Although state laws governing school district investing are quite conservative, there have been some notable investment failures leading to the loss of public funds. School districts must beware three kinds of investment risks involving credit, market, and interest rates and consider safety, legality, liquidity, and cash-flow requirements. (MLH)

Discusses measurement in human performance technology, emphasizing identifying countable behaviors and accomplishments and considering the time dimension. Topics include validation; accountability; decision making; criteria to evaluate; dangers of percentages and ratios; standards; increments or decrements in performance; learning; on-the-job…

Expectations for the principalship have mushroomed during the past 20 years. Principals are key reform agents and held mercilessly accountable. Candidates are in short supply. Capable principals are great assets, not heroic beings. Leadership is not centrally vested and must be distributed more broadly. (Contains 36 references.) (MLH)

Using Texas's experience with standards and high-stakes testing, this critical sociocultural view of accountability illuminates hidden or neglected aspects of accountability-its meanings, consequences, and the processes by which it is institutionalized. Authority is moving to the state level; teachers, parents, and students have too little…

The best way to measure institutional racism is to examine effects (statistical outcomes), not intentions. Administrators can actively address racial inequality, collect realistic data, combine equity and quality considerations in all policies, support accountability while resisting high-stakes tests, involve the whole community, and avoid silver…

Discussion of gifted education at the beginning of the 21st century focuses on trends and possibilities in teacher training (awareness training, leadership and model teaching, flexible programming), research approaches (identifying gaps in the knowledge base, broader emphases, and alternative research methodologies), and evaluation and…

Describes the use of technology audits to help schools investigate, document, and communicate the results, benefits, and effectiveness of technology in preparing learners for the future. Discusses a continuum of technology utilization, partnerships in audit services, and focusing on the results of and accountability for the use of technology. (LRW)

Despite the school shooting on December 1, 1997, under current state law in Kentucky, school officials and administrators are not likely to be held accountable, even for ignoring the most obvious of warning signs. There should no longer be the rule barring liability that is called sovereign immunity. Instead, the court should examine the actions…

Title 1 is the centerpiece of the 1994 Improving America's Schools Act. Currently funded at $7 billion, the program serves over 6.5 million children in two-thirds of the nation's elementary schools. The law shifts program administration responsibility to local districts and distributes funds based on the number of poor children in a school. (MLH)

A discussion of the relationship between the Scottish funding agency for higher education and universities focuses on expectations of the council for lay members of the governing bodies and the appropriateness of those expectations. Whether the state can continue to respect institutional autonomy while seeking greater accountability for public…

In 1997, former Edmonton (Alberta) school superintendent Michael Strembitsky instituted school-based management in seven schools. Although the district retained policymaking responsibility, schools could decide matters such as class organization, number of teachers, and budgeting for learning resources and equipment. Giving schools control over…

In Massachusetts; Washington D.C.; New York City; Chicago; Baltimore; Cleveland; and a host of other big cities, challenges to both elected and appointed local school boards have become commonplace in the last year. Discusses the situation in Chicago. (MLF)

Asserts that tougher standards and better assessments are necessary for educational improvement. Once the standards have been defined, educators must hold students accountable for their achievement. High standards and high accountability must be based on the premise that all children are capable of learning. (SLD)

Considers how the topic of accountability and high-stakes testing has become more critical given the heightened visibility and importance of tests and test results. Notes that trends indicate that scrutiny of public schools and assessment will increase and that students need and deserve to have the best information available regarding effective…

A suburban Philadelphia district set aside $100,000 for merit-pay (bonuses) for individuals and groups of teachers. Although teachers are resistant, vowing to give to charity any bonuses linked to test scores, morale and scores have improved. Cincinnati and Castle Rock, Colorado, have workable plans. (MLH)