Guided by a synthesis of theory on human motivation and evidence about teachers' motivation to implement school reform, study aims to better understand the responses of teachers and school administrators to government accountability initiatives and to assess the extent to which leadership practices had a bearing on those responses. (Contains 65…

Discusses yearly information technology costs for academic libraries. Topics include transformation and modernization activities that affect prices and budgeting; a cost model for information technologies; life cycle costs, including initial costs and recurring costs; cost benchmarks; and examples of pressures concerning cost accountability. (LRW)

Reviews a laptop computer technology program that has been in effect for nearly four years in a middle school in Bethesda, Maryland. Topics include initial opposition from parents; benefits to teachers, students, and learning; copyright issues; problems with plagiarism; accessibility; accountability; and email issues. (LRW)

Discusses the issues involved in using achievement tests as a proxy indicator of educational quality, the mechanisms underlying score inflation, and the perverse incentives that can result from simple test-based accountability. Suggests ways to improve incentives by using multiple forms of assessment. (Contains 51 references.) (SK)

Federal law mandates regular testing of students' reading and mathematics achievement. There is no guarantee that the law's strict accountability provisions will promote student achievement. States must design their accountability systems to prevent unintended negative results. Discusses likely effects of the law, describing steps states can take…

Describes how research training in Australia is shaped by the knowledge economy and emphasis on "fast" supervision that results in timely degree completion. This pressure limits development of subject-specific methods skills, general research skills, and employability skills. Reconfiguration of the research culture may be necessary. (SK)

Examines how the federal accountability mandates affect the design and implementation of Title I schoolwide programs in three urban school districts: Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit. Using case studies developed in each district, examines Title I schoolwide programs within the context of state and district policies adopted to meet the federal…

Discusses the balanced model of accountability proposed by the National Association of State Directors of Special Education and its implications for the evaluation of student progress. Emphasizes the elaboration of a model to assist special educators in the assessment of instruction practices and curricula. Highlights specific guidelines for the…

Discusses changes in government policies in England and Wales during last 20 years and the effects of the new performance-driven agendas on head teachers. Describes national programs for school leadership based on national standards, competency framework, and visits. Questions effectiveness of these nationally designed programs. (Contains 57…

Findings from meta-analyses of outdoor education, psychotherapy, and educational innovations are presented to help determine the relative efficacy of adventure therapy programs. While adventure therapy effects are stronger than those of outdoor education, they are not nearly as strong as those of individual psychotherapy. Benchmarks are derived…

Examines political changes in the educational finance policy of nine Midwestern states between 1991 and 2001: Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Includes comparison of basic funding structures, commitment to educational equity, and changes in funding mechanisms. Concludes that states will have to…

Discusses issues related to the funding of urban schools during uncertain economic periods. Includes the complexity of urban school reform, teacher supply and quality in urban schools, nontraditional support for urban schools, and markets and accountability in urban schools. (Contains 36 references.) (PKP)

Describes strategies developed by the Association of California School Administrators to align state grade-level standards with special-education student academic goals during the IEP process. (PKP)

Evaluates the effectiveness of city and state takeovers of school districts to bring about school reform. Finds, for example, that city takeovers are linked to increases in student achievement in elementary schools and that when state takeovers produce administrative and political turmoil, student achievement suffers. (Contains 15 references.)…

Institutions are turning to responsibility-centered budgeting to instill campuswide fiscal responsibility. The approach places budget authority within individual academic units and allows decision makers to see their program's share of overhead expenses. The University of Indiana and Purdue University at Indianapolis have undertaken a joint…