Kathleen Cotton was a Research Associate with the School Improvement Program of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) and the author or coauthor of more than 70 publications. From 1987 to 1996, she coordinated the development of the School Improvement Research Series, a collection of syntheses of educational research literature on topics of current interest and feature articles showcasing exemplary school programs from around the United States. Her research summaries identified effective practices in many topic areas, including citizenship education, employ-ability skills, the education of urban minority youth, thinking skills, schoolwide and classroom discipline, early childhood education, and parent involvement.