Discusses the general findings of the Carnegie Commission Report on major educational issues of the last decade, and the HEW Report (by Paul Newman) on funding for postsecondary education as they apply to higher education for business. The concept of systems accountability, and suggested methods for dealing with it and the changing educational…

A model of a student vital statistics and delivery system is proposed to enhance the effectiveness of student services and institutional accountability. This model incorporates guidelines for its planning, organization, development, implementation, and evaluation. Implications for admissions, programming, instruction, research, and alumni…

An effective system of evaluation is advocated as a means to improvement of the teaching/learning process. Colleague evaluation and academic freedom need not be adversaries but may contribute to educational accountability. (LBH)

The Seattle Community College District substituted a four-person committee for a district president for a 44-month period. The results were better than expected, with cost savings and general harmony, but with losses in areas of planning, continuity, grievance handling, and accountability. (Editor/LBH)

The increasing demand for accountability involves both a demand for cost-effective management and a demand for proof that objectives are being met. It is suggested that the public has difficulty understanding quality in higher education because it is not familiar with the language of quality. (LBH)

Defines oral communication competency and reports a project designed to measure "minimal competency" in cognitive and behavioral/performance dimensions of oral communication. Includes a taxonomy of sample competencies for the basic course and an approach to criterion-referenced measurement. (MH)

Using a variety of data from the Towntree Research Project at the University of Lancaster, this article attempts to reconstruct student and staff perceptions of the teaching/learning reality of higher education. Ambiguities and confusions are noted. Some implications for staff/student communication and for student admission are discussed.…

The purpose of this report is to present and discuss competing accountability approaches, or models, designed to systematically indicate how a school's students are performing academically. Within the framework of the current federally mandated accountability legislation, increased interest in models measuring school performance has caused…

Teacher Growth and Assessment (TGA) is a comprehensive teacher evaluation system that includes structures for both accountability and professional growth, taking teacher evaluation to a new level. TGA provides the opportunity to use teacher evaluation data to plan professional development, involve teachers in self-assessment, and structure…

The New Jersey Commission on Higher Education is responsible for statewide planning, coordination, and advocacy for higher learning in our state. In conjunction with these responsibilities, the Commission publishes an annual systemwide accountability report on higher education in New Jersey designed to identify priorities and inspire dialogue for…

This report begins with a discussion of why performance comparisons between charter and noncharter schools can be complicated. It also summarizes the most recent data from California's assessment and accountability systems, comparing types of charter schools and looking at them within the context of the larger system. An overview of the often…

The passage of the Children First Act in 1988 ushered in a new era of data collection, analysis, and reporting about the overall quality and condition of education in Louisiana. Implemented in 1990, this major piece of legislation resulted in the publication of the Progress Profiles (School Report Cards, District Composite Report, and the…

One of the central themes in the standards-based education movement continues to be the importance of clear and detailed system accountability data showing how students from special needs groups perform on statewide accountability assessments (Albus, Thurlow & Liu, 2002; National Research Council, 1997; Thurlow & Liu, 2001). Armed with such data,…

This report presents the testimony of the president and program director of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Based in Washington, DC and in Dayton, the Institute is a nonprofit organization that supports research, publications, and action projects of national significance in elementary/secondary reform, as well as significant education reform…