Practice guides provide practical recommendations for educators to help them address the everyday challenges they face in their classrooms and schools. Developed by a panel of nationally recognized experts, practice guides consist of actionable recommendations, strategies for overcoming potential roadblocks, and an indication of the strength of evidence supporting each recommendation. IES practice guides are subjected to rigorous external peer review.
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- Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom NEW
- Dropout Prevention NEW
- Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices NEW
- Encouraging Girls in Math and Science
- Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning
- Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades
- Turning Around Chronically Low-Performing Schools
Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom
Designed for elementary school educators and school- and district-level administrators, this guide offers prevention, implementation, and schoolwide strategies that can be used to reduce problematic behavior that interferes with the ability of students to attend to and engage fully in instructional activities.
View, download, and print the full report as a PDF file (1.43 MB)Released: September 2008
Dropout Prevention
Geared toward educators, administrators, and policymakers, this guide provides recommendations that focus on reducing high school dropout rates. Strategies presented include identifying and advocating for at-risk students, implementing programs to improve behavior and social skills, and keeping students engaged in the school environment. View, download, and print the full report as a PDF file (1.42 MB)
Released: August 2008
Improving Adolescent Literacy:
Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices
This guide presents strategies that classroom teachers and specialists can use to increase the reading ability of adolescent students. The recommendations aim to help students gain more from their reading tasks, improve their motivation for and engagement in the learning process, and assist struggling readers who may need intensive and individualized attention. View, download, and print the full report as a PDF file (1.25 MB)
Released: August 2008
Encouraging Girls in Math and Science
The objective of this guide is to provide teachers with specific recommendations that can be carried out in the classroom without requiring systemic change. Other school personnel having direct contact with students, such as coaches, counselors, and principals, will also find the guide useful. View, download, and print the full report as a PDF file (1.13 MB)Released: September 2007
Learn more about how to encourage girls in math and science 
Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning
This guide includes a set of concrete actions relating to the use of instructional and study time that are applicable to subjects that demand a great deal of content learning, including social studies, science, and mathematics. The guide was developed with some of the most important principles to emerge from research on learning and memory in mind. View, download, and print the full report as a PDF file (947 KB)Released: September 2007
Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades
The target audience for this guide is a broad spectrum of school practitioners such as administrators, curriculum specialists, coaches, staff development specialists and teachers who face the challenge of providing effective literacy instruction for English language learners in the elementary grades. The guide also aims to reach district-level administrators who develop practice and policy options for their schools. View, download, and print the full report as a PDF file (1.04 MB)Released: December 2007
Learn more about effective literacy instruction for English language learners
Turning Around Chronically Low-Performing Schools
This guide identifies practices that can improve the performance of chronically low-performing schools—a process commonly referred to as creating "turnaround schools." The four recommendations in this guide work together to help failing schools make adequate yearly progress. View, download, and print the full report as a PDF file (1.17 MB)
Released: May 2008
