The gross differences in scholastic achievement among public, private government-dependent, and private independent schools in 22 countries are analyzed with Programme for International Student Assessment 2000 data. In a multilevel approach, the authors estimate these sector effects, controlling for sociological characteristics of students and…

This article presents the New England Journal of Higher Education (NEJHE) Trends & Indicators in Higher Education, featuring 64 tables and charts exploring New England's demography, high school performance and graduation, college enrollment, college graduation rates and degree production, higher education financing, and university research.…

This report, which is the second annual report on charter schools in California by the University of Southern California's (USC's) Center on Educational Governance, offers a unique view of charter school performance. Using both financial and academic data submitted by school districts to the state of California, this report looks well beyond test…

This chapter discusses the Association of American Colleges and Universities' (AAC&U's) Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) project, which aims to demonstrate that faculty across the country share fundamental expectations about student learning on all of the essential learning outcomes deemed critical for student…

A new teacher appraisal process involving 5 competencies and 163 indicators has been devised by the Provincial Government of Ontario, Canada. Principals are being held responsible for the appraisals, and the competencies and indicators are being imposed on professional practice. This paper suggests that a better approach to professional growth…

This set of education indicators for the World Bank's East Asia and Pacific Region is designed to provide key policy-oriented data for World Bank staff and clients. The framework is divided into six main chapters: (1) the demographic, social and economic context of education; (2) financial and human resources invested in education; (3) access to…

This guidebook, aimed at middle-level policy advisors and planners in education, suggests a methodology that can be used to monitor progress in the implementation of Education for All (EFA) programs regardless of the proprieties and targets involved at the national level of the individual country. The first chapter discusses the decision to…

This report, on St. Martin Parish, one of a series for the parishes of Louisiana, has three main objectives: (1) to provide information about schools to parents and the general public, (2) to provide a basis for educational planning, and (3) to increase educational accountability at all levels. It is organized into five sections, each…

A review of the development of the United Kingdom obsession with "value for money", and the performance indicators that have led to the current "best value" approach that is working through the public sector in the United Kingdom. I hope to identify the values and problems with the approach offering a salutary warning to those…

Students are not the only ones in Georgia fretting over scores from the recent SAT exams. More than perhaps any other state, Georgia has linked its reputation as a place to live, send children to school, and do business to the state's performance on the college-entrance test. Since Governor Sonny Perdue launched a statewide effort to raise those…

This report is California's response to the four questions that the United States Department of Education (USDE), Division of Adult Education and Literacy, requires of all states and territories receiving federal funding from the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The questions…

One of the stated aims of government policy in England is to put teaching, training and learning at the heart of the learning and skills system. This paper provides a critical review of policies on teaching, learning and assessment in the learning and skills sector over the past five years. It draws upon data collected and analysed in the early…

In this article, we describe how the concept of "learning to learn" has developed in Spain, and give you an overview of relevant Spanish projects. First, we sketch out how this approach has developed in Spanish educational laws. We then give examples of research projects, assessment instruments and instructional programmes pertinent to…

Social studies and social studies education is in the midst of what aptly can be described as a crisis of relevancy. In today's post-"No Child Left Behind" curriculum defined by test scores and proficiency targets, social studies has, as some have said, "been placed on the backburner" to make room for seemingly more important…

By using the education Gini coefficient (EGC), as the indicator of education equity, this paper will calculate the degree of education equity in China during 1978-2004. Results show that although education equity as a whole has improved significantly since 1978, it is rather at a low level compared with the international average. Due to the great…