If rewards are to be used as a school-reform tool, their formats must be more closely tailored to the organizational characteristics of schools and to the purpose of improving teaching and learning. This paper describes lessons learned from Kentucky's collective incentive system, the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS). The…

This paper describes an educational innovation that survived only 2 years. The pilot program introduced team teaching, based on a middle-school philosophy, into three high schools in a relatively large midwestern school district. The interdisciplinary team sought to help ninth-graders make the transition from middle to high school. Despite…

Within the Illinois Community College System (ICCS), each of the 49 member colleges reports to the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) on their improvements in productivity. This report summarizes the productivity reports on the ICCS colleges, examines the results of a series of analyses of productivity conducted by the ICCB from a statewide…

This conference presentation describes the AUEN (Addressing Unique Education Needs) system of assessing educational outcomes which is used by the Rochester (Michigan) Community Schools to help establish accountable and effective special education support programs and services. The AUEN provides an innovative and practical approach to assessment,…

This report addresses various issues related to assessment, explaining that assessment is an integral process in all of Texas's Centers for Professional Development of Teachers (CPDTs). Section 1 explains that CPDTs conduct assessment to improve programs continuously, improve the authenticity of the tasks associated with mastery of teaching,…

Within the Illinois Community College System (ICCS), each of the 50 member colleges reports to the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) on their productivity improvements. This report summarizes the productivity reports of the ICCS colleges, examines the results of a series of analyses of productivity conducted by the ICCB from a statewide…

This paper examines the issues arising when a set of federally funded model demonstration projects, the secondary curricula/student transition projects of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, were obligated by federal initiative to improve the amount, quality, and use of evaluation. These issues included: (1) the nature of…

The 1988 report by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) entitled "Goals for Education: Challenge 2000" reflects concerns of government and educational leaders in the 15 states of the SREB area (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee,…

Institutional self-study is an appropriate method for determining quality and demonstrating accountability which can lead to academic and administrative excellence. With a trend toward state and federal government involvement in higher education, colleges will do well to conduct internal program assessments in order to maintain control. A…

A process for evaluating the effectiveness of educational organizations, with a focus on accountability, is described. An evaluation of 15 pilot-test school districts in the Arizona Career Ladder Project reveals the existence of a major discrepancy between meeting program requirements and achieving program success. A theoretical model of…

An analysis of the evaluation of partnership programs with a focus on accountability is the purpose of this paper. Research for the book, "Partnerships in Education: Measuring Their Success," entailed a survey of various partnership leaders from education, business, government, and nonprofit organizations. The survey results are discussed in this…

An overview of accountability in public education is presented in this publication. Contents include a review of recent accountability efforts, an outline of a comprehensive accountability model, an analysis of accountability strategies, and a discussion of means for incorporating system indicators into the larger systemic framework. A conclusion…

In the New York City high schools, three change strategies have been used to improve a system which, in and by itself, is dramatically changing. The high school system has undergone significant changes in purpose, organization, culture and student performance. The first change strategy established a partnership between the high schools and the…

The project's primary purpose was to train vocational administrators in developmental strategies and analytical techniques for improving cost-effectiveness of vocational programs. Administrators would then be able to function as change agents in diffusing strategies and techniques throughout the U.S. The specific objectives were to (1) identify…

The Academic Program Review system at the State University Agricultural and Technical College at Delhi consists of two phases: preparation of a self-study report by specialized faculty providing instruction in the particular program, and review of the report and program operation by a visiting panel of experts in the field or academic discipline.…