The release of the Labor government's policy statement, "Learning Together," in December 2000 initiated a long-term systemic reform strategy, which included the first attempt in Tasmania to formulate a new curriculum, the "Essential Learnings Framework." The purpose of this paper is to trace the historical pattern of change in…

"Making Middle Grades Work" ("MMGW") is a school improvement design developed by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and its member states. "MMGW" is built on research-based instructional practices and policies. The design combines challenging yet attainable goals with accountability that encourages teachers, supports students and results…

The American Counseling Association (ACA) is an educational, scientific, and professional organization whose members are dedicated to the enhancement of human development. In line with this dedication to human development, the principles that define the ethical behavior required of ACA members are presented here. All members are required to adhere…

The perception exists that the massive infusion of resources into public education has done nothing to bolster student achievement scores and that American students' scores on international assessments rank far below the scores of students from other countries. These perceptions are examined in this booklet. The focus is on education productivity…

This report summarizes provisions and highlights changes for the Individualized Education Program (IEP) within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997. Also included are references from the two Congressional Committee Reports--those of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee and the House Committee on…

Seven schools each in five Florida school districts were examined after they had received a rating of F by the state's accountability plan. The ratings are based on Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test levels for reading, math, and writing as well as attendance-related data. Using criteria developed by the U.S. Department of Education's…

Oakland Unified School District may embody the failures of public education, which makes it worth examining for causes of failure and for potential reforms. This district has the second highest parental dissatisfaction in the nation, with two-thirds of graduates not able to meet minimum eligibility requirements of the state's colleges. It is also…

This paper examines ways to help administrators and scholars in administrator preparation make sense of the accountability debates. It links possibilities for accountability to one's epistemological lens and claims that administrators can enhance student success by taking a pluralistic view of accountability. The text recounts the historical…

A growing number of states are implementing standards-based accountability systems in their efforts to improve student achievement. Policymakers in these states believe that standards-based reforms that include high-stakes testing can be powerful tools to change what is happening in schools and classrooms. This study is part of ongoing research…

To address concerns over teacher shortages, many states have begun to turn to alternative certification programs. Today, 115 programs exist in over 40 states, and more than 250 colleges and universities are currently involved in some type of alternative preparation. This policy brief examines what alternative certification is, discusses different…

This report suggests actions and policies that will take California higher education into the 21st century with a renewed commitment to college opportunity. The report recommends a new compact among the state, colleges and universities, and students and their families. It calls for shared responsibility and asks the state and the public to…

This document is a report on the state of applied arts and technology colleges in Ontario, Canada. It includes a message from the Chair of the Association as well as the Chair of the Committee of Presidents, and a report from the Executive Director of the Association. In the advocacy and communications arena, chief among the successes for the year…

The purpose of this paper is to report a successful technique for assessing cooperative group work reliably and validly. The paper demonstrates a simple-to-use assessment procedure that tracks individual accountability, energizes student interaction, and rewards cooperative learning, even as it uses fewer administrative resources than traditional…

This paper aims to make the techniques of cooperative learning more attractive to teachers by presenting a method of assessment that avoids the drawbacks associated with trying to extract valid and reliable individual marks from cooperative performances. The paper presents an easy-to-use method of assessing an individual's contribution to a…

This report brings to an end a series of consultations that began in March 2000 when Alberta's Minister of Learning established a committee to review the approach to allocating resources to publicly funded postsecondary institutions in Alberta, Canada. The Minister asked the committee, mostly composed of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs),…