Head Start has long focused on assessing and improving program quality to ensure that the children served receive the best possible preparation for school and life. Most research has been focused inside the classroom--the classroom environment, teacher qualifications, and teacher interactions. Of course, the classroom is important because that is…

The U.S. Department of Education's Policy to Performance project was funded in 2009 to build the capacity of state adult basic education (ABE) staff to develop and implement policies and practices that would support an ABE transition system. Policy to Performance states were selected though a competitive process. State adult education directors…

The "Policy to Performance Toolkit" is designed to provide state adult education staff and key stakeholders with guidance and tools to use in developing, implementing, and monitoring state policies and their associated practices that support an effective state adult basic education (ABE) to postsecondary education and training transition…

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…

This report provides educators and policymakers with information they can use to celebrate their successes, understand their unique challenges, and set meaningful goals to increase opportunity for all students. It is important to note that while AP® Exams are valid measures of students' content mastery of college-level studies in specific academic…

This guide is designed to assist state and local consortia with their evaluation of Tech Prep education programs and with their reporting of Tech Prep program and student outcomes data to meet the accountability requirements of the Perkins Act of 1998. Intended for Tech Prep stakeholders in secondary schools and two-year colleges, the guide also…

Guidance is provided for state Chapter 2 coordinators and evaluators in designing and implementing the congressionally mandated evaluation of the effectiveness of the Chapter 2 program. The first part of this paper reviews the congressional mandate and discusses the appropriate audience for evaluation reports. A schedule is outlined for conducting…

This conference was held to enhance communication between the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and State education agency staffs, and to furnish information and technical assistance to State agencies in the areas of data management and improvement of data reliability, validity, and comparability. Abstracts of presentations include the…

This guide, which is based on a 12-month study that examined the feasibility of and procedures for evaluating federal, state, and local supported employment programs for individuals with severe disabilities, discusses recommended data items and measures and presents guidelines for developing a data collection strategy and implementation plan.…

This guide for improving the quality of National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) data through improved data collection and training is intended for local providers and state administrators. Chapter 1 explains the guide's purpose, contents, and use and defines the following components of data quality: objectivity; integrity;…