What combination of schooling conditions and practices holds the greatest promise for improving student learning? While there is no scientifically provable or globally agreed-upon answer, a booklet published in 2000 by the late NWREL researcher Kathleen Cotton identifies key factors that enable virtually all students to learn successfully. Since the early research on "effective schools" and "teacher effects" of the 1970s, researchers have identified hundreds of schooling practices that help educators improve student achievement. When launching school improvement projects, schools and districts face the daunting task of sifting through these options and making choices based on locally determined goals, state standards, and a host of other factors. The Schooling Practices That Matter Most can make this task more manageable. Cotton drew upon the general research base of effective educational practices and identified those that "pack the greatest punch" for raising student performance. They include 10 contextual attributes and five instructional attributes that are critical for student success. *Special Offer: Purchase 20 copies of the booklet and receive a free Improving Student Performance by Maximizing Learning Time poster!