School Improvement by Design: Lessons from a Study of Comprehensive School Reform ProgramsThe Consortium for Policy Research in Education (2009) completed a study on educational improvement for which it evaluated three comprehensive school improvement programs. These programs were Accelerated Schools Project (ASP), America's Choice (AC), and Success for All (SFA). For this program evaluation study the author followed the logic model. This study included a sample of 115 elementary schools (31 AC schools, 30 SFA schools, 28 ASP schools, and 26 comparison schools) located in 17 different states (Rowan et al., 2009, p.17). Three areas of concentration were applied to all programs: the nature of the problem addressed, the nature of the program itself, and the social context in which the program was implemented. The goals of all three programs were to improve organization and instruction and therefore student achievement. The path each of these programs followed to achieve their goals was different. Any school improvement program will not be successful if the program to be initiated is very different from the approaches already in place. The success of a program also depends on the ability to implement it. Comprehensive school improvement plans include strong instruction and effective implementation, and both must increase student achievement. (Rowan, Correnti, Miller, Camburn, 2009).Accelerated Schools ProjectThe Accelerated Schools Project (ASP) attempted to promote school improvement through major changes rather than focusing on one curriculum area. This program, through staff development, attempted to “define powerful learning as constructivist in nature, with an emphasis on au...... half of article ......l Effects of teachers on students' future academic outcomes. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Value-Added Research and Evaluation Center. Schmoker, M. (2006). Results now: How we can achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching and learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Schneider, F. J. (2007). Teaching collaboration with education specialists. Community College Enterprise, 13(2), 7-25.Stanfield, A. M. (2008). Professional learning communities: A case study of Title I middle school educators' perceptions and student outcomes. North Central University. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, http://search.proquest.com/docview 304817896?accountid=34899The Iowa Professional Development Model Guide to Leading Professional Development in a High School. (August 2006), Iowa Department of Education. Des Moines, Iowa.