This monograph is directed toward policy makers, parents, students, educational leaders, teachers, taxpayers and society as a whole, aiming at their involvement and the attainment of excellence in education. People living in a rapidly changing society have many expectations for education, among which are the teaching of moral and ethical values,…

This document presents the transcript of a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Education Reform about state and local level special education programs that work and federal barriers to innovation as part of efforts to reform the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Highlights of the testimony include: (1) progress in New York in…

The Ohio Department of Public Schools launched its Ohio Urban Schools Initiative as a commitment to systemic long-term change in the state's 24 urban districts. This report contains a framework that represents the initial phase of the Urban Schools Initiative, which developed into a collaborative effort among the school systems, state and local…

This research brief uses data collected by the Center for Policy Research on the Impact of General and Special Education Reform to highlight issues surrounding the inclusion and exclusion of students with disabilities in state accountability systems. The brief discusses the background of standards-based reform, traditional general education…

This document presents, in tabular form, results for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations for grade 4, spring 2000 (the 1999-2000 school year). Results are presented for the state's total fourth grade population eligible to be tested and for each school district and school in Wisconsin. Test results are reported for reading, language…

This document presents, in tabular form, results for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations for grade 8, spring 2000 (the 1999-2000 school year). Results are presented for the state' s total eighth grade population eligible to be tested and for each school district and school in Wisconsin. Test results are reported for reading, language…

This document presents, in tabular form, results for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations for grade 10, spring 2000 (the 1999-2000 school year). Results are presented for the state's total tenth grade population eligible to be tested and for each school district and school in Wisconsin. Test results are reported for reading, language…

This Action Plan has been developed to ensure the success of the Arkansas Smart Step Initiative, the part of the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment and Accountability Program (ACTAAP) that focuses on grades 5 through 8. As do other aspects of the ACTAAP, the Smart Start Initiative has four components, each of which is described here: (1)…

This document synthesizes the 1999 National Center on Educational Outcomes report on special education outcomes, subtitled "A Report on State Activities at the End of the Century," and reviews the changes in states' assessment policies and practices for students with disabilities over the past decade. The report finds that despite the fact that…

This guide provides information about the assessment and inclusion of all students in statewide and district assessment programs. In particular, it focuses on tactics for including students with disabilities in assessment to achieve a more complete picture of student learning and educational accountability. It is designed to help Wisconsin…

Discusses the content and impact of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990, which redesigned the state's education system, including new finance, governance, and accountability mechanisms. Although funding differences between school districts declined, the basic proportions of allocations changed very little. The KERA strategy appears…

The seven chapters of this theme issue explore current developments in research into educational accountability. State educational performance reporting policies, resource allocation for accountability, and educational reforms in Canada, Hong Kong, and Malaysia are discussed. The final chapters consider accountability policy research. (SLD)

In 2000, the state of Nebraska passed legislation requiring the assessment of student performance on content standards, but its requirements were very different from those of any other state. Nebraska created what has come to be known as STARS (School-based Teacher-led Assessment and Reporting System). Under STARS, each of Nebraska's nearly 500…

As a result of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation and the reauthorization of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004, Response to Intervention (RTI) is now a mandated process for documenting the existence or nonexistence of a learning disability. For educators new to the RTI approach, this text presents an overview of key…

The Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 substantially revised the Title I program for disadvantaged children. Some of the most far-reaching changes relate to testing and accountability. States will now need to develop their own assessments and ensure that these assessments are aligned with challenging state standards linked to educational…