Auditing, accountability, and transparency are concepts that greatly impact the working conditions of today's public sector professionals, including teachers. Documentation requirements have been on the increase for some time, which can be seen in the education sector's Individual Development Plans (IDPs), for example. These IDPs are pedagogical…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 mandated that states implement standards and test-based accountability systems. In theory, local educators are free to select the means for teaching the standards so long as students achieve a predetermined proficiency level on the exams. What is unclear, however, is how this theory plays out in schools…

Within the US Department of Education's new flexibility initiative, there are three key and fundamental areas of focus, each referred to as a "principle." The second of these is that State Education Agencies (SEAs) must develop and implement differentiated recognition, accountability, and support to assure that all students are taught by…

The author expresses his fear that current practices designed to meet federal regulations regarding education of the handicapped may be merely surface compliance efforts. (CL)

This study determined school-level curricular, assessment, and accountability policies and practices in private and public day treatment and residential schools for elementary-age children with emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD). A national random sample of 271 (56.45%) principals and 229 (47.70%) teachers responded to a mail survey. No…

The article presents a system of accountability for monitoring the progress of severely and profoundly handicapped people in behavioral programs. (DLS)

Clarifies terms, describes the Consortium for Alternative Education, and identifies the social and educational potential and the accountability element in alternative schools. (Author)

The authors provide an analysis of why the controversies surrounding educational treatment are likely to continue even with scientific validation of practices as called for in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act. They describe how bias in human judgment makes it difficult to trust others and also difficult to doubt oneself relative to important…

Describes the operation of the Banneker Elementary School in Gary, Indiana, by Behavioral Research Laboratories. The latter is contracted to either raise each child's test scores to the national average in three years or return the 800 dollars collected for the child. (JM)

The paper examines ways to choose appropriate objectives for program evaluation in the education of the handicapped. Section I discusses how too much pressure can distort priorities (alignment of short-term objectives with long-term objectives), and lists six steps in determining priorities. Section II applies the principles to learning disabled…

Outlines a set of eight criteria for measuring the achievement level of students in individualized instruction programs. (Author/RK)

The paper investigates a strategy for integrating the IEP (individualized educational plan) and J. Guilford's Structure-of-Intellect (SOI) in order to promote an accountability based approach to differentiated programing for the gifted classroom student. (Author/PHR)

Suggests that given the current weaknesses in empirical bases for specifying competencies and the problems with assessment, the first rule of individuals and groups with power or influence in education would be not to legislate competencies or objectives and not to legislate competency based education. (Author/AM)

The author presents selected highlights of a February 1976 survey of Colorado senior high school teachers citing problems of student behavior, new methods, the status of local accountability committees, and problems of beginning teachers. (MB)

As new Federal legislation for vocational rehabilitation (VR) creates changes affecting future programs, there is a need to evaluate the impact of the VR program in client terms. Accountability requires rehabilitation to develop its own unique model including applicant evaluation, client status, objectives, program evaluation, and employment…