U.S. education leaders have spent decades highlighting and attempting to close achievement gaps among demographic groups. The gaps between African-American and Latino students compared to their white and Asian peers, as well as the gaps between low-income students and others, are among the most pernicious. In 2017, Oak Foundation commissioned…

This article is an outgrowth of the evaluation and assessment process in a large interdisciplinary studies (IDS) program at West Virginia University. We argue for the importance of collecting and assessing quantitative and qualitative data concerning learning outcomes, student satisfaction, career choice and development, and graduate education…

Charter schools emerged in the early 1990s as a strategy for improving student learning and increasing quality educational options, often for underserved students and communities. The charter school idea centers on the promise of increased autonomy for accountability for results. Thus, the charter movement has helped to lead the charge--and has…

A typology of evaluation techniques intended to help school personnel to compare and contrast various approaches. (Author/MLF)

A comprehensive three-year process for planning a system of teacher accountability can ensure discriminating and valid results. (Author)

A discussion of financial audits for alumni associations encourages their use as a means of checking the organization's financial systems, and gives suggestions for finding an auditor, keeping costs down, and preparing for the audit. (MSE)

The sixth of six volumes in the "Elementary Principal Series," this booklet is designed to help principals develop sound fiscal management strategies at the building level. The first section reviews Indiana statutory provisions for handling extracurricular and booster group funds. The second section presents guidelines for managing…

Incubators are organizations that aim to decrease the learning curve for new schools and increase the likelihood that promising school plans will succeed. Incubators offer communities an innovative new way to support locally-initiated school designs. This design guide is intended to help people who are interested in starting a school incubator…

The National Research Center on Learning Disabilities produced this guide to assist state education agencies in working through the many issues associated with developing specific learning disability (SLD) identification policies and procedures. An introductory section describes current understanding of the issues surrounding SLD identification,…

A six-step process of accountability is presented to support counselors and counseling programs. The six stages are: goal setting, needs assessment, priority setting, planning interventions, evaluating outcomes, and reporting results. (MD)

Suggests that analyses of current assessment practices need to examine the impact that testing has on teaching and the curriculum. Notes that writing assessment drives instruction. Provides basic questions to begin analyses of local and state assessments, and provides one such analysis of Illinois' assessment. Concludes that educators need to help…

A case for evaluation is developed and procedures for evaluating bilingual education programs are suggested as a guide for the novice evaluator. The following areas are discussed from the point of view of an evaluator: (1) how to plan for evaluation; (2) how to use needs assessment data; (3) the relationship between formative and summative…

The professional development and accountability of new staff are discussed, and the University of New South Wales' department-based plan for new staff development is described. The program involves planning sessions and record keeping of responsibilities, achievements, needs for professional development, and the resources provided to assist staff.…

As governors confront the worst state fiscal environment in the past 25 years, long-term prospects for strong economic growth are hampered by an immense underlying problem: the high school dropout crisis. At least one student in five drops out of school, and nearly 5 million 18- to 24-year-olds lack a high school diploma. Annually, dropouts cost…

Many states are answering the call for public reports on educational progress by developing indicator systems that are designed to show trends within and relationships among school data. A table shows 13 states and the number of indicator components used. Offers advice to school boards considering indicator systems. (MLF)