Professional Learning Communities are an important means toward the goal of improving schools so that students can learn at high levels. Professional Learning Communities, when well-implemented, have a laser-focus on learning, work collaboratively, and hold themselves accountable for results. In this article, the central concept of…

Institutionalizing the evaluation function within educational institutions serves both accountability and decisionmaking. One of the greatest problems is the reliability of evaluation in formation. Provides guidelines for avoiding credibility gaps that derive from the characteristics of personnel and from the nature of the organizational…

This study found an inverse relationship between county income level or school system size and per pupil accountability cost; the burden of cost for accountability falls heaviest on the poorest and smallest school districts. State legislators must be cognizant of the costs of providing accountability. (Author/WM)

Argues that the mere presentation of evaluative data is hardly apt to improve decisionmaking. Suggests that, to meet the needs of different decisionmakers, methods of information presentation be developed to assure that the right person get the proper information, at the proper time, and in the proper format. (Author/JF)

Asserts that educators can use what is known about communication and the change process to design better ways of interesting teachers in improving their instructional practices and in helping them to do so. Proposes a dissemination/diffusion model. (Author/WM)