If substantive changes are to occur in high schools, discrepancies must be identified that will improve student learning. Principals must be alert to the opportunities for change presented by teachers, parents, and students when they discuss their problems and successes. Principals must become both problem seekers and problem solvers and gather…

Describes and discusses a three-step process for creating a feasible evaluation system for a theater program: (1) writing a values statement; (2) creating an internal accountability plan; and (3) making an external accountability plan. (SR)

Senator Kassebaum introduces the Head Start Quality Improvement Act which aims at building on the success of Head Start by connecting an increased budget with measures designed to improve program quality. The five-pronged approach of the legislation also mandates increased program accountability through performance measures. (SLD)

Before implementing an instructional program in the Rowland (California) school district, planners must define success in terms of measurable student performance, calculates resources expended in relation to the expected benefits, and determine how long it will take the program to achieve the desired results. Baseline data are then compared to new…

Describes the implementation and development of a comprehensive Institutional Effectiveness process at El Paso Community College. Discusses both the four-step process (evaluation, planning, resource allocation, and implementation) as well as unit reviews, which analyze quality indicators. Contains two data tables and five figures. (JDI)

Today, K-12 schools urgently need change. Business administrators and principals both work in key leadership positions and must respond to current demands for higher standards and efficient spending. Both must share a clear picture of district goals, assume an interdependent attitude, and apply polished interpersonal skills in their work…

Examines evidence that higher education institutions in the United Kingdom are not discharging their responsibility for program quality and standards, and suggests that unless institutions act on these findings, they may find themselves sharing responsibility increasingly with external agencies and authorities. Evidence comes mainly from recent…

Since inception of Britain's 1988 Education Reform Act, key responsibilities have devolved from local education authorities to school governing bodies. In a recent study, the 27 governors interviewed perceived governing bodies as accountable. Individual administrators felt more accountable to parents than to LEAs or inspection agencies. (26…

Neither standards/high-stakes testing nor privatization/charter-school improvement approaches will live up to proponents' ambitious claims. Standardized tests cannot uphold new performance goals. Charter schools serve limited numbers of students, siphoning off pedagogical reform energies that would benefit kids left behind. Rigor and innovation…

Few states publish school report cards that contain school performance ratings. Comprehensive school report cards are strategically oriented, reflect front-end planning, report test scores within a broader context, have readable formats, use credible and multiple messengers, and explain how to use information. A sidebar explains the school board's…

Typical district contracts often impede professionalism and superior school performance. Boston's "Pilot Schools" and Baltimore's contract public schools represent isolated reform efforts. Streamlined master contracts and school-based compacts seem promising. Reform requires enabling changes in legislation, school authority, shared…

Explores the political legacy of standardized testing, or how testing legitimates discussions about school politics. Focuses on the narrowing of purpose for schools, impatience with educational reform, and the erosion of public support for publicly funded schools. Contains 129 references. (SLD)

Confronting low student performance, staff at a central California elementary school tackled curriculum-alignment problems; identified available instructional, support, information, and human-resource processes; and dealt with the language issue. The school's "Student Portfolio and Assessment System" helped teachers discover feasible…

Employees of school districts recognized as accountability leaders share common stories about why change was necessary and how it is being accomplished. Change requires a crisis and an antagonist. Leaders identify the force threatening the organization, and skillful, heroic employees outsmart the villain. Stories help gauge organizational…

Despite greater job pressures, school system leaders can find their shining moments in advocating for children and their learning. As visionary leaders, superintendents must confront four challenges: local and state school-governance complexities, school funding for teachers and facilities, accountability for student performance, and…