As part of the Community Vision Initiative, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Education Foundation conducted a series of educational forums that included 94 guided discussions and focus groups. About 400 to 500 citizens and educators participated in at least 1 of the discussions. Eight major categories emerged as concerns for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg…

This 1999 New Jersey systemwide report updates several key data indicators (systemwide characteristics, student outcomes, fiscal indicators, and extent of student assistance) examined in earlier reports and adds new ones (number of transfer students, credits, and academic performance of transfer students). Previous enrollment trends continued…

To assess educational needs in the Pacific region, Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) identified 9 general education areas to be examined through 47 survey items. These items were presented as a questionnaire to educators in the region served by PREL, which includes American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,…

This paper describes the accountability system of the Minneapolis Public Schools (Minnesota) and presents the indicators used in the system. It also provides a practical application of two value-added models in the evaluation of effective schools and teachers for this large urban school district. These models are used to rank schools and teachers…

This congressional hearing focuses on a General Accounting Office (GAO) examination of the Department of Labor's management of Job Corps recruitment and placement contractors. Its focuses are how the contractors demand and measure success in two of the four strategy areas--client commitment and client placement in a job with long-term…

This paper discusses the designs and effects of emerging state-level accountability systems. It claims that in a few years' time, state-level policymakers will be faced with recognizing that a substantial number of schools in their states will have failed to progress toward academic standards at the rate their reform plans demand. The paper has…

The accountability report of the Georgia University System summarizes expenditures and progress made in achieving earlier goals. Following an overview which identifies major strategies toward the goal of a more educated Georgia, a section summarizes progress on major initiatives broken down into those funded in 1995-1997 legislative sessions,…

The focus of this research was to examine the perceived effectiveness of the Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES) (J. Swisher, 1987) for making educational decisions at the instructional program level for students with disabilities across groups of teachers who have various levels of familiarity with the PAES. The PAES is a functional…

This report addresses the relationship between the school accountability measures required for Title I schools and those put in place by state and local jurisdictions. The document's main focus is on the degree of coherence and compatibility among the multiple accountability systems, as well as the level and coordination of support provided to…

This bulletin describes the objectives and elements of an effective juvenile justice system and suggests legislative and administrative strategies for its implementation. An effective juvenile justice system must meet the three objectives of holding the juvenile offender accountable, enabling the offender to become a capable and productive…

The March 2000 WEEA Digest contains two articles. The first, "Honoring Ways of Knowing" (A. Lin Goodwin) mentions that notions of "educational excellence" or "education for all" are too seldom actualized because such conversations often sidestep the reality of inequitable educational practices. Voluminous data exist that articulate how schools…

This brief considers the use of high-stakes testing. Much of the fanfare accompanying "get tough" policies for failing students and schools has tempered as policymakers begin to see the complexity of raising student achievement dramatically in a short period of time. Education assessment systems are improving, but they are not as good as…

In 1999, researchers conducted case studies on 12 states and multiple local sites to document how welfare reform and other changes affected child welfare agencies, following up on 1997 case studies. They conducted interviews with welfare and child welfare stakeholders and focus groups with child welfare workers. Respondents discussed the impact of…

This book discusses four approaches to incorporating student achievement in teacher evaluation. Seven chapters discuss: (1) "Teacher Evaluation and Student Achievement: An Introduction to the Issues"; (2) "What is the Relationship between Teaching and Learning?" (e.g., whether teachers are responsible for student learning and…

Since the passage of the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, inclusion of all students with disabilities in accountability systems has been mandatory. By 2001, school personnel began to understand that alternate assessment needed to focus on students' performance on state standards, and nearly all states had created…