This document presents an audit of the State University of New York (SUNY) performance indicator measurement and reporting process for the period January 1, 1993 through September 29, 1995 in relation to goals established for SUNY in 1991 (SUNY 2000) and a first performance report in 1994. The objectives of this audit were to determine the…

By March 1994, eight states had adopted charter-school legislation. This report defines the charter-school concept and describes its advantages and disadvantages. Proponents argue that charter schools offer flexibility, decentralized decision making, a performance accountability, and school choice, and increased pressure for change. Opponents…

As of October 1995, 17 states had adopted charter-school legislation. The strength and scope of charter-school laws vary greatly among states. This report describes those state statutes, including the 1995 law passed by the Texas State Legislature. It describes specific provisions of the Texas law, including the home-rule district charter, campus…

The Learning Resource Center (LRS) at Austin Community College, in Texas, has developed professional evaluation guidelines and procedures to effectively assess and evaluate LRS personnel. The evaluation plan provides general guidelines and specific evaluation procedures and is divided into three major components. The first component is related to…

This document tabulates extensive and detailed information about the assessment programs of each state. It is the third edition of the database and remains the single best source for information about the student assessments that states conduct. The database is compiled from a survey completed by state directors of assessment. The first section of…

The Colorado Education Goals Panel, appointed by Governor Roy Romer in 1995 to meet the challenge of raising student achievement levels, is a 40-member planning group co-chaired by the Governor and Commissioner Bill Randall. The group includes parents, educators, business and civic leaders, policymakers, and administrators from higher education.…

This guide book contains a model portfolio that is designed for use by school boards in evaluating school superintendents. It can also be adapted to evaluate central-office administrators, principals, and other school-level administrators. The portfolio provides for both formative and summative evaluation. The assessment is keyed to the…

This book offers a step-by-step, systematic process for designing high-performance learning organizations. The process helps administrators develop proposals for redesigning school districts that are tailored to the district's environment, work system, and social system. Chapter 1 describes the characteristics of high-performing organizations, and…

Reading for meaning is the primary objective of reading instruction. Therefore, it is imperative that teachers focus on effective ways to instruct comprehension strategies. Concurrently, holistic assessment that is authentic, varied, reflective and ongoing is also a critical objective of reading instruction. These two objectives can be met when…

The curriculum-management audit was developed to provide school districts with a tool for making districtwide improvements. The audit can be used to help districts improve quality control over their instructional programs. This book offers a step-by-step guide to school improvement with a focus on conducting an internal audit. The first four…

This booklet is a product of the UNESCO Associated Schools Project, a network of some 3,800 schools in 131 countries, which conducts pilot projects to promote education for peace, international understanding, and cooperation. Schools taking part in the project participated in an international contest asking for spontaneous reactions to the…

A new national assessment system could lay a solid foundation for improving schools by monitoring the effectiveness of schools and teachers and student progress toward national goals. A sound national assessment system would: (1) allow valid comparisons between schools, districts, and states; (2) provide sound data on achievement, not just…

A Finnish study compared the career development, participation in vocational education, and working life 4 to 5 years after the completion of secondary school education of students with mild mental retardation (n=13) and students with other disabilities (n=72). Results found most of the subjects had completed their studies, however, only 25…

Adult educators' philosophies of learning and teaching have a major impact on their evaluations of students. The evaluation methods used by adult educators are often incongruent with their apparent teaching-learning philosophies. Effective evaluation must be intricately woven throughout the teaching-learning process. Teachers must look at their…

In this study, a programmatic decision-making framework called the consensus marker-outcome variable system (CMOVS) was developed as a result of a comprehensive "meta-review" and synthesis of research on variables considered by experts to be important to learning for all students, including those with special needs or those at risk of failing. The…