Teacher effort, a critical component of education production, has been largely ignored in the literature due to measurement difficulties. Using a principal-agent model, North Carolina public school data, and the state's unique accountability system that rewards teachers for school-level academic growth, we show that we can distill effort from…

Using results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) administered at Central Connecticut State University, a public Carnegie master's-larger programs university in the Northeast, this study demonstrates time on spent on the test, student motivation, and to a lesser extent the local institutional administration procedures represent…

The effects of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation and the publication of the National Reading Panel (NRP) report profoundly affected how reading is taught in public schools as well as how program effectiveness is evaluated. The disequilibrium that resulted from state and federal mandates governing reading instruction set the stage for the…

Since the 1996/97 school year, the state of North Carolina has awarded bonuses of up to $1,500 to teachers in schools that exhibit test score gains above certain thresholds. This article reviews the details of the bonus program, describes patterns of differences between schools that qualify for bonuses of differing amounts, and presents basic data…

The task of the Infractions Committee and the NCAA enforcement staff is to deal with inappropriate conduct in intercollegiate athletic programs by member institutions, their staffs, their student athletes, and other institutional representatives. The work of the Committee and the NCAA enforcement process is described. (Author/MLW)

This paper discusses impact studies, an emerging evaluation and planning strategy evolving from required USDA reporting for extension services and agricultural experiment stations to a framework for evaluation/assessment planning. Impact studies can be useful for evaluating unit and individual performance, resource allocation, and planning. In…

Measures of accountability and evaluation of social work program efforts are examined. Evaluation of program effort refers to an assessment of the amount and kinds of program activities considered necessary for the accomplishment of program goals within a particular stage of development. It refers not only to staff time, activity, and commitment,…

Scripts of the three presentations made during Forum 12 of the AACJC conference are presented here. The introductory remarks, made by James O. Hammons, deal with the need for accountability and cost effectiveness and the development of these concepts. Sharon Jaggard presents a comparison of three courses at Bulington County College on the basis of…

Accountability is an old idea that has to do with responsibility for which there are consequences. When dealing with accountability, teachers should not be held solely accountable for results. In fact, the teacher is probably the unit that ought to be addressed last. The primary unit of an accountability program is the school and the school…

This paper concerns itself with the question, What are the proof conditions of performance-based teacher education (PBTE)? It argues that it is logically impossible to "prove" PBTE programs are effective, and that research data may not be necessary to support the effectiveness claim. PBTE teaching institutions might consider less empirical…

The effectiveness of the community board in the mental health system specifically and in human service systems generally depends, to a large extent, on how the board's role and scope are defined and how its organizational structure and staffing procedures are developed. The development of community boards should be based upon the premises that (1)…

In a period of great change in higher education, proponents of the traditional Freshman English program must be sensitive to the symptoms which can easily lead to its demise. These consist of (1) permitting programs to be out of phase with the general policies of campus higher administration; (2) assuming that expertise and long experience can…

To assure accountability to educational policy developed by elected and appointed leaders, agencies and organizations must adopt high quality evaluation designs tailored to meet three basic tenets: (1) different processes for policy formation and demonstration of accountability; (2) clear accountability expectations built into policies; (3)…

This paper describes the level and nature of Title I Evaluation Technical Assistance services provided in 14 western states over the past six years. The primary data source is the routine information collected by the Technical Assistance Center (TAC) on all contacts with clients. Points made as a result of this review are focused on what the data…

The Maryland Accountability Program (MAP), initiated in response to 1972 state legislation, has been planned and implemented to promote an understanding of the relationship among the quality of education, the characteristics of educational programs, the process of education and needed and available human and material resources, and, on the basis…