Despite the American promise of equal educational opportunity for all students, persistent achievement gaps among more and less advantaged groups of students remain, along with the opportunity gaps that create disparate outcomes. However, the recent passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) represents an opportunity for the federal…

What are other states doing to assess whether K-12 teachers are meeting the technology proficiency standards (NET) outlined by ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education)? What are alternatives to the IC3 test? This question was answered by contacting state leaders and also by finding information on the Internet. Many states have an…

More information is necessary about constraints placed on teachers before sound classroom performance evaluations can be conducted. Results of an observational instrument utilized in South Carolina, "Describing Practices and Intentions of Classroom Teachers," isolates classroom factors associated with appropriateness of teachers'…

To satisfy a state mandate and a local need, the South Carolina Principal Incentive Program tested and adopted a Management by Results principal evaluation model utilizing information obtained from teachers, parents, and district administrators. This article describes the process and the beneficial results obtained. (MLH)

The State Department of Public Instruction of North Carolina has implemented a training program designed to increase the skills of principals, observer/evaluators, and others in the application of the Teacher Performance Appraisal Instrument (TPAI). This report focuses on the effectiveness of that training. In all, a total of almost 900…

Teaching practices that have been correlated by research with positive student achievement are grouped under five major teaching functions in the Teacher Performance Appraisal Instrument (TPAI). These include: (1) management of instructional time; (2) management of student behavior; (3) instructional presentation; (4) instructional monitoring of…

Studies ways that teachers and principals in South Carolina can influence (fudge) personnel evaluation programs. Discusses the shared nature of power in school organization that permits such practices. (FMW)

This report summary focuses on third-party evaluations of career ladder/incentive pay programs in four states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, and Utah. The summary addresses programs that contain the concepts included in performance-based ladders, job-enlargement ladders, and professional-development ladders. The first section presents…

School psychologists have traditionally experienced difficulty in assessing children referred for special services. In order to determine if the diagnosis of emotional disturbance in South Carolina schools follows the guidelines provided by the South Carolina Department of Education publication "Procedures for the Survey, Screening,…

In an effort to update teacher evaluation systems to reflect changing attitudes toward the teaching profession and to focus on staff development, state departments of education and school districts have designed mentor and master teacher programs, career ladders, shared leadership programs, and differentiated evaluation programs. They have also…

Five states (Georgia, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Florida, and Arizona) are currently either administering or field-testing classroom observation systems for certification or employment decisions regarding beginning teachers. In Georgia, a beginning teacher has three years to demonstrate competence. Observations are completed by an external data…

In an attempt to include more students with disabilities in large-scale assessments, 12 states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Louisiana, North Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia) allowed out-of-level testing during the 2000-2001 school year. This report discusses the context of state assessment…

Arts education reform in South Carolina led to the development of frameworks for dance, drama/theater, music, and visual arts education that were organized around a common set of curricular components. Aesthetic perception, creative expression, historical and cultural heritage, and aesthetic valuing form the basis of comprehensive education in the…

This paper describes efforts to design an evaluation system that has as its primary objective helping schools effect positive change through the Accelerated Schools Project. Three characteristics were deemed essential: (1) that the evaluation be useful and meaningful; (2) that it be sensitive to local conditions; and (3) that evaluations of…

Accountability is high on the education reform agenda as taxpayers, business leaders, and elected officials demand proof of results. Although several states show promising improvements in their accountability arrangements, none has in place a comprehensive system. Such a system includes three fundamental accountability elements: (1) clear and…