As a consequence of the federal "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) law, there is tremendous pressure on school principals, teachers, school superintendents, district staff, state departments of education and governors to maximize the increase in student achievement that is obtained with every dollar of expenditure. Currently, teachers are forced to rely on extremely inefficient approaches that take enormous amounts of time, both during the school day and throughout the K-12 learning years. This is experienced in terms of the reduced time that is available to teach subjects other than math and reading, as schools resort to double periods of math, double periods of reading, and enormous amounts of remedial instruction that directly reduce the time available for other subjects including science, art, and music. In contrast, this book suggests that student achievement may be increased in a way that is not only cost-effective in dollar terms, but efficient in the sense that it does not rely on unusual investments in the time required to obtain results. The book draws upon a wealth of cost-effectiveness data to dispel common notions about "what works" in addressing the achievement gap: increased expenditure per pupil, charter schools, voucher programs, increased educational accountability, class size reduction, comprehensive school reform, increased teacher salaries, more selective teacher recruitment, the use of "value-added" methods to measure and reward teacher performance, the use of National Board teacher certification to identify high-performing teachers, and a host of other approaches.

As a consequence of the federal "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) law, there is tremendous pressure on school principals, teachers, school superintendents, district staff, state departments of education and governors to maximize the increase in student achievement that is obtained with every dollar of expenditure. Currently, teachers are forced to rely on extremely inefficient approaches that take enormous amounts of time, both during the school day and throughout the K-12 learning years. This is experienced in terms of the reduced time that is available to teach subjects other than math and reading, as schools resort to double periods of math, double periods of reading, and enormous amounts of remedial instruction that directly reduce the time available for other subjects including science, art, and music. In contrast, this book suggests that student achievement may be increased in a way that is not only cost-effective in dollar terms, but efficient in the sense that it does not rely on unusual investments in the time required to obtain results. The book draws upon a wealth of cost-effectiveness data to dispel common notions about "what works" in addressing the achievement gap: increased expenditure per pupil, charter schools, voucher programs, increased educational accountability, class size reduction, comprehensive school reform, increased teacher salaries, more selective teacher recruitment, the use of "value-added" methods to measure and reward teacher performance, the use of National Board teacher certification to identify high-performing teachers, and a host of other approaches.

The End of Corruption and Impunity advances a novel idea: it is feasible to limit the corruption that plagues the efforts of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and activists working to end poverty and advance human rights in developing regions of the world. Using a mixed methods approach, this book analyzes the problem of corruption and specific factors contributing to corruption, offering a direct, effective solution, that could be adopted by the international community. Yeh suggests a system designed to restore accountability in dysfunctional domestic criminal justice systems, by implementing a powerful Anticorruption Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (APUNCAC). This treaty would establish a body of United Nations (UN) inspectors to conduct investigations into allegations of corruption, create dedicated anti-corruption courts, implement aggressive measures to fight money laundering, and provide incentives for private parties to pursue civil actions when they have knowledge of corruption. Using the International Criminal Court (ICC) as precedent, Yeh argues that an international treaty is a promising approach for addressing the governmental impunity that prevails in developing nations-impunity that undermines efforts to reduce poverty, promote development, and restore human rights. This book would be of interest to students and scholars interested in international law, international criminal justice, and political science.