In this commentary, we discuss three types of data manipulations that can occur within teacher evaluation methods: artificial inflation, artificial deflation, and artificial conflation. These types of manipulation are more popularly known in the education profession as instances of Campbell's Law (1976), which states that the higher the…

A review of student discipline and suspension data disaggregated by race highlights how school leader biases influence disciplinary decisions. Yet, the majority of principal preparation programs have failed to develop structures and norms that result in critical conversations pertaining to race and racial inequities. This article is written from a…

Certain widely tested educational practices have been shown to have a significantly beneficial impact on student learning and success in college. These "high-impact practices" include first-year experiences, common intellectual experiences, learning communities, writing-intensive courses, collaborative assignments and projects,…

What should boards be concerned about in 2012? What new issues--or old aspects of new issues--are on the horizon that boards should be addressing? What crucial topics should be on their agendas? Nine people who have years of broad and varied experience in higher education and its governance were asked for their views. As members of the AGB…

Special education litigation remains a volatile area with significant practice implications. A review of the 2010 case law in the "Special Educator" identified discipline (manifestation determination, seclusion and restraints, harassment), evaluation/RTI, and postsecondary transition as specific areas of concern. School administrators should keep…

Surveys were carried out to assess the UK government's anti-bullying pack "Don't suffer in silence" in 1996 (after the first edition) and 2002 (after the second edition), to investigate what schools are doing about bullying, and the effect of anti-bullying policies becoming a legal requirement. Schools in England were approached,…

This guide is designed to help districts and schools evaluate reform efforts related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), including School Improvement Grants. It includes practical, how-to tips for conducting program evaluations, whether one takes a "do-it-yourself" approach or seeks outside assistance to evaluate reform…

The author shares how he was fascinated by the recent interest in and focus on the strategic management of human capital (SMHC)--which has been defined as "the acquisition, development, performance management and retention of top talent in the nation's schools." It is one thing to identify talented educators; it is another to utilize them…

This paper reports on work by an International Reading Association (IRA) committee to develop criteria--for use in judging the superiority of a particular reading program--that may be used by school personnel in the interpretation of evaluation reports. The paper outlines (1) the background of the project, (2) project activities, (3) anticipated…

Public higher education's use of a policy/regulation (P/R) manual system, a mechanism for providing information, was investigated. Attention was directed to the following concerns: the prevailing judgment of higher education authorities regarding the value of a P/R manual system; whether it is general practice to employ a P/R manual system in…

Conceptual and ethical guidelines for institutional evaluation are proposed that reflect higher education's inherent ambiguity and conflict, emphasizing plurality in values and perspectives, dispersion of power, the need for early negotiations about the purposes and control of evaluation, the kinds of information needed, and access to it. (MSE)

Principals in Indiana were asked to rate proposed guidelines for sex education programs on the basis of public acceptability and potential for implementation. Eighteen of 20 guidelines were rated capable of implementation with average difficulty or less. Individual guidelines and their ratings are given. (PP)

Describes how a process of collaboration between teachers and administrators is necessary for successful teacher evaluation. Guidelines are presented and then applied to an observation model. (MLF)

The president of Wesley College, Delaware, offers management guidelines for coping in a period of severe financial stress which include involve the board, examine past audit reports, talk to personnel, install an energy control system, and examine business office computer sheets and ledger books. (MLF)

The landscape of public education in Michigan has changed dramatically over the last 13 years. Most districts receive a majority of their operating money from state government, not local taxes. Charter schools and nearby districts lure students away from local schools and capture the state money that goes with them. Districts are even subject to…