Both the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and recent efforts to hold schools and teachers accountable have been hotly debated among practitioners, policymakers, and the public at large. Much of the debate centers on the merits and demerits of these initiatives and the general approach they represent to reforming teaching and learning. In this…

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), like No Child Left Behind before it, requires states to report information on the academic achievement of students in each of their schools, both overall and for various subgroups of students. A subgroup of particular interest to policymakers and researchers is economically disadvantaged students,…

While it is generally acknowledged that being "historically informed" lies at the heart of critical accounts of education policy-making, the use of historically focused retrospective research methods within the field is rare. This paper makes the case for retrospective research at a time when some of the most significant episodes of…

Student's access to college is influenced both by their level of academic preparation to do college-level work and the cost of participating in postsecondary education--on this point researchers and policy makers seem to agree (Perna, 2006). The relative importance of each, however, is very much a subject of disagreement and that debate has…

In this article, we examine the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) as an example of a unique node within larger policy networks composed of new policy entrepreneurs (e.g., venture philanthropists, think tanks, private "edubusinesses" and their lobbyists, advocacy organizations, and social entrepreneurs). These new policy…

This document is intended to serve as a practical guide for implementing a teacher-student data link (TSDL) that supports a range of uses at the local, regional, and state levels. The guide addresses the considerations for linking teacher and student data from multiple perspectives, including governance, policies, data components, business rules,…

This hearing was held to discuss the reauthorization of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) of the U.S. Department of Education, focusing on H.R. 4875, which was introduced in 2000 to reform OERI and institutionalize new standards of quality. H.R. 4875, approved by the House Subcommittee on Education Reform, serves as the…

Since 2001, considerations of school reform have been dominated by performance-based accountability. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has changed the way policymakers and educators talk about education, look at educational performance, and think about educational challenges. Nonetheless, NCLB and the state accountability systems it has spawned have…

Discusses the processes by which science education policy is determined at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Included are the degree of the involvement of different groups in policy-making, major issues related to the role of the NSF, and policies currently in effect. (HM)

Questionnaire responses obtained from 64 percent of both the 216 members and the 14 directors of education advisory councils revealed membership characteristics, roles, and responsibilities, and obtained members' suggestions for strengthening the advisory council concept. The 16 statutory public advisory councils and committees serving the U.S.…

Analyzes Federal educational policy from the viewpoint of a Congressman who for 18 years has sat on the committee with principal responsibility for education legislation. Notes that "the fundamental question of the role of the Federal government in education is itself controversial and gives rise to a number of important issues." (Author/JM)

During the Johnson Administration the Presidency remained centrally involved in the education policy system. The usual flow of demands from the field and the education associations, through Congress and USOE, continued. However, the innovativeness which the President sought could not be obtained, so it was believed, if the bureaucracy remained the…

The impact of federal legislation upon educational research and evaluation is explored in detail within a political systems framework. Specific laws have affected the financial support, organization, and function of research and development services. These laws include: the Cooperative Research Act (1954); the Elementary and Secondary Education…

Getting research-based instructional practices into the hands of professionals who teach students with learning disabilities is one of the most significant challenges for educators. This paper describes some of the major factors accounting for the gaps that exist between the special education research and classroom practice and presents four major…

The objectives of an ongoing 3-year study are to examine and document the immediate history of PL 95-561, Title XI; the development of its regulations, policies, and procedures; and its actual implementation. Research during the first year focused on the history, intent, regulations, and emerging policy of the law, especially Part A. Data were…