Principals are critical to the success of any school improvement effort--from increasing academic rigor toward college- and career-ready standards to teacher evaluation and support. They ensure this success by building a strong, shared vision and leading effective implementation for staff, students, and families. The federal government has an…

The Holtzman Project at Northwestern University reviewed educational program evaluations at the federal, state, and local levels of government. This paper focuses on the administration of the project, including constraints on its operations, the strategic decisions that seemed correct at the time, and some decisions that now seem wrong. (BW)

Eight papers outline the nature of the present federally funded effort to improve the evaluation data gathered by programs for the transition of handicapped adolescents to higher education or work. Evaluation research, program evaluation flexibility, and professional standards are considered. Two other evaluation studies consider international…

This guide is intended to assist institutions of higher education as they evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of their administration of financial aid programs and compliance with federal laws and regulations, especially Title IV of the Higher Education Act. The guide goes beyond federal requirements to include other good administrative…

In light of the National Education Goals of 1990, several arguments against any federally funded large-scale census approach to the assessment of college student learning in the United States are presented to clarify challenges to an objective of Goal 5, which specifies that "the proportion of college graduates who demonstrate advanced…

As public funds decline and the political climate changes, accountability and quality assurance are important issues for U.S. colleges and universities, and institutional leaders are concerned about a shift away from the established institution-centered structures, toward government-mandated, standards-driven systems. This paper explores the…