In 2000, the state of Nebraska passed legislation requiring the assessment of student performance on content standards, but its requirements were very different from those of any other state. Nebraska created what has come to be known as STARS (School-based Teacher-led Assessment and Reporting System). Under STARS, each of Nebraska's nearly 500…

Processes are a series of actions, changes, or functions that bring about a desired result. Processes are the way educators work. However, few of them think in these terms. Instead, educators tend to describe their work in terms of functions, like maintaining the online teacher application system, or outcomes, like positive test results. Still…

In Spring 2007, the State Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges awarded, based on a competitive grant competition, the Transfer Leadership Center (TLC) study to investigate two-to-four year transfer practices and strategies. As part of the study's qualitative component, research teams from the Center for Student Success of the…

In Spring 2007, the State Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges awarded the Transfer Leadership Center (TLC) study to investigate two-to-four year transfer practices and strategies. As part of the study's qualitative component, research teams from the Center for Student Success of the Research & Planning Group of the…

This study examined practices of teachers in Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS) high school Algebra I classes. Regression analyses of standardized state testing results allowed for identification of the most effective and least effective Algebra I teachers and schools. The study used surveys, observations, and focus group interviews to compare and…

The Milwaukee voucher program, as implemented in 1990, allowed only nonsectarian private schools to participate in the program. However, following a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling, the program was expanded to include religious private schools in 1998. This second phase of the voucher program led to more than a three-fold increase in the number of…

In 1994, Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), in North Carolina, conducted a survey of graduates from the 1991-92 and 1992-93 academic years who had subsequently enrolled in a four-year college and university to determine outcomes and assess graduates' satisfaction with the college, comparing findings with outcomes from previous years.…

In January 1995, the Maryland Association of Deans and Directors of Continuing Education/Community Services undertook a study of all state organizations that had received workforce training under contract arrangements during 1993-94. The study sought to develop a profile of organizations served, determine employer satisfaction with training, and…

This bulletin summarizes research on the benefits of inclusive education programs; provides data on the current status of special education; and considers studies of individual inclusion programs, state and district studies, and the effects of inclusion on students without disabilities. The research and evaluation data on inclusion indicate a…

This report attempts to present the main issues that emerged in the discussion during the four topical sessions and three roundtables of the second meeting of the International Consultative Forum on Education for All. The Forum reflected the widespread dissatisfaction over the irrelevance and poor quality of much basic education today, as well as…

School-based management (SBM) has gained popularity as a method for local school participants to improve their schools. As yet, however, there is little empirical evidence supporting a link between SBM and improved school performance. This book examines the SBM strategies that hold the most promise for increasing organizational effectiveness…

Noting that only some of the approaches to helping low achievers learn more successfully have been systematically studied to determine their effectiveness, this paper summarizes what research indicates will help low achievers improve performance, and provides a resource list of books and reports with more details on the topic. Following a brief…

Development planning has recently become a commonly adopted strategy for school improvement in the United Kingdom. Development planning is a description and more formal explication of the process and actions required to plan and manage change with the intention of improving the school. The chapters in this book report on the "state of the…

Despite their accomplishments in providing practical and efficient programs to a wide spectrum of their communities, the roles and benefits of community colleges are frequently misunderstood or understated, leading to severe underfunding. Legislators and researchers use the number of associate degrees awarded as the sole indicator of the…

As a result of increasing pressure from external constituencies, community colleges have been called upon to demonstrate accountability through assessment activities and research on institutional effectiveness based on student outcomes. Since community colleges include transient student populations, students with a wide range of ability and…