For the past 12 years, the Cowen Institute has published the "State of Public Education in New Orleans" ("SPENO") on a near annual basis. During that time, the purpose, content, and audience of the report have evolved. This edition of the report is a snapshot of public education in the current academic year using aggregated…

Longitudinal data analysis in education is the study growth over time. A longitudinal study is one in which repeated observations of the same variables are recorded for the same individuals over a period of time. This type of research is known by many names (e.g., time series analysis or repeated measures design), each of which can imply subtle…

Even as the Internet and i-devices have changed so many parts of people's lives, educational testing has not changed substantially in decades. Though researchers and educators have for years raised ample concerns about existing tests, assessments have barely evolved. Further, despite years of expanded testing and greater school accountability,…

School accountability is subject to considerable scrutiny. It generates sharp political debate, policy challenges, and continuous discussion. Growth models are now a part of that discussion. To many practitioners the sheer volume of "important to know" information is daunting. The members of the Technical Issues in Large Scale Assessment…

The purpose of this paper is to offer an analytic perspective to policy makers and educational practitioners regarding how to use longitudinal achievement data to evaluate schools. The authors further discuss the potential practical applications of their models for superintendents, researchers, and policy makers. The premise of the study is that…

This "Practitioner's Guide to Growth Models," commissioned by the Technical Issues in Large-Scale Assessment (TILSA) and Accountability Systems & Reporting (ASR), collaboratives of the "Council of Chief State School Officers," describes different ways to calculate student academic growth and to make judgments about the…

Hurricane Katrina set the stage for a transformation of public education in New Orleans, replacing the city's existing school system with a decentralized choice-based system of both charter and district-run schools. Using principal, teacher, and parent surveys administered three years after Katrina, this study examined schools' governance and…

The key to success in today's competitive environment is meeting the needs of key stakeholders who may have competing interests. Community colleges must meet the challenge to deliver value and to measure performance in ways that are meaningful to different groups. Forward-looking institutions are investing in assessment and capitalizing on its…

This booklet for trustees of institutions of higher education offers guidelines for the creation of effective affiliated foundations. An introductory section notes the increased use of such foundations by public colleges and universities for institutional fund-raising and management of property and endowments. The booklet finds that successful…

Guides school administrators through a process to institute a workable criterion-referenced instructional system. (Author/MLF)

Presents a model that focuses on a new approach to guidance objectives and the evaluation process. Compares client and program objectives and discusses empirical and perceptual evaluation procedures. (JAC)

This paper considers some of the similarities and differences between education and business in view of the fact that there are many who advocate that the public schools follow a business model in their operations. Salaries of executives in education, and superintendents in particular, tend to be lower than those of business executives, and their…

Suggestions for evaluation of school health programs are offered including specific steps--define objectives, appraise the present progress, evaluate the findings, and make recommendations. (JMF)

The purpose of this paper is to propose the "management team"--in which the entire administrative staff influences policy making--as the means for administering Ohio's public schools. Included in the paper are a statement of the problem, underlying propositions, some general principles, recommendations for action, necessary commitments,…

Describes a Florida county's attempt to address increasing demands for assessment. Guided by responses from 1,007 administrators and teachers (75 percent of a random sample of 1,343), a broad assessment framework was developed encompassing advocacy, administration, reporting, training and development, and technical assistance. (13 references) (MLF)