This article examines a federally funded pre-apprenticeship training programme designed to transition aboriginal northerners living in the Canadian Arctic into trades-related employment. Drawing from interviews involving programme partners and stakeholders, the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership programme that operated in the Beaufort…

In developing countries, an increasing number of civil society organizations (CSOs) engage in independent monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of government programs and policies. Most CSOs rely on a range of M&E tools in combination with advocacy strategies to hold government accountable and improve the implementation of programs and policies.…

After more than a decade (and four years behind schedule) Congress finally seems ready to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. For years, critics have complained that the law's focus on test scores offers far too narrow a picture for judging school quality. There is also concern that the "adequate yearly progress," or…

Almost all of the most recent school improvement strategies have focused on standards and accountability. But test data from assessments such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicate that such emphasis has had little impact on student achievement. Drawing from extensive research across national settings, Andy Hargreaves and…

In the past 150 years, educational systems have expanded and become integrally linked with economic, political, and social status in modern nation-states. As the stakes for education have risen, so has the call for more and improved use of scientific evidence as a basis for educational policymaking. Evidence from averaged scores on international…

This April 2006 issue of "Federal Literacy Facts" contains the following articles: (1) Transition at the National Literacy Secretariat (NLS); (2) The New Government Agenda: Finding Room for Literacy; (3) How Is the Transition at the NLS Affecting the Literacy Community?; and (4) Federal Accountability Act: Changing the Way Government…

Factors that have shaped the practice of federal program evaluation in Canada are discussed, including accountability, federal policy issues, political actors, organizational structures, and political and governmental changes. A key issue is that of promise versus performance. (SLD)

Based on experiences in conducting program evaluations for the Canadian Federal Government, an evaluator addresses reconciliation of the information needs of managers and accountability. External and internal accountability are covered. Using the perspectives of both line managers and senior managers, means of resolving pertinent issues are…

The substantial differences in program evaluation practices in Canada and the United States are discussed focussing on the historical context and the political and cultural environments. Program evaluation has developed in Canada to address the concerns of accountability of public funds in a context of economic restraint. (Author/BS)

This report describes the first phase of a 3-year longitudinal case study to investigate how 6 selected schools in New Zealand meet their year 11 students' needs through the subject choices offered them. The study is set against the background of the introduction of the National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA), a new…

The purpose of this hearing was to examine the Federal Communications Commission's management and oversight of the E-Rate program. This subcommittee has done much to expose for Congress a range of problems in the E-Rate program management--problems that raise questions about the program's effectiveness and whether the Nation's taxpayers can be…

This paper describes an evaluation model developed by the Ontario Ministry of Education and illustrates how it was adapted to meet local and provincial needs of the Scarborough School System for accountability data and direction for change. The basic Cooperative Evaluation and Development of School Systems (CEDSS) model includes five stages of…

This progress report details the objectives of the Guam Department of Education's District Action Plan and progress toward achieving them in fiscal year 03-04 and the first quarter of fiscal year 04-05. Areas covered are: (1) standards and assessment; (2) personnel quality and accountability; (3) federal, state, and local programs; (4) home-school…

The Guam Education Policy Board initially adopted the Guam Public School System District Action Plan in May 2003. The DAP established the direction and details for improving academic performance in reading, math, and language arts by using the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act as a framework. The adopted DAP was also used as a basis for…

The first National Drug Control Strategy set ambitious two and five-year performance based goals: (1) to lower the rate of drug use by 10 percent over 2 years among both youth and adults; and (2) to lower the rate by 25 percent over 5 years. The chapters in this updated version are keyed to the strategies three priorities: (1) Stopping Use Before…