For more than a decade, states have evaluated school performance largely through a single measure--test scores--and rated schools on whether they improved students' performance in reading or math. The idea was to focus schools' attention on the outcomes that mattered most and to focus states' attention on the schools that needed the most help in…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an empirical comparison of two measures of school success -- a value-added assessment system and the federally-mandated system of adequate yearly progress (AYP) -- to identify highly effective urban schools in the USA and to explore the predictive relationship between evidence-based decision-making…

Since the inception of the No Child Left Behind legislation, school districts have been faced with a growing need to gather, analyze and monitor more data than ever before in the management of school performance. Accountability mandates also have placed a greater emphasis on gleaning the most granular types of information from these large sources…

Displays findings from a fall 2002 survey of all states to determine how they were progressing in meeting No Child Left Behind Act's list of requirements. Generally, states and local districts are stronger developing accountability systems but a significant gap remains between the federal law's demands and the capacity to meet them. (Author/MLF)

In 2005, Corpus Christi Independent School District (CCISD) met its Adequate Yearly Progress targets under No Child Left Behind for the third year in a row. All but one of the district's 61 schools was rated "academically acceptable" or better, and more than one quarter achieved a ranking of "recognized" or…