This tool is intended to work in conjunction with Kentucky?s Standards and Indicators for School Improvement. Together, these two documents allow schools to identify opportunities for improvement and provide guidance for maximizing those opportunities through planning and the development of the comprehensive school improvement plan. Includes…

Since the 1960s, the United States has participated actively in international projects that are designed to provide key information about the performance of the U.S. education system compared to other countries. These projects include the Indicators of National Education Systems (INES) at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development…

The bottom line is that each state decides what constitutes success under the No Child Left Behind Act. Under the NCLBA, schools are held accountable for the achievement of all students, not just average student performance. The first principle of accountability for results involves the creation of standards in each state for what a child should…

Discusses three educational system indicators: the number of years students will spend in the system, the number of grades they will complete, and the percent of entrants who will graduate from the system. Describes the computation of the indicators' formulas and presents an example of their application and interpretation. (Author/RW)

Summarizes results of an opinion survey of governors' aides, legislative chairs of education committees, higher education finance officers, and campus institutional researchers on the use, effects, and future of performance reporting. (EV)

Provides state and campus policymakers' views on the importance and appropriateness of the most common indicators used in state and campus performance reports. (EV)

Examines the policy preferences of approximately 111 principals in Tasmania (Australia) concerning accountability criteria and processes. Comparing their views and those of stakeholder groups (parents and teachers) helps identify issues related to teaching, learning, and educational leadership. Tasmanian state schools probably need to review and…

The evolution of the opportunity-to-learn (OTL) concept from a research concept to a policy instrument is examined. The origins of OTL in studies by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement are described, and the role of OTL research in educational indicators is explored. (SLD)

A statistical technique is presented for developing performance standards based on benchmark groups. The benchmark groups are selected using a multivariate technique that relies on a squared Euclidean distance method. For each observation unit (a school district in the example), a unique comparison group is selected. (SLD)

Site visits by peers of those being visited are discussed as part of an educational indicator system. The experience of the WASC in California in using self-study and site visits in school accreditation for over six years is described, and limitations of the procedure are discussed. (SLD)

In response to Alberta's Educational Quality Indicators initiative, Fort McMurray Catholic Schools implemented outcome-based mathematics instruction in 30 classrooms, grades 2-10. Collaborative planning and implementation of outcome-based education principles led to improvements in student achievement, attitudes, and responsibility. (SV)

As part of Alberta's Educational Quality Indicators initiative, Fort McMurray School District developed a three-level approach to measuring student social skills that includes teacher ratings on report cards, diagnostic screening, and referral to a counselor. The 44-item Social Skills Diagnostic Screen covers personal and interpersonal factors,…

A study on the use of performance indicators within a quality assurance system in higher education in the Netherlands is reported. The case study of seven departments of economics shows the attention paid to structural aspects of the curriculum instead of the declared object of the program evaluation. (SLD)

In the United States of America, access to educational opportunity is widely viewed as a fundamental human right. The author explores the origins, content, and intended function of the controversial No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (PL 107-110) which was enacted by the Congress of the United States of America in the hope of closing the achievement…

A number of circumstances make it difficult for aspiring teachers in American Samoa to earn certification and/or advanced degrees. Young men and women who graduate from the territory's high schools have two options available to them if they plan to continue their education. They can pursue a two-year degree at the American Samoa Community College…