The performance types, concerns, policy values, and models of excellence implied in higher education performance reporting indicators are identified, and the use of performance measures by two- and four-year campuses are compared. (EV)

Presents reviews and abstracts of 11 articles that examine the following topics: math education, school accountability, instructional improvement, linkage problems between secondary and postsecondary education, the connection between learning-related social skills and academic outcomes, class size, school restructuring, support services for…

Considers the usefulness of educational indicators for helping small schools evaluate educational improvement. Describes a project to establish comprehensive and accurate data profiles for a small schools consortium in east central Kansas. Concludes the project has led to significant improvements in achievement, instruction, leadership, and school…

This article focuses on educational opportunity as an organizing construct of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), in contrast with traditional opportunity-to-learn measures. A new conceptualization of educational opportunity is needed for cross-national studies. (SLD)

Evidence presented suggests that indicator systems monitor what is valued and that teachers teach what is monitored. That which is monitored is bound by time, context, and politics. Indicators should embody the best knowledge and democratic values, which has not always been the case, to result in educational improvement. (SLD)

It is argued that monitoring through indicator systems is the way to keep education on track. An example of an indicator system in England is described, with emphasis on use of the system related to classroom processes. Rationale for an indicator system and the A-Level Information System are described. (SLD)

This study reports findings on the types of quality indicators identified for elementary and secondary schools by 71.5% of school superintendents from 1,055 districts and the subsequent rating scale analysis using Rasch measurement procedures. The practical utility of such a scale is discussed. (SLD)

Profiles school crime and student safety in the United States as the first in a series of annual reports produced jointly by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics. Includes data on student and teacher victimization, school crime and violence, violent deaths at school, and school environment. (Author)

Examined the usefulness of performance indicators in campus decision making at 20 institutions with Carnegie Baccalaureate II classification using hypothesis testing and case-study approaches. Performance measures most commonly cited as measures of financial viability were of limited use for specific policy development, but were most useful within…

The portfolio, a collection of a student's work over their course of study, has become a popular tool for college teaching. Portfolios have the distinct advantage of engaging the learner in reflection (Reis & Villaume, 2002; Willis & Davies, 2002) and self-assessment (Hill, 2002), while at the same time creating documentation useful for…

This paper reviews the historical and current response of the United States to threats to its world leadership in scientific endeavors, with particular attention to the National Defense Education Act of 1958. The current status of the United States in mathematics, science, and engineering education is reviewed with respect to K-12 student…

In this paper, the author looks at the state of adult education in Ireland. He is suggesting that the state here means both the condition in which one now finds adult education and the role of the Irish State in adult education. He briefly outlines some recent developments in adult education, makes some critical comments on the state of adult…

Recent studies have produced conflicting findings about whether test-based rewards and sanctions create incentives that improve student performance, or hurdles that increase dropout and pushout rates from schools. This article reports the findings from a study that examined the impact of England's accountability reforms and investigated whether…

It is imperative for special education administrators, and all administrators, to adapt to the changing demographic and educational environments. The field of special education has changed dramatically in the last three decades, and administrators can and should be leaders of the continued evolution of special education. One useful organizing…

As part of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, many states are using confidence intervals to determine a range of scores for evaluating a school system. More specifically, the states are employing confidence intervals to help minimize measurement error in determining a school system's performance. The methodology and techniques employed in…