In this position paper, NCVER's Managing Director, Dr Tom Karmel, argues that the submission of vocational education and training student data should be mandated as a condition of registration for all registered training organisations, including private providers. This will ensure a comprehensive data collection that gives a realistic view of…

Relying on federal legislation to ease data burdens will only slow the growth of the problem. Educators can seize the initiative by improving the internal capabilities of their agencies and by promoting more careful deliberation within the external processes that generate the demands. (Author/IRT)

In this interview, Dr. Richard Van Acker discusses federal requirements for functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and the teamwork involved in conducting an FBA. Various components of FBAs and the approximate time required are outlined and examples are provided of structured data collection for use in the FBA. (CR)

The societal role of education accountability programs is mainly to see that schools and teachers provide excellent instruction to help kids learn better. The school's educators should collectively determine what kinds of credible evidence, other than No Child Left Behind (NCLB) test scores, could help provide an accurate and honest picture of…

The authors consider reasons for increased emphasis on measuring pupil progress in special education, the use made of pupil progress data, the desirable qualities of measurement systems, and some problems associated with current commercially available data systems. Techniques for measurement are discussed, based on the requirements of P.L. 94-142,…

Reports agency publication policies established by the President's Task Force on Management Report and subsequent reductions in data collection and publishing activities. The impact of these policies on the availability and cost of federal statistical documentation collected by libraries is described. (CLB)

In 1978 the U.S. Congress passed the Control of Paperwork Amendments to control education-related paperwork and reduce unnecessary reporting. A study by the General Accounting Office (GAO) found that by 1981 the requirements of the law had yet to be met. According to the GAO, the Secretary of Education should reactivate the Federal Education Data…

The welfare and treatment of children is a key test of society's commitment to human and social development. This report details a study of the implementation of the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in the United Kingdom (UK) and contrasts the U.K. approach with those adopted in other states, focusing on those at…

There currently are 32 states in the American Diploma Project (ADP) Network, each dedicated to developing and implementing a college and career readiness agenda. At the same time, all fifty states are implementing requirements of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006. The Perkins Act and the American Diploma…

The article discusses the provisions and intent of Title II of the Education Amendments Act of 1976 relating to job placement and employer satisfaction. In evaluating the success of vocational education programs student and employer follow-up data will play an important part. (MF)

In 2007, the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF) completed an 18-month study of the costs of teacher turnover in five school districts. The selected districts varied in size, location, and demographics enabling exploration of how these variations affected costs. Costs of recruiting, hiring, processing, and training…

Policies and problems of education for the homeless are discussed. The analysis is organized in four main sections. The first describes trends, dimensions, and difficulties of homelessness among children and youth. This section is based on various reports, especially those required by federal legislation. The second section reports and interprets…

This report presents recommendations for performance indicators for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), with emphasis on indicators reflecting the needs of the Education Department. Themes of the indicators include more attention given to "context variables" such as low birth-weight infants and drug abuse…

Obtaining accurate, comprehensive data for vocational education has been one of the more elusive objectives of federal policy. Given the long history of unsuccessful attempts to improve the quality and scope of data on vocational education, it is important to understand the lessons of the past before embarking on a new data collection effort…

In 1989 and 1990 the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance to standing committees in the U.S. Congress identified and explored issues for consideration in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and Title IV programs. Through 18 months of information gathering the Committee uncovered three problem areas. The first problem is…