R	They have impact with the development of excellent curriculum materials for mathematics, science, and technology. There are evaluations showing the benefit of the materials.

Organizational Strengths

R	They have a strong organizational structure and have been in operation for many years. Teachers know of them and turn to them for excellent new resources.
R	Their strength is the attention to the broader impacts of education.

Areas for Improvement

R	Their materials are research and practice-based and often represent departures from the current ways of doing things. While TERC offers excellent professional development, they do not always anticipate the confusions amongst parents and some educators that these departures may encourage. More focus on how to anticipate and address these would be good.
R	They could improve with a coherent effort to improve the whole curriculum.

The Achievement Network (2 recommendations) ANet supports public and charter schools in the use of interim assessment data to drive instructional improvements. ANet serves networks of schools in Boston and DC and will be expanding to Chicago and New Orleans in the near future. In Boston, over 5 years, the schools using ANet services outgained the Boston Public Schools district average gains by a factor of 3 in reading scores and 2.5 in math scores. In DC, after 1 year of operation, schools receiving ANet services outgained the DC city average gains by a factor of 4 in reading and 2 in math scores.

The Achievement Network

http://www.theachievementnetwork.com/about.htm

Evidence of Impact

ANet supports public and charter schools in the use of interim assessment data to drive instructional improvements. ANet serves networks of schools in Boston and DC and will be expanding to Chicago and New Orleans in the near future. In Boston, over 5 years, the schools using ANet services outgained the Boston Public Schools district average gains by a factor of 3 in reading scores and 2.5 in math scores. In DC, after 1 year of operation, schools receiving ANet services outgained the DC city average gains by a factor of 4 in reading and 2 in math scores.

As the Common Core comes on line, Achievement Network has the potential to play an important role advocating for rigor and quality. They have deep understanding of both the technical and human issues related to assessment and student learning.

Organizational Strengths

F	ANet's leadership team has a great combination of business savvy and educational and program experience.
N	Many of the leaders and advocates (e.g., John Maycock) are among the most knowledgeable people in the country, yet they're good partners and are able to build networks to move the work forward.

Areas for Improvement

F	ANet could explore other ways to broaden their impact by doing research and publishing the impact of their work.
N	I hope they start to lean in on high school work, especially as the Common Core Standards Initiative comes on line.

The Aspen Institute (2 recommendations) They have impact through their educational programs for key congressional staff that affect their understanding of policy.

The Aspen Institute

http://www.aspeninstitute.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	They have impact through their educational programs for key congressional staff that affect their understanding of policy.
O	They have impact with the effective professional development of leading superintendents, thought leaders, and congressional staff and the development of a coherent body of leading K-12 policy.

Organizational Strengths

R	Their strengths are their reputation and management.
O	They have access to the best minds in the field and the ability to get convene leading practitioners.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could extend their results by assisting similar efforts in key states and could improve by sharing their results more broadly.
O	They could improve by increasing and expanding education programming, especially in the labor relations field.

The Wallace Foundation (2 recommendations) Wallace has impact with its support of leadership development and a focus on urban school districts and schools.

The Wallace Foundation

http://www.wallacefoundation.org/Pages/default.aspx

Evidence of Impact

R	Wallace has impact with its support of leadership development and a focus on urban school districts and schools.
R	They have had an impact by being a former grantee.

Organizational Strengths

R	They have made a long-term commitment to the work (3-5 years) with periodic reviews.
R	Their strength is that they focus on a single issue (i.e., education leadership) for an extended period.

Areas for Improvement

R	They should not declare victory and change direction.

WestEd (2 recommendations) This organization makes an impact through the depth and breadth of its efforts in California, especially as it relates to improving teacher quality and its work in early childhood education.

WestEd

http://

Evidence of Impact

F	This organization makes an impact through the depth and breadth of its efforts in California, especially as it relates to improving teacher quality and its work in early childhood education.
R	They have impact with their rigorous research at various high impact educational levels.

Organizational Strengths

F	Their strengths are their leadership and staff.
R	Their strengths are their marketing and staff.

Areas for Improvement

F	They could improve their operations and finance.
R	They could improve the diversity of their workforce.

AEI Scholarship Fund (1 recommendation) It is about the only place (despite its conservative bent) that brings together scholars and entrepreneurs to discuss how policy can facilitate change.

AEI Scholarship Fund

http://www.aei.org/raBasicPages/22?page=Fellowships

Evidence of Impact

R	It is about the only place (despite its conservative bent) that brings together scholars and entrepreneurs to discuss how policy can facilitate change.

Organizational Strengths

R	It is very good at getting attention.

Areas for Improvement

R	It needs to be a little more grounded in practice.

Access Group (1 recommendation) Access is a Boston-based nonprofit working in Boston and Springfield, MA. Since 1985, they have provided more than 40,000 students with financial aid information and more than $4 million in last dollar scholarships (helping students address unmet financial need).

Access Group

http://www.accessgroup.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	Access is a Boston-based nonprofit working in Boston and Springfield, MA. Since 1985, they have provided more than 40,000 students with financial aid information and more than $4 million in last dollar scholarships (helping students address unmet financial need).

Organizational Strengths

N	They are focused on their core mission, financial aid, and last dollar scholarships, and they have strong leadership that is looking to expand their model statewide.

Afterschool Alliance (1 recommendation) This organization has nationwide reach and is impacting the lives of thousands of children in K-12 education programs.

Afterschool Alliance

http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	This organization has nationwide reach and is impacting the lives of thousands of children in K-12 education programs.

Organizational Strengths

N	Their strengths are their leadership, knowledge, and expertise.

Areas for Improvement

N	They could improve with increased capacity to do more work and serve more children. Additionally, increased marketing and communication would be helpful.

All Kinds of Minds (1 recommendation) This organization makes an impact by changing the discussion about how students learn, accompanying it with professional development, and working to transform itself to scale and reach more people.

All Kinds of Minds

http://www.allkindsofminds.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	This organization makes an impact by changing the discussion about how students learn, accompanying it with professional development, and working to transform itself to scale and reach more people.

Organizational Strengths

R	The organization has strong leadership that is willing to question its direction and it has a strong research underpinning.

Areas for Improvement

R	They are currently evaluating the best way to shift their strategic direction to reach more people; there will be many changes that I hope surface out of this, and I think they should change the medium with which they communicate and reach people.

Alliance For Excellent Education, Inc. (1 recommendation) They have a high degree of success in formulating and supporting educational reform strategies at the national level.

Alliance For Excellent Education, Inc.

http://www.all4ed.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	They have a high degree of success in formulating and supporting educational reform strategies at the national level.

Organizational Strengths

F	They have strong, knowledgeable, and thoughtful leadership and an excellent network and reputation.

Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools (1 recommendation) The Alliance, a charter management organization, operates high schools in the lowest income neighborhoods in Los Angeles. They have achieved scale (1500 kids, 11 high schools) and quality (Alliance schools represent 5 of the top 16 public high schools in LA). Their percentages of free and reduced price lunch and special education equal or exceed the district average.

Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools

http://www.laalliance.org/

Evidence of Impact

The Alliance, a charter management organization, operates high schools in the lowest income neighborhoods in Los Angeles. They have achieved scale (1500 kids, 11 high schools) and quality (Alliance schools represent 5 of the top 16 public high schools in LA). Their percentages of free and reduced price lunch and special education equal or exceed the district average.

Organizational Strengths

F	The Alliance is led by Judy Burton, a veteran African American leader recently honored by the James Irvine Foundation as one of the outstanding leaders in California. Judy's relentless focus on results has created a high performing organization, universally praised for its support of students.

Areas for Improvement

F	The Alliance needs to continue to improve its focus on mathematics instruction and on creating a sound system of talent management throughout the organization.

Alliance for Education (1 recommendation) This organization makes an impact through solid research presentations to a variety of groups that are coalescing around common core standards. The organization's research provides real value to audiences and effectively highlights the need for higher, fewer, and clearer standards.

Alliance for Education

http://www.alliance4ed.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	This organization makes an impact through solid research presentations to a variety of groups that are coalescing around common core standards. The organization's research provides real value to audiences and effectively highlights the need for higher, fewer, and clearer standards.

Organizational Strengths

F	They have a very knowledgeable executive director and staff, as well as well run operations.

Alliance for Educational Justice (1 recommendation) This is a national coalition of youth education reform organizing organizations, working to align youth organizing at the local level to leverage additional impact on policy and systems change.

Alliance for Educational Justice

http://www.allianceforeducationaljustice.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	This is a national coalition of youth education reform organizing organizations, working to align youth organizing at the local level to leverage additional impact on policy and systems change.

Organizational Strengths

F	Their strengths are their diversity in membership, the geographic spread of member organization, the expertise of individual leaders at the table, and their firm grasp of core education policy platform and organizing goals and campaigns.

Areas for Improvement

F	They could work to invite additional members to the table; there is high potential for national-level policy platform that could be a shared campaign.

American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences (1 recommendation) This organization has impact through their high quality research on education issues.

American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences

http://www.air.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	This organization has impact through their high quality research on education issues.

American Youth Policy Forum (1 recommendation) This organization has impact through their great donor education on a wide variety of education and youth development-related policy areas.

American Youth Policy Forum

http://www.aypf.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	This organization has impact through their great donor education on a wide variety of education and youth development-related policy areas.

Organizational Strengths

F	They have an excellent staff, are highly responsive, and are excellent at partnerships with state, local, and national level groups to aggregate critical data and present new findings. They have a wonderful website with rich data and background on forums dating back to the early 90s.

Areas for Improvement

F	They could improve with more connections to local nonprofits in terms of partnering around best practices and data.

Aspire Public Schools (1 recommendation) This organization has good results, at scale, for traditionally at-risk populations.

Aspire Public Schools

http://www.aspirepublicschools.org/

Evidence of Impact

O	This organization has good results, at scale, for traditionally at-risk populations.

Organizational Strengths

O	Their strengths are their leadership and ability to survive founder transition.

Areas for Improvement

O	Their big challenge is contextual; they operate in CA and the state is broke. They also need to refine internal systems and knowledge management.

Bay Area Childrens Theatre Festival (1 recommendation) This organization engages young children in theater experiences. It encourages children to reflect on real life dilemmas and see the world in broader terms. Note: This is not technically a national organization (not across states), because children's theater is really important and always local. However, I think this counts due to the national touring program for successful shows.

Bay Area Childrens Theatre Festival

http://www.bayareachildrenstheatre.com/

Evidence of Impact

This organization engages young children in theater experiences. It encourages children to reflect on real life dilemmas and see the world in broader terms. Note: This is not technically a national organization (not across states), because children's theater is really important and always local. However, I think this counts due to the national touring program for successful shows.

Organizational Strengths

This organization has strong leadership; the director has extensive experience in children's theater and a deep understanding of how theater can impact students. The leadership focuses on encouraging students to gain insight into their own roles and responsibilities for the planet. They have brilliant programming; the current season is varied and reaches children in multiple venues. By using multiple venues, the theater brings the programming to young children in multiple geographic areas, since parents often cannot bring children to venues that are distant from their homes. Additionally, they have impact through their touring program; the tour of Strega Nona has been very successful and is ongoing.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could improve with funding for additional musical theater productions with live music, funding for more touring productions, and funding for interns to expand this model to new locations.

Beryl Buck Institute for Education (1 recommendation) This organization makes an impact with its role with Project and Problem Based Learning. It does international work with both of these projects.

Beryl Buck Institute for Education

http://www.bie.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	This organization makes an impact with its role with Project and Problem Based Learning. It does international work with both of these projects.

Organizational Strengths

R	Their basic level of funding is perpetual based on a foundation. This allows BBIE to remain focused on their vision and mission, to serve all humankind in the area of education. The director is a principled and dedicated researcher and educator.

Areas for Improvement

R	BBIE could use skilled marketing to get the word out about their special work and dedication.

Big Picture (1 recommendation) Big Picture creates, manages, and sustains over 70 small autonomous public high schools across the US. Its efforts focus on individualized, real world, and authentic learning; they place students in internships with community mentors, small-classes (advisories), and portfolio assessments with public exhibitions of their work.

Big Picture

http://www.bigpicture.org/

Evidence of Impact

Big Picture creates, manages, and sustains over 70 small autonomous public high schools across the US. Its efforts focus on individualized, real world, and authentic learning; they place students in internships with community mentors, small-classes (advisories), and portfolio assessments with public exhibitions of their work.

Organizational Strengths

Its strengths are in its leadership; Dennis Littky and Elliot Washor are the 2 co-founders and co-directors. Another strength is their commitment to not tinkering with education reform, but instead overhauling the entire system, one student (or school) at a time. Big Picture takes students from under-served communities, graduates them from high school, and sends them to college at much greater rates than traditional public schools.

Areas for Improvement

Big Picture can still put more focus in the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic, especially in the early years of its schools. Instead of sending students immediately to internships outside of school, more emphasis could be placed on building English and math skills that will make their internships and overall academic achievement more fulfilling. This would better prepare them for college and life outside of school.

BioEd Online- Baylor College of Medicine (1 recommendation) This website offers a comprehensive set of multimedia professional development resources for K-12 science teachers. The content is dynamic and timely, and can be tailored by teachers for use with their students. Teachers can earn continuing education and graduate credit via online professional development offered by the project.

BioEd Online- Baylor College of Medicine

http://www.bioedonline.org/

Evidence of Impact

This website offers a comprehensive set of multimedia professional development resources for K-12 science teachers. The content is dynamic and timely, and can be tailored by teachers for use with their students. Teachers can earn continuing education and graduate credit via online professional development offered by the project.

Organizational Strengths

R	The leadership team has expertise in science, teaching, education research and evaluation, and web development. The project has a complement focused on K-8 science teaching and learning, called K8 Science (http://www.k8science.org/).

Areas for Improvement

R	The project needs to document and publicize outcomes of its work more effectively.

Botanical Society of America (1 recommendation) The PlantingScience program involves thousands of students per year in inquiry investigations that are mentored by teachers and scientists.

Botanical Society of America

http://www.botany.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	The PlantingScience program involves thousands of students per year in inquiry investigations that are mentored by teachers and scientists.

Organizational Strengths

R	This project has strong buy-in among teachers and scientists as well as support from a broad range of scientific societies.

Areas for Improvement

R	The organization needs to clarify the difference between classroom science inquiry and science research.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (1 recommendation) This organization has a national impact on students to develop self-esteem, confidence, and life skills.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America

http://www.bgca.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	This organization has a national impact on students to develop self-esteem, confidence, and life skills.

Organizational Strengths

N	They have a long history of positive work and leadership. I like that they have done work around service learning.

CK-12 Foundation (1 recommendation) They are changing the way textbooks are consumed and putting pressure on the entire industry.

CK-12 Foundation

http://www.ck12.org/flexr/

Evidence of Impact

R	They are changing the way textbooks are consumed and putting pressure on the entire industry.

Organizational Strengths

R	It has very strong leadership and talented staff that are creating its products and are constantly searching for the best way to make the enterprise sustainable, which is key.

Areas for Improvement

R	They need more thought on the sustainability question in particular to make sure they are not a reason that kills other promising innovation and crowds out more investment by the private sector.

California Association for Bilingual Education (1 recommendation) CABE is the only nonprofit that integrates parent involvement into their mission and advocacy. They help ALL parents, but especially low-income parents. They also promote bi-literacy.

California Association for Bilingual Education

http://www.bilingualeducation.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	CABE is the only nonprofit that integrates parent involvement into their mission and advocacy. They help ALL parents, but especially low-income parents. They also promote bi-literacy.

Organizational Strengths

R	CABE is and has been a leader in the education of English learners. They promote access to education to all children. Also, as mentioned previously, they integrate parent involvement. They have extremely strong leadership, and they are able to handle difficult financial times.

Areas for Improvement

R	I think CABE could do more outreach and professional development in the schools if they had more financial security.

California Charter School Consortium (1 recommendation) Though they are based in CA, they have a national profile because of the exciting work going on up and down the state. They are an active voice for the movement.

California Charter School Consortium

http://www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/CA/California-Charter-School-Consortium.html

Evidence of Impact

N	Though they are based in CA, they have a national profile because of the exciting work going on up and down the state. They are an active voice for the movement.

Organizational Strengths

N	They have a great leader at the center. They have also done a great job in advocating for key charter issues. This puts them in a key position to lead reform for the largest charter population in the country.

Areas for Improvement

N	They could provide a little greater service for their larger CMO (Charter Management Organization) members. It seems they focus a disproportionate level of energy on sole operators.

Carnegie Institution for Science (1 recommendation) The foundation made a long-term commitment (5-7 years) of funding based on annual reviews and evidence of progress. Their interest in high school reform aligned with a high priority in Boston Public Schools. They also convened teams from grantees to come together each year to report on progress and challenges and to learn from each other.

Carnegie Institution for Science

http://carnegiescience.edu/

Evidence of Impact

The foundation made a long-term commitment (5-7 years) of funding based on annual reviews and evidence of progress. Their interest in high school reform aligned with a high priority in Boston Public Schools. They also convened teams from grantees to come together each year to report on progress and challenges and to learn from each other.

Organizational Strengths

R	This organization has consistent leadership from Michele Cahill, and her staff was important. There was good “give and take? between the foundation team and district teams.

Areas for Improvement

R	It is always difficult to get the mix right between qualitative and quantitative metrics. More clarity at the outset on measures would have been helpful.

Center for Education Reform (1 recommendation) This is a successful Washington and national lobbying organization.

Center for Education Reform

http://www.edreform.com/Home/

Evidence of Impact

N	This is a successful Washington and national lobbying organization.

Organizational Strengths

N	Jeanne Allen, the executive director, is a dynamo.

Areas for Improvement

N	They were more welcomed in government circles during the Bush years; they need a bi-partisan standard bearer.

Center for Health and the Global Environment (1 recommendation) They are always highly mission-driven. They employ all sorts of creative and effective means to help people understand the health impacts of climate change. They have reach in many arenas (Congress, business, etc.), and they are not afraid to bridge great divides for a common purpose. Recently, they worked with Evangelical Ministers to develop guidance on "Creation Care" to focus on keeping the earth healthy.

Center for Health and the Global Environment

http://chge.med.harvard.edu/

Evidence of Impact

They are always highly mission-driven. They employ all sorts of creative and effective means to help people understand the health impacts of climate change. They have reach in many arenas (Congress, business, etc.), and they are not afraid to bridge great divides for a common purpose. Recently, they worked with Evangelical Ministers to develop guidance on "Creation Care" to focus on keeping the earth healthy.

Organizational Strengths

R	They are tiny and have incredible impact for their size. They do not have a big organizational structure, but they hire only really committed people who work very hard and efficiently.

Areas for Improvement

R	They need more guidance in making their education materials pedagogically stronger. I have joined their faculty board of advisors and am giving them some guidance, but more efforts in this direction would help.

Center for Reform of School Systems (1 recommendation) One of the most overlooked areas of education reform is governance. These are the people who set the goals and expectations for the district. It is hard to believe that we overlook the group that disperses such a large amount of annual monies.

Center for Reform of School Systems

http://www.crss.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	One of the most overlooked areas of education reform is governance. These are the people who set the goals and expectations for the district. It is hard to believe that we overlook the group that disperses such a large amount of annual monies.

Organizational Strengths

F	This group is made up of successful reformers who have helped districts improve their student achievement. They also have staying power.

Areas for Improvement

F	They could improve by scaling the effort and offering more training.

Challenge Day (1 recommendation) They help dissolve social-emotional barriers between high school students from varying backgrounds and with widely divergent experience at school. They give students a chance to think about and act on their instincts to work for justice and for respect for one another.

Challenge Day

http://www.challengeday.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	They help dissolve social-emotional barriers between high school students from varying backgrounds and with widely divergent experience at school. They give students a chance to think about and act on their instincts to work for justice and for respect for one another.

Organizational Strengths

N	They have excellent leadership, deep integrity, and a really effective curriculum (one-day school-wide workshops) with good follow-up for those students who want to continue involvement.

City Year (1 recommendation) This organization has long-standing success in working with schools and afterschool programs in multiple cities. There have been recent positive results of their new program focused specifically on dropout prevention.

City Year

http://www.cityyear.org/default_ektid13307.aspx

Evidence of Impact

R	This organization has long-standing success in working with schools and afterschool programs in multiple cities. There have been recent positive results of their new program focused specifically on dropout prevention.

Organizational Strengths

R	This is a well-established, yet still entrepreneurial organization with strong, stable leadership and experienced staff. They have demonstrated the ability to scale programs and have a clear commitment to diversity and public service.

Coalition for Community Schools (1 recommendation) They make an impact with their strong cross-system linkages and connections that strengthen a whole child approach to education.

Coalition for Community Schools

http://www.communityschools.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	They make an impact with their strong cross-system linkages and connections that strengthen a whole child approach to education.

Organizational Strengths

R	Their strength is the collaborative leadership style of Marty Blank that engages others and gets the best out of them.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could improve with more rigorous research and development arm.

College Entrance Examination Board (1 recommendation) The Advanced Placement (AP) program of the College Board has provided an example of high quality standards and assessments that are a model for curricula and testing nationwide. The program's expansion in high schools across the country has demonstrated that with the proper instruction and content, most students can achieve at high levels. AP courses are no longer the exclusive domain of privileged high schools but are now increasingly in place in schools of all types.

College Entrance Examination Board

http://www.collegeboard.com/

Evidence of Impact

The Advanced Placement (AP) program of the College Board has provided an example of high quality standards and assessments that are a model for curricula and testing nationwide. The program's expansion in high schools across the country has demonstrated that with the proper instruction and content, most students can achieve at high levels. AP courses are no longer the exclusive domain of privileged high schools but are now increasingly in place in schools of all types.

Organizational Strengths

R	The College Board has encouraged high schools to expand AP offerings and trained teachers to teach more challenging content through their teacher institutes. These training opportunities regularly are well reviewed by participants and expose teachers to more demanding instructional regimes.

Areas for Improvement

R	The AP program could make more tangible examples of quality instruction and high quality student work more widely available to both participating schools and non-participating schools in order to broaden their impact.

College Track (1 recommendation) This organization has clearly defined goals and expectations for its student participants. They achieve high success rates of students graduating high school and continuing on to higher education, and they intend to scale nationally.

College Track

http://www.collegetrack.org/main/

Evidence of Impact

O	This organization has clearly defined goals and expectations for its student participants. They achieve high success rates of students graduating high school and continuing on to higher education, and they intend to scale nationally.

Communities in Schools (1 recommendation) Communities in Schools understands that in order for students to succeed academically or otherwise, they should have supports that address both their academic needs and their social and developmental needs. CIS helps schools and communities provide these supports.

Communities in Schools

http://communitiesinschools.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	Communities in Schools understands that in order for students to succeed academically or otherwise, they should have supports that address both their academic needs and their social and developmental needs. CIS helps schools and communities provide these supports.

Organizational Strengths

N	They have had remarkably stable leadership and have a model that touches down locally while also working nationally.

Areas for Improvement

N	Like all national nonprofits with local "chapters," some are better than others, so they need to evaluate their network and help strengthen the weaker entities.

Council for Exceptional Children (1 recommendation) This organization serves many teachers and school personnel in professional development and advocacy for the rights of people with disability.

Council for Exceptional Children

http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

Evidence of Impact

R	This organization serves many teachers and school personnel in professional development and advocacy for the rights of people with disability.

Organizational Strengths

R	Its strengths are its breadth of scope and national reach.

Council for Opportunity in Education (1 recommendation) The Council for Opportunity in Education is dedicated to furthering the expansion of college opportunities for low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities throughout the United States. Its membership includes more than 1,000 colleges and agencies. Since its founding in 1981, the organization has increased the federal appropriation for TRIO programs by 400%. In addition to its advocacy work, the Council provides critical professional development opportunities and has a substantial research branch, the Pell Institute.

Council for Opportunity in Education

http://www.coenet.us//ecm/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

Evidence of Impact

The Council for Opportunity in Education is dedicated to furthering the expansion of college opportunities for low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities throughout the United States. Its membership includes more than 1,000 colleges and agencies. Since its founding in 1981, the organization has increased the federal appropriation for TRIO programs by 400%. In addition to its advocacy work, the Council provides critical professional development opportunities and has a substantial research branch, the Pell Institute.

Organizational Strengths

N	The Council has very strong leadership and is well respected in the field of college access.

Council of Chief State School Officers (1 recommendation) This organization led the creation of a common core of standards and became a leading organization pushing for change in a normally stolid environment.

Council of Chief State School Officers

http://www.ccsso.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	This organization led the creation of a common core of standards and became a leading organization pushing for change in a normally stolid environment.

Organizational Strengths

R	Their strengths are especially their leadership and a great sense of timing.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could improve with developing improvement models for constituents, with public relations regarding the educational establishment, and with strengthening second level staff.

Delta Project on Postsecondary Costs, Productivity, and Accountability (1 recommendation) This is the only organization to gather and rigorously organize data on how colleges and universities spend their resources. Their annual reports attract attention from press, decision-makers, and the public.

Delta Project on Postsecondary Costs, Productivity, and Accountability

http://www.deltacostproject.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	This is the only organization to gather and rigorously organize data on how colleges and universities spend their resources. Their annual reports attract attention from press, decision-makers, and the public.

Organizational Strengths

N	They have an incredible leader in Jane Wellman. She is widely respected in higher education even though she's among the establishment's most rigorous critics. Delta attracts press and institutional attention to a key but relatively "unsexy" area of research.

Areas for Improvement

N	They are still largely a start-up and need the confidence and resources to spread their wings.

Democrats for Education Reform (1 recommendation) DFER's assertive and gutsy advocacy for policy changes that improve the quality of education for poor and minority kids has helped counterbalance the powerful voice of entrenched interests and move the national debate on education reform forward. Over the last year DFER helped advance K-12 legislative reform in New York, Colorado, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Florida.

Democrats for Education Reform

http://www.dfer.org/

Evidence of Impact

DFER's assertive and gutsy advocacy for policy changes that improve the quality of education for poor and minority kids has helped counterbalance the powerful voice of entrenched interests and move the national debate on education reform forward. Over the last year DFER helped advance K-12 legislative reform in New York, Colorado, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Florida.

Organizational Strengths

N	Their strength is communications; DFER has become the go-to voice for the education reform wing of the Democratic Party in the media.

Areas for Improvement

N	DFER has done a good job mobilizing advocates around education reform, but could do more to align and coordinate the efforts of other reform-oriented organizations in the field (by no means an easy task).

EnCorp Teacher Program (1 recommendation) EnCorps aims to transition professionals in math, science, technology, and finance into teaching. To date, EnCorps has recruited more than 1,000 professionals into the IR (engineer) training program. In today's economic shift, EnCorps is well positioned to help active, engaged professionals bring their real world experience into the classroom.

EnCorp Teacher Program

Evidence of Impact

EnCorps aims to transition professionals in math, science, technology, and finance into teaching. To date, EnCorps has recruited more than 1,000 professionals into the IR (engineer) training program. In today's economic shift, EnCorps is well positioned to help active, engaged professionals bring their real world experience into the classroom.

Organizational Strengths

EnCorps is supported by a range of national and international corporations, which gives it access to high quality professionals in transition. In addition, EnCorps has the support of governors, legislators, and private sector employers who see the program as a means of providing talent in a needed area.

Areas for Improvement

F	EnCorps needs to create a more sustainable funding stream. In addition, in the current environment, it is difficult to secure placements for EnCorps candidates.

Fight Crime: Invest In Kids (1 recommendation) This organization has competent staff and affiliates who are able to directly impact the outcomes for K-12 students.

Fight Crime: Invest In Kids

http://www.fightcrime.org

Evidence of Impact

N	This organization has competent staff and affiliates who are able to directly impact the outcomes for K-12 students.

Organizational Strengths

N	Their strengths are their leadership, knowledge, and expertise related to the K-12 issues.

Areas for Improvement

N	They could improve with better communication of results and increased capacity.

First Place for Youth (1 recommendation) Their strengths are their mission and impact.

First Place for Youth

http://www.firstplaceforyouth.org/Page.aspx?pid=329

Organizational Strengths

R	Their strengths are their mission and impact.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could improve their finances.

Forum for Education and Democracy (1 recommendation) In just the beginning stages of its existence, the Forum has become an active and essential player in educational policy.

Forum for Education and Democracy

http://www.forumforeducation.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	In just the beginning stages of its existence, the Forum has become an active and essential player in educational policy.

Organizational Strengths

R	Its strengths are its leadership on issues of instruction and convening of key policy makers.

Areas for Improvement

R	The Forum could further develop its ability to communicate with school based folks as well as policy makers. It could also work to have more representation from the civil rights community.

Genetic Science Learning Center (1 recommendation) This comprehensive, interactive, dynamic website makes genetics, genomics, and biotechnology accessible to K-12 students and the general public. The site has won numerous awards, including recognition from Science Magazine and Scientific American (http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-01/uouh-gws012210.php; http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/327/5965/538).

Genetic Science Learning Center

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/

Evidence of Impact

This comprehensive, interactive, dynamic website makes genetics, genomics, and biotechnology accessible to K-12 students and the general public. The site has won numerous awards, including recognition from Science Magazine and Scientific American (http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-01/uouh-gws012210.php; http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/327/5965/538).

Organizational Strengths

R	The leadership is tireless, and the team has diverse creative, technological, and scientific expertise.

Girls Inc. (1 recommendation) Their impact is their data based assessment that monitors student literacy growth.

Girls Inc.

http://www.girlsinc.org/index.html

Evidence of Impact

N	Their impact is their data based assessment that monitors student literacy growth.

Organizational Strengths

N	Their strengths are their quality structure and supervisory staff.

Areas for Improvement

N	They could improve by having a specific focus in academic content, right now academic content is broad and sometimes vague in student instruction.

Global Action Project (1 recommendation) The organization gives young adults a voice and a way, through documentary filmmaking on issues of importance in the community, to engage in leadership and dialogue in their communities.

Global Action Project

http://www.global-action.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	The organization gives young adults a voice and a way, through documentary filmmaking on issues of importance in the community, to engage in leadership and dialogue in their communities.

Organizational Strengths

R	The organization has excellent, committed leadership that has kept it evolving, even in the most difficult times for nonprofits. The organization serves youth citywide in NYC and truly transforms the youth who it engages.

Areas for Improvement

R	This nonprofit has not been able to expand its reach or programs. It has been stable, but it could benefit from some incremental growth.

GreatSchools (1 recommendation) Founded in 1998, GreatSchools helps parents choose the best school for their children by providing comprehensive profiles of more than 120,000 schools in the nation’s 50 states and the District of Columbia on its Web site, GreatSchools.net. Its parent-friendly features include exclusive ratings, parent reviews, powerful search and compare tools, and advice. Over 35 million users visited GreatSchools.net in 2007, which represents over one-third of the nation’s K-12 households. In 2007, GreatSchools expanded its work to Milwaukee. In GreatSchools Milwaukee’s (GSM) first year, it was able to build relationships with public, private, and charter school administrations and Milwaukee community partners, and publish the first edition of the Milwaukee School Chooser, a one-stop print guide to local public, private, and charter schools in Milwaukee. GSM has also been successful in developing key partnerships with the Milwaukee Public School District and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to help with the distribution of the Chooser and the program’s School Selection Coaching Program’s cadre of organizers focused on engaging parents face to face, via phone and e-mail around school choice issues. In June 2009, GreatSchools used its Milwaukee model to expand into Washington, D.C. and Newark, N.J., and more cities and communities are targeted for engagement in the next five years. In a 2009 outcome survey by the Children’s Research Center, GreatSchools Milwaukee was found to have a positive impact on those parents it had contacted; 45 percent of the survey’s respondents submitted applications to two schools, and of that group, 51 percent submitted to all schools of their choice during the early enrollment period. This is important, as some middle and high schools in Milwaukee have entrance requirements and begin sending acceptance letters not long after the early enrollment period is over. Once seats are filled, enrollment is closed.

GreatSchools

http://www.greatschools.org/

Evidence of Impact

Founded in 1998, GreatSchools helps parents choose the best school for their children by providing comprehensive profiles of more than 120,000 schools in the nation’s 50 states and the District of Columbia on its Web site, GreatSchools.net. Its parent-friendly features include exclusive ratings, parent reviews, powerful search and compare tools, and advice. Over 35 million users visited GreatSchools.net in 2007, which represents over one-third of the nation’s K-12 households. In 2007, GreatSchools expanded its work to Milwaukee. In GreatSchools Milwaukee’s (GSM) first year, it was able to build relationships with public, private, and charter school administrations and Milwaukee community partners, and publish the first edition of the Milwaukee School Chooser, a one-stop print guide to local public, private, and charter schools in Milwaukee. GSM has also been successful in developing key partnerships with the Milwaukee Public School District and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to help with the distribution of the Chooser and the program’s School Selection Coaching Program’s cadre of organizers focused on engaging parents face to face, via phone and e-mail around school choice issues. In June 2009, GreatSchools used its Milwaukee model to expand into Washington, D.C. and Newark, N.J., and more cities and communities are targeted for engagement in the next five years. In a 2009 outcome survey by the Children’s Research Center, GreatSchools Milwaukee was found to have a positive impact on those parents it had contacted; 45 percent of the survey’s respondents submitted applications to two schools, and of that group, 51 percent submitted to all schools of their choice during the early enrollment period. This is important, as some middle and high schools in Milwaukee have entrance requirements and begin sending acceptance letters not long after the early enrollment period is over. Once seats are filled, enrollment is closed.

Organizational Strengths

F	Great Schools greatest strength lies in its staff and its ability to focus on empowering local parents and community people, who have historically been disconnected, to not only take ownership of the local schools but to also play a leadership role in the outcomes for their children.

Areas for Improvement

F	GreatSchools is limited by resources (as are many), and as a result they cannot expand to other locations. However, to their credit they wait until they have the capacity before spreading to other sites.

Harvard Family Research Project (1 recommendation) This is one of the strongest and best run research- and policy-based nonprofits focused on out-of-school time and family and community engagement in school reform. Their website and publications provide up-to-date summaries of the current research in these areas, and their policy briefs have been instrumental in shaping federal policy on family engagement.

Harvard Family Research Project

http://www.hfrp.org/

Evidence of Impact

This is one of the strongest and best run research- and policy-based nonprofits focused on out-of-school time and family and community engagement in school reform. Their website and publications provide up-to-date summaries of the current research in these areas, and their policy briefs have been instrumental in shaping federal policy on family engagement.

Organizational Strengths

R	Heather Weiss runs a very tight ship! She is an extraordinary leader, and her staff is super.

Helios Education Foundation (1 recommendation) They make an impact through improved focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) preparation of teachers and professional development, especially at the middle school level.

Helios Education Foundation

http://www.helios.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	They make an impact through improved focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) preparation of teachers and professional development, especially at the middle school level.

Organizational Strengths

R	They have strong support for statewide initiatives and decent funding.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could improve by focusing more on early childhood and with better dissemination of outcomes and research they have funded.

Institute for Student Achievement (1 recommendation) This is one of the few organizations that has focused on and impacted high schools for more than a decade. They are making an impact on the achievement of high school students and have longitudinal quantitative and qualitative data that could help inform policy and practice for creating high performing high schools nationwide

Institute for Student Achievement

http://www.studentachievement.org/

Evidence of Impact

This is one of the few organizations that has focused on and impacted high schools for more than a decade. They are making an impact on the achievement of high school students and have longitudinal quantitative and qualitative data that could help inform policy and practice for creating high performing high schools nationwide

Organizational Strengths

N	The CEO is highly qualified and competent. She was one of the leading education transformation superintendents for large, urban school systems. The organization has been well-managed as it has expanded its geographic scope.

Areas for Improvement

N	Like every organization, this one has to compete from a relatively small pool to maintain its human capital advantage.

International Reading Association (1 recommendation) IRA is internationally recognized for its research, conferences, and publications. IRA sets standards for literacy practice that are widely respected (but unfortunately widely ignored in this NCLB (No Child Left Behind)-driven era).

International Reading Association

http://www.reading.org/General/Default.aspx

Evidence of Impact

R	IRA is internationally recognized for its research, conferences, and publications. IRA sets standards for literacy practice that are widely respected (but unfortunately widely ignored in this NCLB (No Child Left Behind)-driven era).

Organizational Strengths

R	Annual meetings bring together literacy experts. State and local chapters provide teachers with high quality professional development close to their homes and schools.

Areas for Improvement

Papers at annual meetings are subject to blind review, without consideration of scholarship or expertise. This results in odd distortions in workshop presentations. Teachers who have written appealing proposals are often presenters of literacy methods and research rather than the scholars who developed the methods but whose proposals were not rated as highly. IRA needs a strand for original authors of literacy methods and research.

Jobs for the Future (1 recommendation) JFF runs a national network of over 200 Early College High Schools serving approximately 50,000 students, mostly low-income and minority. These schools combine high school and the first two years of college. Nearly a quarter of the graduates completed high school with an AA degree; 85% went directly on to college.

Jobs for the Future

http://www.jff.org/

Evidence of Impact

JFF runs a national network of over 200 Early College High Schools serving approximately 50,000 students, mostly low-income and minority. These schools combine high school and the first two years of college. Nearly a quarter of the graduates completed high school with an AA degree; 85% went directly on to college.

Organizational Strengths

R	The Early College High School Network is only one of the program strengths of JFF. They also do important state policy work around dropout prevention and recovery, dual enrollment, and school to career.

Areas for Improvement

R	Like many national nonprofits, they are unduly dependent on a handful of large private foundations, each of which has its own agenda. Consequently, they have little support for organizational development, capacity building, and succession planning.

Jumpstart (1 recommendation) Their impact is building early literacy in preschool programs in order to make certain that all children have an chance to enter school with the skills to be successful and literate by third grade.

Jumpstart

http://www.jstart.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	Their impact is building early literacy in preschool programs in order to make certain that all children have an chance to enter school with the skills to be successful and literate by third grade.

Organizational Strengths

F	They have strong national and regional leadership and strong board commitment.

Areas for Improvement

F	They need to make certain that they are not competing with other early literacy programs, but instead can partner with and complement them; they can continue to focus on regional staffing and leadership.

LA's Best (1 recommendation) They have grown a successful program in an extraordinarily difficult situation. They remain true to principles while adapting to change.

LA's Best

http://www.lasbest.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	They have grown a successful program in an extraordinarily difficult situation. They remain true to principles while adapting to change.

Organizational Strengths

R	They have creative and compelling leadership.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could improve by extending their influence nationally and providing for continuity.

MDRC (1 recommendation) You define high impact as producing improvements, but my expertise is in research, and research doesn't produce improvements. So, my definition of impact is impact in the research world, i.e., who does the highest quality research that is used in policy decisions, etc. MDRC does top notch, randomized field trials testing out education interventions.

MDRC

http://www.mdrc.org/

Evidence of Impact

You define high impact as producing improvements, but my expertise is in research, and research doesn't produce improvements. So, my definition of impact is impact in the research world, i.e., who does the highest quality research that is used in policy decisions, etc. MDRC does top notch, randomized field trials testing out education interventions.

Mastery Charter Schools Foundation (1 recommendation) Mastery is one of the few organizations in America that has proven it can turn around failing schools. After taking over four failing Philadelphia schools just five years ago, Mastery, working with the same students, has helped those students exceed the state average for proficiency in Math and English Language Arts.

Mastery Charter Schools Foundation

http://www.masterycharter.org/support.html

Evidence of Impact

Mastery is one of the few organizations in America that has proven it can turn around failing schools. After taking over four failing Philadelphia schools just five years ago, Mastery, working with the same students, has helped those students exceed the state average for proficiency in Math and English Language Arts.

Organizational Strengths

F	Mastery's relentless focus on professional development creates an environment in which everyone is a learner and expects to improve their performance.

Areas for Improvement

F	Mastery ought to develop a clear information transfer between itself and higher educational institutions and build out a leadership transition.

McRel Institute (1 recommendation) They have an impact with their ongoing publications and training on what works in school leadership, schools, and a host of specific school directed targets.

McRel Institute

http://www.mcrel.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	They have an impact with their ongoing publications and training on what works in school leadership, schools, and a host of specific school directed targets.

Organizational Strengths

R	They have good staff, marketing, and outreach to the basic educational (K-12) population.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could identify model sites or locations where best practice occurs and they are in line with their research findings.

Monterey Institute of Technology and Education (1 recommendation) This organization produces high quality, open educational high school and middle school materials that have demonstrably improved student outcomes.

Monterey Institute of Technology and Education

http://www.montereyinstitute.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	This organization produces high quality, open educational high school and middle school materials that have demonstrably improved student outcomes.

Organizational Strengths

F	They are business savvy and data driven.

Mural Music & Arts Project (1 recommendation) This organization has a wonderful model of hiring youth for art and performance (mural projects, spoken word, etc) in the East Palo Alto community. It helps students develop their talents, engage in mentoring others, and bring arts and music to the community.

Mural Music & Arts Project

http://www.muralmusicarts.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	This organization has a wonderful model of hiring youth for art and performance (mural projects, spoken word, etc) in the East Palo Alto community. It helps students develop their talents, engage in mentoring others, and bring arts and music to the community.

Organizational Strengths

R	The organization has garnered many partners in the community. Staff and leadership are remarkably stable for a youth development organization. The programs are wonderful and have contributed to community improvement.

Areas for Improvement

R	The group could serve more youth and create more projects within the community, such as the ones they do with the public schools.

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (1 recommendation) They have impact on the policy level; they are huge advocates on the policy level and are well respected in this arena, which helps tremendously.

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

http://www.publiccharters.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	They have impact on the policy level; they are huge advocates on the policy level and are well respected in this arena, which helps tremendously.

Areas for Improvement

F	They could improve by expanding impact into other states.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (1 recommendation) Their impact is based on their advocacy for and programs that foster understanding and insights about effective practices in the education of young children.

National Association for the Education of Young Children

http://www.naeyc.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	Their impact is based on their advocacy for and programs that foster understanding and insights about effective practices in the education of young children.

Organizational Strengths

R	They have excellent marketing and promotion of research about the critical issues in early childhood education.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could improve with wider dissemination and community forums to build understanding across the community.

National Association of State Boards of Education (1 recommendation) This organization has an exceptional working relationship with its members, and the membership relies heavily on it for technical assistance and information sharing. Members really are engaged with the topics on which the organization chooses to focus.

National Association of State Boards of Education

http://nasbe.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	This organization has an exceptional working relationship with its members, and the membership relies heavily on it for technical assistance and information sharing. Members really are engaged with the topics on which the organization chooses to focus.

Organizational Strengths

F	The organization has strong leadership from its executive director, including knowledge of the issues and familiarity with its membership.

Areas for Improvement

F	The amount of staff that this organization has probably is insufficient, and it could have higher impact with additional staff. Additionally, it probably needs a strong number two person, so that the mission can continue when the strong executive director leaves.

National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (1 recommendation) They have impact with their rigorous body of peer-reviewed research, using longitudinal data about students, teachers, principals, and schools. Their work has helped to definitively resolve a wide range of questions that, up until the completion of their work, were unresolved, ideologically driven arguments.

National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research

http://www.caldercenter.org/

Evidence of Impact

They have impact with their rigorous body of peer-reviewed research, using longitudinal data about students, teachers, principals, and schools. Their work has helped to definitively resolve a wide range of questions that, up until the completion of their work, were unresolved, ideologically driven arguments.

Organizational Strengths

O	They are leading policy discussions with data driven information, have an excellent and diverse group of researchers, and are willing to tackle tough topics.

Areas for Improvement

O	They could improve by developing standards for systems that unite multiple sources of information and by expanding the field’s knowledge on the use of "multiple measures" aligned with outcomes on state standards tests.

National Center on Education and the Economy (1 recommendation) They are a major driver of the standards movement and are now working to deeply change the American system of high-stakes assessments. They started America's Choice program to assist distressed schools and to develop integrated curriculum, professional development, and assessments.

National Center on Education and the Economy

http://www.ncee.org/index.jsp;jsessionid=agPuZTh545Y5?setProtocol=true

Evidence of Impact

R	They are a major driver of the standards movement and are now working to deeply change the American system of high-stakes assessments. They started America's Choice program to assist distressed schools and to develop integrated curriculum, professional development, and assessments.

Organizational Strengths

R	Their policy work is outstanding (Tough Choices for Tough Times commission report), and they have considerable entree to Congress on education policy.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could have a higher public profile.

National Commission on Teaching & America's Future (1 recommendation) NCTAF conducts and publishes important research that supports the importance of highly qualified teachers.

National Commission on Teaching & America's Future

http://www.nctaf.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	NCTAF conducts and publishes important research that supports the importance of highly qualified teachers.

Organizational Strengths

R	The leadership of Linda Darling Hammond is a great strength of NCTAF.

National Governors Association (1 recommendation) This organization has the ability to bring national attention to an issue that focuses governors on a specific issue that can last at least one year.

National Governors Association

http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.b14a675ba7f89cf9e8ebb856a11010a0

Evidence of Impact

F	This organization has the ability to bring national attention to an issue that focuses governors on a specific issue that can last at least one year.

Organizational Strengths

F	While providing technical assistance expertise is likely not a core competency of this organization, it is able to "funnel" appropriate experts to the state to achieve impact.

Areas for Improvement

F	They could improve the salary structure to allow them to hire real issue experts; however, the organization has political limitations in this area.

National Jewish Coalition for Literacy (1 recommendation) This organization provides free tutor trainings for tutors working in the Bay Area.

National Jewish Coalition for Literacy

http://www.njcl.net/njcl/Home.html

Evidence of Impact

N	This organization provides free tutor trainings for tutors working in the Bay Area.

Organizational Strengths

N	They have a strong training component, flexible hours for volunteers, and good quality training.

Areas for Improvement

N	They could improve networking with organizations to funnel volunteers. They could align volunteer training to school standards and pacing.

National Writing Project (1 recommendation) This organization works with teachers on improving teaching of writing, builds networks of teachers who can work together over the long term, and has research to show impact on student achievement through improving writing instruction.

National Writing Project

http://www.nwp.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	This organization works with teachers on improving teaching of writing, builds networks of teachers who can work together over the long term, and has research to show impact on student achievement through improving writing instruction.

Organizational Strengths

R	They are in every state. They represent K - university partnership. They have a strong base of support among teachers.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could improve by increasing schools where they can have an impact.

New York Immigration Coalition (1 recommendation) Grassroots organizing in education and health care have influenced local policy and built support for national policy reform.

New York Immigration Coalition

http://www.thenyic.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	Grassroots organizing in education and health care have influenced local policy and built support for national policy reform.

Organizational Strengths

F	Their strengths are their leadership and staff.

Areas for Improvement

F	They could improve their marketing and operations.

Noble Street Charter School (1 recommendation) The Noble Network has three of the six highest performing non-selective enrollment public high schools in the city of Chicago; their high schools are ranked #2, #5, and #6 in terms of average ACT score. The Noble Network high schools score approximately 25% higher than their closest neighborhood high schools.

Noble Street Charter School

http://noblenetwork.org/

Evidence of Impact

The Noble Network has three of the six highest performing non-selective enrollment public high schools in the city of Chicago; their high schools are ranked #2, #5, and #6 in terms of average ACT score. The Noble Network high schools score approximately 25% higher than their closest neighborhood high schools.

Organizational Strengths

The Noble Network is a strong leader in the use of data to inform instructional decision-making and has designed a formative assessment system that they share freely with other schools. To date over 16 other schools are using the Noble assessment system. Noble has an exceptionally strong leadership team that provides school leaders who put a premium on hiring the right school leaders and giving them the space necessary to lead without micro management.

Areas for Improvement

F	Noble could improve their use of technology to deliver data to teachers and principals.

OSEP Center on Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (1 recommendation) They have made demonstrable impacts on student behavior, school administrations, and district management of education.

OSEP Center on Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports

http://www.pbis.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	They have made demonstrable impacts on student behavior, school administrations, and district management of education.

Organizational Strengths

R	Rob Horner and George Sugai are among the best leaders in education.

Areas for Improvement

R	If the PBIS Center had more funding, it could do more work and have bigger impacts.

Oakland Parents Literacy Project (1 recommendation) This organization is the primary host and fundraiser for Family Reading Nights across schools in Oakland.

Oakland Parents Literacy Project

http://www.oplp.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	This organization is the primary host and fundraiser for Family Reading Nights across schools in Oakland.

Organizational Strengths

N	Their strength is bringing communities together to celebrate literacy.

Areas for Improvement

N	They could have stronger research backing and better structures to implement family learning about literacy and advocacy.

Oakland Parents Together (1 recommendation) This organization uses California state standard assessments to monitor student growth.

Oakland Parents Together

http://www.parentstogether.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	This organization uses California state standard assessments to monitor student growth.

Organizational Strengths

N	Their tutors are passionately involved in their cause to tutor students falling below grade level in K-5.

Areas for Improvement

N	They could have a stronger training component to train such a large staff of volunteers and college students on sound research-based methods of literacy and math instruction.

Open Learning Initiative (1 recommendation) They are masterful at pulling together content experts and learning theorists to develop open courses that are proven successes (e.g., they are able to produce the same learning gains with half the number instructional days relative to the control).

Open Learning Initiative

http://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/

Evidence of Impact

F	They are masterful at pulling together content experts and learning theorists to develop open courses that are proven successes (e.g., they are able to produce the same learning gains with half the number instructional days relative to the control).

Organizational Strengths

F	They have terrific project leaders, who are willing to hold themselves accountable for outcomes that are quantitative and specific.

Areas for Improvement

F	They have a limited capacity and will need to find a way for this organization to grow.

Pacific Institute for Community Organizations (1 recommendation) This organization has local education policy impact.

Pacific Institute for Community Organizations

http://clinton4.nara.gov/Initiatives/OneAmerica/Practices/pp_19980930.6405.html

Evidence of Impact

F	This organization has local education policy impact.

Organizational Strengths

F	Their strengths are their leadership and staff.

Areas for Improvement

F	They could improve their communications and marketing.

Penn Center for Educational Leadership (1 recommendation) Their development and implementation of "distributed leadership" models and practices in Philadelphia, as well as independent research on that work, has demonstrated clear positive gains in school climate as well as student learning.

Penn Center for Educational Leadership

http://www.gse.upenn.edu/pcel

Evidence of Impact

R	Their development and implementation of "distributed leadership" models and practices in Philadelphia, as well as independent research on that work, has demonstrated clear positive gains in school climate as well as student learning.

Public Interest Projects (1 recommendation) Launched in May 2007, Public Interest Projects/Communities for Public Education Reform (CPER) is designed for local funders to leverage national funds in their local site through a one-to-one match. CPER’s six local sites (Chicago, Denver, New Jersey, Southeastern Pennsylvania, California, and Mississippi) seek to improve educational outcomes by bringing the community voice into the policy-making process and delivering major education policy victories. CPER’s ultimate goal is to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for large numbers of low-income students of color in the public school system. Since its launch, CPER has built the capacity of organizing groups to advance education reform policies; strengthened the field of education organizing; and supported the emergence of a grassroots national education justice movement.

Public Interest Projects

http://www.publicinterestprojects.org/

Evidence of Impact

Launched in May 2007, Public Interest Projects/Communities for Public Education Reform (CPER) is designed for local funders to leverage national funds in their local site through a one-to-one match. CPER’s six local sites (Chicago, Denver, New Jersey, Southeastern Pennsylvania, California, and Mississippi) seek to improve educational outcomes by bringing the community voice into the policy-making process and delivering major education policy victories. CPER’s ultimate goal is to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for large numbers of low-income students of color in the public school system. Since its launch, CPER has built the capacity of organizing groups to advance education reform policies; strengthened the field of education organizing; and supported the emergence of a grassroots national education justice movement.

Organizational Strengths

F	CPER's strengths lie in its ability to support and build the capacity of its member organizations and the knowledge of its staff in the organizing and educational spheres.

Areas for Improvement

F	CPER could be improved by having additional resources to target supports specifically to its youth participants who are interested in the development of a career track and professional development supports for young people who work in the education-organizing field.

RAND Corporation (1 recommendation) They are the lone voice and advocate for schools in rural communities. The issues of education reform look very different in rural communities than they do in urban communities, which get most of the attention and resources even though there are more students in "rural" schools than their are in "urban" schools.

RAND Corporation

http://www.rand.org/

Evidence of Impact

They are the lone voice and advocate for schools in rural communities. The issues of education reform look very different in rural communities than they do in urban communities, which get most of the attention and resources even though there are more students in "rural" schools than their are in "urban" schools.

Organizational Strengths

N	Their website provided enormous amounts of information about rural schools and communities in all 50 states. Their decentralized management structure enables them to have a robust national presence while being effective advocates locally.

Areas for Improvement

N	They are largely grant-dependent, so long-term sustainability is always in need of improvement. They need a larger public relations push in the national debate about education reform to increase public awareness of education challenges and opportunities in rural communities.

Rhode Island Kids Count (1 recommendation) They have impact with their credibility and connections in developing state policy, with exceptional access to best practices and policies in the field.

Rhode Island Kids Count

http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/default.asp

Evidence of Impact

R	They have impact with their credibility and connections in developing state policy, with exceptional access to best practices and policies in the field.

Organizational Strengths

R	Their strength is their presentability to the corporate world as a highly professional organization.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could improve with stronger links to community-based organizations that represent immigrant, minority, and disinvested families.

Right Question Project (1 recommendation) RQP builds the capacity of people in low- and moderate-income communities to advocate for themselves when working with public institutions, such as schools and health care institutions. I had RQP conduct a workshop for my university students and it was stupendous. My students raved about it for weeks, and the experience shaped the way my students designed their final projects for the course. I give them my highest endorsement of the three groups I am recommending.

Right Question Project

http://www.rightquestion.org/

Evidence of Impact

RQP builds the capacity of people in low- and moderate-income communities to advocate for themselves when working with public institutions, such as schools and health care institutions. I had RQP conduct a workshop for my university students and it was stupendous. My students raved about it for weeks, and the experience shaped the way my students designed their final projects for the course. I give them my highest endorsement of the three groups I am recommending.

Organizational Strengths

R	Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana are co-directors of RQP, and this diverse leadership adds to the effectiveness and credibility of this organization.

Rocketship Education (1 recommendation) Rocketship's debut elementary school in San Jose, Mateo Sheedy, is changing the lives of students and the field's perception of how a school works. With a student population where 78% are eligible for free or reduced lunch and 84% are English language learners, their 926 Academic Performance Index score in 2009, and third place in California for low-income elementary, and their outperforming Palo Alto Unified School District, Rocketship is getting results.

Rocketship Education

http://www.rsed.org/

Evidence of Impact

Rocketship's debut elementary school in San Jose, Mateo Sheedy, is changing the lives of students and the field's perception of how a school works. With a student population where 78% are eligible for free or reduced lunch and 84% are English language learners, their 926 Academic Performance Index score in 2009, and third place in California for low-income elementary, and their outperforming Palo Alto Unified School District, Rocketship is getting results.

Organizational Strengths

N	John Danner's unyielding entrepreneurship has reconceived how a school should operate. Though it's still early, the "bricks and clicks" model could find itself the last one standing in California's financial drought.

Areas for Improvement

N	Can they maintain their impact as they execute their uber-ambitious scaling plan? They think so and have built a team of young go-getters that think about that every day.

Rodel Charitable Foundation A-Z (1 recommendation) They have impact by promising student teachers are paired with exemplary teachers in high poverty schools. Teachers are selected on the basis of 3 years of student achievement data. Student teachers are stronger in teaching skills as novice teachers; about 90% have continued to work in high poverty schools.

Rodel Charitable Foundation A-Z

http://www.rodelfoundationaz.org/

Evidence of Impact

They have impact by promising student teachers are paired with exemplary teachers in high poverty schools. Teachers are selected on the basis of 3 years of student achievement data. Student teachers are stronger in teaching skills as novice teachers; about 90% have continued to work in high poverty schools.

Organizational Strengths

Their strength is the leadership of Don Budinger and Carol Peck in the Arizona education scene. The foundation has provided a 10K bond to successful student teachers who teach for 3 years in a high poverty school; exemplary teachers are also given a 10K bond after 3 years of mentoring student teachers.

Areas for Improvement

They could improve with independent research to document their success with student teachers and the success of students over time and with much better use of the exemplary teachers after they complete their work with student teachers. They have solid expertise that could be further enhanced if the teachers had some coaching or professional development role.

Rural School and Community Trust (1 recommendation) They have impact by helping achieve policy changes in multiple states.

Rural School and Community Trust

http://www.ruraledu.org/

Evidence of Impact

O	They have impact by helping achieve policy changes in multiple states.

Organizational Strengths

O	Their strength is the ability to operate in multiple geographies.

Areas for Improvement

O	They could improve by expanding leadership capacity and moving from a start-up to grown-up organization.

School Readiness Initiative (1 recommendation) While this is not one nonprofit, in the Silicon Valley there are two organizations, the Santa Clara Partnership for School Readiness and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, who are working with local community organizations to identify school readiness skills our children need to be successful in school and life. Bi-annual assessments of school readiness indicators are conducted using the Kindergarten Observation Form developed by Applied Survey Research. Through the analysis of these data, local schools and communities have identified readiness indicators that inform specific areas of focus that funders and nonprofits have used to spur dialogue and start to impact change in systems to address these needs. They collect information, conduct analysis, and report on the findings that open the dialogue to collectively work on a central goal of school readiness in the Silicon Valley. They have also been working with Children Now to bring awareness that implementing a single school readiness observation and assessment tool would be beneficial for California statewide, providing important data to inform teaching and learning practices.

School Readiness Initiative

Evidence of Impact

While this is not one nonprofit, in the Silicon Valley there are two organizations, the Santa Clara Partnership for School Readiness and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, who are working with local community organizations to identify school readiness skills our children need to be successful in school and life. Bi-annual assessments of school readiness indicators are conducted using the Kindergarten Observation Form developed by Applied Survey Research. Through the analysis of these data, local schools and communities have identified readiness indicators that inform specific areas of focus that funders and nonprofits have used to spur dialogue and start to impact change in systems to address these needs. They collect information, conduct analysis, and report on the findings that open the dialogue to collectively work on a central goal of school readiness in the Silicon Valley. They have also been working with Children Now to bring awareness that implementing a single school readiness observation and assessment tool would be beneficial for California statewide, providing important data to inform teaching and learning practices.

Organizational Strengths

F	They are strong leaders in both counties, are collaborative, and are willing to share their work and learn from others as well. They are able to make a great impact with limited budgets that they have to work with on this initiative.

Areas for Improvement

F	They could improve by working with small staff and budgets. They need to have a greater voice to convince the state to identify or modify a single effective school readiness observation tool without their need to spend more dollars to create a new one in California.

Success for all Foundation (1 recommendation) This is one of the few organizations that have produced a product for which there are apparent achievement gains by students.

Success for all Foundation

http://www.successforall.net/

Evidence of Impact

R	This is one of the few organizations that have produced a product for which there are apparent achievement gains by students.

Organizational Strengths

R	Success for All (SFA) has demonstrated ongoing quality support for those schools that use its program.

Areas for Improvement

R	SFA could more clearly identify the ways in which it is and is not a "script" for teachers to follow. Many assume it to be a "teacher-proof" set of lessons, when it can actually be much more than that.

Talent Development High Schools (1 recommendation) Talent Development has demonstrated significant success in improving student retention, achievement, and success as well as school climate.

Talent Development High Schools

http://web.jhu.edu/CSOS/tdhs/index.html

Evidence of Impact

R	Talent Development has demonstrated significant success in improving student retention, achievement, and success as well as school climate.

Organizational Strengths

R	This organization has developed a clearly articulated model for a high school organization that allows schools to re-think the way in which first year students are inducted and supported in the high school experience.

Areas for Improvement

Talent Development could further develop its curricular supports. Its main focus is currently on social and organizational support. While these supports have shown real improvements in many schools, real student success will not be dramatically improved and sustained until academics are more fully addressed.

Teacher U (1 recommendation) Teacher U is one of the first teacher training organizations that bases its evaluation of potential candidates based upon the value it adds in the classroom to student achievement. Its teachers are outperforming teachers trained in traditional teachers' colleges.

Teacher U

http://www.teacheru.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	Teacher U is one of the first teacher training organizations that bases its evaluation of potential candidates based upon the value it adds in the classroom to student achievement. Its teachers are outperforming teachers trained in traditional teachers' colleges.

Organizational Strengths

Teacher U is a collaborative project founded by several of the highest performing charter management organizations in America: KIPP, Uncommon Schools, and Achievement First. As a result, Teacher U is able to incorporate the very best practices (recently highlighted in the New York Times magazine) of the highest performing teachers and schools into its program.

Areas for Improvement

F	Teacher U currently operates in cooperation with Hunter College, which is the credentialing authority. Teacher U needs to become its own institution of higher education. In addition, Teacher U needs to develop a fundraising apparatus that will help it achieve sustainability.

Texas Institute for Education Reform (1 recommendation) They have great influence in framing the Texas legislative agenda on education. Their influence is real and respected.

Texas Institute for Education Reform

http://www.texaseducationreform.org/home/

Evidence of Impact

N	They have great influence in framing the Texas legislative agenda on education. Their influence is real and respected.

Organizational Strengths

N	They bring advocates from the business, education, civic, and minority community to speak up for closing gaps and improving achievement.

Areas for Improvement

N	This organization needs more people of color.

The After-School Corporation (1 recommendation) This organization is an innovator in afterschool education. They provide professional development and on-going support to afterschool group leaders and are involved nationally in disseminating their successful model(s).

The After-School Corporation

http://www.tascorp.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	This organization is an innovator in afterschool education. They provide professional development and on-going support to afterschool group leaders and are involved nationally in disseminating their successful model(s).

Organizational Strengths

N	They use technology well; i.e., they produce videos and a newsletter with important information to the afterschool field. They also have a website that is well maintained and often updated.

Areas for Improvement

N	Their science initiative has mostly part-time staff because of the cost of running such a program.

The Arc (1 recommendation) The ARC functions in every state and provides many localized, context-specific services that augment the education of families and children with disabilities.

The Arc

http://www.thearc.org/page.aspx?pid=183

Evidence of Impact

R	The ARC functions in every state and provides many localized, context-specific services that augment the education of families and children with disabilities.

Organizational Strengths

R	This organization allows for a wide range of grass roots projects.

The B E L L Foundation (1 recommendation) BELL is one of the only nationally scaled after-school providers for elementary schools. They have a strong academic curriculum that generates measurable outcomes for students. Unlike most after-school providers (who often provide care and little else), BELL sees after-school as an opportunity to extend learning time beyond the school day.

The B E L L Foundation

http://bellnational.org/education/index.php

Evidence of Impact

BELL is one of the only nationally scaled after-school providers for elementary schools. They have a strong academic curriculum that generates measurable outcomes for students. Unlike most after-school providers (who often provide care and little else), BELL sees after-school as an opportunity to extend learning time beyond the school day.

Organizational Strengths

N	BELL is well scaled, has a clear distribution structure, and delivers consistent programs at their sites in multiple states. While I knew their founder well and respect him tremendously as a leader, I've not had a chance to get to know the new leadership.

Areas for Improvement

N	From what I've seen, the instructional aspects of their program could be tightened a bit and brought into more alignment with state (and potentially national) content standards.

The Boston Foundation (1 recommendation) This organization is an opinion leader in Massachusetts. It is a strong and effective advocate of charter schools and other education reform components.

The Boston Foundation

http://www.tbf.org/Home.aspx

Evidence of Impact

R	This organization is an opinion leader in Massachusetts. It is a strong and effective advocate of charter schools and other education reform components.

Organizational Strengths

R	They have excellent leadership and broad financial support in the community.

The Breakthrough Collaborative Inc. (1 recommendation) They have impact through encouraging high school and college students to become teachers and providing middle school students with education enrichment.

The Breakthrough Collaborative Inc.

http://www.breakthroughcollaborative.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	They have impact through encouraging high school and college students to become teachers and providing middle school students with education enrichment.

Organizational Strengths

R	Their strength is the impact on students and staff.

Areas for Improvement

R	They need more funding.

The Civil Rights Project UCLA (1 recommendation) The CRP/PDC has had an important impact on ideas and action related to civil rights and education. It has long been a watchdog over the growing racial, socioeconomic, and linguistic segregation impacting K-12 schooling, as well as the impact accountability measures have had on such schools.

The Civil Rights Project UCLA

http://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/

Evidence of Impact

R	The CRP/PDC has had an important impact on ideas and action related to civil rights and education. It has long been a watchdog over the growing racial, socioeconomic, and linguistic segregation impacting K-12 schooling, as well as the impact accountability measures have had on such schools.

Organizational Strengths

R	The CRP/PDC has been active in expert testimony, the generating of research, and the collaboration with local educational advocacy organizations interested in issues of inequity.

Areas for Improvement

R	The CRP/PDC could do more engagement with policy makers and collaborate with other similar organizations.

The Concord Review (1 recommendation) This organization has attracted the interest of thousands of high school students in the US and around the world. They publish extended, non-fiction research by students.

The Concord Review

http://www.tcr.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	This organization has attracted the interest of thousands of high school students in the US and around the world. They publish extended, non-fiction research by students.

Organizational Strengths

N	The rigor of The Concord Review sets a standard for students worldwide. It is a beacon for rigor in research and writing and is a truly unique, and uniquely important, institution.

Areas for Improvement

N	They have a very dedicated, but difficult, executive director. This one-man show needs leadership guidance.

The Developmental Testing Service (1 recommendation) DTS is devising a new kind of assessment that links directly to real learning environments, such as classrooms, and that facilitates using assessment to shape learning.

The Developmental Testing Service

http://devtestservice.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	DTS is devising a new kind of assessment that links directly to real learning environments, such as classrooms, and that facilitates using assessment to shape learning.

Organizational Strengths

DTS is led by Theo Dawson, a visionary and charismatic person who brings together the knowledge and skills needed to create the new kind of assessment. DTS has attracted some of the best young talent in education, i.e., remarkably insightful and creative young researchers and practitioners. DTS so far has been remarkably innovative at bringing together research with practice in real learning environments. The disjunction between assessment and learning in education, especially in America, is tragic. DTS has methods that can make assessment useful for learners and teachers, helping to shape learning and illuminate how to learn more effectively.

Areas for Improvement

R	The nonprofit could benefit from long-term planning for maximizing the usefulness and visibility of its innovative assessments. Financial needs have led it to follow directions that promise resources instead of those that show the need for more effective assessment.

The Forum for Youth Investment (1 recommendation) They have impact through their ability to ensure the success of K-12 students through their advocacy efforts and the programs they provide.

The Forum for Youth Investment

http://www.forumforyouthinvestment.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	They have impact through their ability to ensure the success of K-12 students through their advocacy efforts and the programs they provide.

Organizational Strengths

N	Their strengths are their leadership and outstanding staff.

Areas for Improvement

N	They could improve with more communication of results to the larger public and increased capacity to do the work.

The MATCH School Foundation Inc (1 recommendation) This organization has impact with great student outcomes and innovative approaches to serving students.

The MATCH School Foundation Inc

http://www.matchschool.org/

Evidence of Impact

O	This organization has impact with great student outcomes and innovative approaches to serving students.

Organizational Strengths

O	Their strengths are their innovations around staffing and labor.

Areas for Improvement

O	They could improve their ability to extend reach.

The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation (1 recommendation) MSDF's focused and target support of performance management work in education has significantly sharpened the focus on education outcomes for a number of large urban districts.

The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation

http://www.msdf.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	MSDF's focused and target support of performance management work in education has significantly sharpened the focus on education outcomes for a number of large urban districts.

Organizational Strengths

N	They have a strong team that is data-driven and has significant capacity in supporting urban education reform.

Areas for Improvement

N	They could improve with a sharper focus on executing against their strategic plan as well as with faster and more effective decision making on grant opportunities.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (1 recommendation) They have impact through the strength of the professional development process that candidates undertake as part of their portfolio submission, whether it is the Take One entry alone or the full board certification experience. The performance assessment is rigorous and requires that teachers study national standards and reflect on their own practice.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

http://www.nbpts.org/

Evidence of Impact

They have impact through the strength of the professional development process that candidates undertake as part of their portfolio submission, whether it is the Take One entry alone or the full board certification experience. The performance assessment is rigorous and requires that teachers study national standards and reflect on their own practice.

Organizational Strengths

R	There are about 26 certificate areas, so the assessment is open to nearly any teacher and level. They have a national impact.

Areas for Improvement

There are multiple national organizations that provide standards; they should be brought together to provide common standards. For example, NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) and NBPTS both set out standards for what teachers should know and be able to do. Currently, NAEYC aligns with NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education) for novice teachers and with NBPTS for accomplished teachers. Not enough ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators) teachers are even aware of the opportunity to be nationally board certified in this particular area and EVERYONE is currently creating new performance assessments, when we already have the National Board process in place. Research base needs to continue to strengthen, especially about the impact of Take One. There is no research to date documenting its impact on teacher development or student achievement.

The National Center for Education Statistics (1 recommendation) NCES provides various types of longitudinal data on school programs, demographics, geography, etc. Its data are invaluable in any quantitative or regional study of schools.

The National Center for Education Statistics

http://nces.ed.gov/

Evidence of Impact

R	NCES provides various types of longitudinal data on school programs, demographics, geography, etc. Its data are invaluable in any quantitative or regional study of schools.

Organizational Strengths

R	I appreciate that they send out email updates when new data are available. I also appreciate that their data are longitudinal, sometime going back 40-50 years.

Areas for Improvement

R	I'm not sure that many outside of academia use NCES's data. I would hope that people in policy and other nonprofits use NCES's services, but I often don't see their data sets cited in reports.

The National Center on Time & Learning (1 recommendation) It has brought national attention to the need to expand learning time for all students in high poverty schools. It began with a focus in Massachusetts.

The National Center on Time & Learning

http://www.timeandlearning.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	It has brought national attention to the need to expand learning time for all students in high poverty schools. It began with a focus in Massachusetts.

Organizational Strengths

N	They have strong leadership that is unrelenting in its advocacy for expanding learning time and providing enrichment experiences for all students in high poverty schools as well as giving teachers more shared planning time.

Areas for Improvement

N	Its leaders are sometimes too "pushy" and anxious.

The National Council on Teacher Quality (1 recommendation) They have impact by shining a bright light on collective bargaining agreements without little editorializing, allowing their complexities and excess to speak for themselves.

The National Council on Teacher Quality

http://www.nctq.org/p/

Evidence of Impact

F	They have impact by shining a bright light on collective bargaining agreements without little editorializing, allowing their complexities and excess to speak for themselves.

Organizational Strengths

F	They have a small, high capacity staff and have avoided mission creep.

The Philadelphia Education Fund (1 recommendation) The programs are directly focused on improving educational practices in the School District of Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Education Fund

http://www.philaedfund.org/

Evidence of Impact

R	The programs are directly focused on improving educational practices in the School District of Philadelphia.

Organizational Strengths

R	A number of the staff are former school district employees. One of their strengths is in collaboration with the school district and bringing key stakeholders together around these issues.

The Schott Foundation for Public Education (1 recommendation) They have had impact in education policy in Massachusetts and school funding policy in New York.

The Schott Foundation for Public Education

http://schottfoundation.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	They have had impact in education policy in Massachusetts and school funding policy in New York.

Organizational Strengths

N	The current CEO is very capable and growing the organization during difficult economic times.

Areas for Improvement

N	Growing the organization could compromise the primary focus. Growing the organization may need to begin with regional versus national growth.

UCSF Science & Health Education Partnership (1 recommendation) For more than two decades, SEP (http://biochemistry.ucsf.edu/programs/sep/) has partnered K-12 teachers and practicing scientists to improve science learning in San Francisco Unified School District. One of its greatest impacts is creating a cadre of scientists who specialize in science education and are advocates for science teaching and learning across the country.

UCSF Science & Health Education Partnership

http://biochemistry.ucsf.edu/programs/sep/

Evidence of Impact

For more than two decades, SEP (http://biochemistry.ucsf.edu/programs/sep/) has partnered K-12 teachers and practicing scientists to improve science learning in San Francisco Unified School District. One of its greatest impacts is creating a cadre of scientists who specialize in science education and are advocates for science teaching and learning across the country.

Organizational Strengths

R	The organization understands the meaning of partnership; its programs acknowledge the expertise and experience K-12 teachers have, rather than trying to "fix" them. The organization implements professional development for scientists to help them become better teachers and communicators.

Areas for Improvement

R	The organization needs to study and publicize the impacts of its programs more effectively.

VSA Arts (1 recommendation) Many people with disabilities do not have access to recreational activities that expand their skill sets and increase their quality of life. VSA promotes independence, self-determination, and intellectual and creative development. There are few, and possibly no federally funded, competing organizations. They serve school age children and adults.

VSA Arts

http://www.vsarts.org/

Evidence of Impact

Many people with disabilities do not have access to recreational activities that expand their skill sets and increase their quality of life. VSA promotes independence, self-determination, and intellectual and creative development. There are few, and possibly no federally funded, competing organizations. They serve school age children and adults.

Organizational Strengths

R	Their strengths are leadership and organization. They are excellent at marketing events, seeking people with disabilities, and designing results-oriented experiences (e.g., photography classes for people with disabilities culminating in a gallery show where clients sold their photographs).

Areas for Improvement

R	They should develop more inclusive experiences so that they are providing arts enrichment and education to people with and without disabilities. Currently, people without disabilities are involved as volunteers who provide help to people with disabilities.

W K Kellogg Foundation (1 recommendation) Kellogg, because of its size and influence, has often tackled some of the bigger issues in education, including race issues. Its track record of courageous and strategic granting influences other efforts as well.

W K Kellogg Foundation

http://www.wkkf.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	Kellogg, because of its size and influence, has often tackled some of the bigger issues in education, including race issues. Its track record of courageous and strategic granting influences other efforts as well.

Organizational Strengths

N	The leadership from the board throughout the staff has always been stellar. Additionally, the program officers appear to have significant autonomy in working with grants, which moves the work well.

Areas for Improvement

N	It might be possible that Kellogg could become blinded by its own knowledge and benefit from some external listening for future work.

William & Flora Hewlett Foundation (1 recommendation) They have impact through their efforts to improve California Community Colleges and to move the system to an outcome-based institution that's focused on student success.

William & Flora Hewlett Foundation

http://www.hewlett.org/

Evidence of Impact

F	They have impact through their efforts to improve California Community Colleges and to move the system to an outcome-based institution that's focused on student success.

Organizational Strengths

F	Their strengths are their leadership and staff.

Wolfram Research (1 recommendation) This organization does high profile rigorous research on education programs.

Wolfram Research

http://www.wolfram.com/

Evidence of Impact

R	This organization does high profile rigorous research on education programs.

YES Prep Public Schools (1 recommendation) They have remarkable success getting their students to college.

YES Prep Public Schools

http://www. yesprep. org

Evidence of Impact

R	They have remarkable success getting their students to college.

Organizational Strengths

R	Their leadership is remarkable, and they have a terrific team.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could expand their area of operations geographically.

Year Up (1 recommendation) They have impact through their results in getting young adults to work and back into education.

Year Up

http://www.yearup.org/

Evidence of Impact

N	They have impact through their results in getting young adults to work and back into education.

Organizational Strengths

N	Their strengths are their leadership, funding, and model.

Areas for Improvement

N	Their leader is somewhat aloof; can he do more to support younger entrepreneurs?

Youth and Shelter Services (1 recommendation) They deliver very high quality services to children in the child welfare system and have exceptionally strong community connections.

Youth and Shelter Services

http://www.yss.ames.ia.us/

Evidence of Impact

R	They deliver very high quality services to children in the child welfare system and have exceptionally strong community connections.

Organizational Strengths

R	They have strong and consistent outreach to leaders in the community, both for sustaining work and for better understanding needs of kids.

Areas for Improvement

R	They could improve with greater involvement in the state policy making process.

Youthbuild USA (1 recommendation) YouthBuild has graduated thousands of youth whose lives have dramatically been changed as a result of their experience in the program.

Youthbuild USA

http://www.youthbuild.org/site/c.htIRI3PIKoG/b.1223921/k.BD3C/Home.htm

Evidence of Impact

F	YouthBuild has graduated thousands of youth whose lives have dramatically been changed as a result of their experience in the program.

Organizational Strengths

F	Their strengths are the staff, the leadership, and the attention to the needs of children and youth.

Areas for Improvement

F	This organization is extraordinary; in my view, what they need is to be more fully understood by communities and educational leaders.

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