The purpose of this report is to "close the loop" by providing feedback to the administration and Board regarding Houston Community College System's (HCCS) institutional effectiveness efforts for the fiscal year 1997-98. Part 1 is a status report on the institution's progress toward accomplishing its eight strategic goals as outlined in…

The Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) offers a relatively new way to measure achievement in schools. Six content areas are tested in grades 3 and 5. The use of the MSPAP to differentiate among schools in terms of success was studied using data for the 775 Maryland elementary schools that were active in 1995. Test results for…

This document is a compilation of annual data profile tables, Perkins measures, and institutional effectiveness measures and standards for South Texas Community College, 1998. Data highlights include: (1) total annual enrollment in 1996-97 was 11,508 (872 white; 29 black; 10,526 Hispanic; 69 Asian; 9 Native American; 3 international; and 81…

Austin Community College mailed an Employee Satisfaction Survey in spring 2000 to 2,903 employees. The survey form asked respondents to rate college-wide and/or campus services that they had requested or received during the past year in terms of promptness, quality, attitude and overall service. The overall survey return rate was 15.4%, but rates…

This document contains proceedings of a conference that fostered discussion on how low-performing schools become successful. Principal speakers were Michael Cohen, Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, who spoke about the demand for increased performance and high standards; Dennis Parker,…

This study on accountability designs for underperforming schools focuses on probation as a tool for policy. Findings are based on the analysis of state performance data, the reading of approximately 100 school improvement plans, and the study of 11 focal schools in Maryland and Kentucky. Test-score data from Maryland show that probation is…

After more than 10 years into the charter-school movement, a fundamental issue remains to be addressed, according to this paper. The issue reduces the charter movement down to its basic core premise, which is effectiveness. The question for all stakeholders is how effective is the charter-school model. Evaluation within the context of the…

This report discusses the activities and outcomes of a study that investigated the effects of social service reform, school restructuring, and special education reform for children and youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities. The study involved 116 caregivers of students (ages 8-14) with emotional or behavioral disabilities served in a…

This report presents the self-study conducted by Wayne County Community College District in preparation for its accreditation review, and contains a preface, 12 chapters, and appendices. Chapter one presents the history of the college, accreditation history, significant developments since 1992, responses to the previous North Central Association…

As the community college reaches the century mark, this report takes stock of what and where that diverse institution is today. The paper aims to depict the diversity of today's community college students and the myriad of programs and activities offered by these institutions. In addition, it outlines some of the challenges that must be faced as…

This paper explores how a policy, that itself becomes the object of analysis, can be embedded within a wider nexus of policies that interact with it, thus affecting the course of its implementation. The research for the paper was built on a pilot study of a merger among three schools. The merger demonstrated how policies originating from the…

One mandate of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 requires that students develop a writing portfolio. Ultimately, schools must elevate the average performance level of students' portfolios to the benchmark of "proficient." During site visits to 29 schools, 36 indicators were identified that differentiated writing scores and…

This report provides a synopsis of findings from an interim report of an ongoing national study of Title I schoolwide programs conducted by the Laboratory for Student Success in conjunction with other Regional Educational Laboratories. The study is designed to develop a national database on program features, implementation requirements, and…

In 1998, fourth graders participated in the mathematics component of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning for the second year. A study of the results was conducted to determine which districts and schools had more students meeting the state's mathematics standards and how improved achievement came about. Data was gathered through…

The fact that far too many students leave high school unprepared to become contributing members of society is hardly news. What is news is the growing number of schools that are proving public education can work for every student. Unlike a decade ago, when it was hard to find more than a handful of high-performing public schools, today many such…