The New American Schools Development Corporation (NASDC) supports seven design teams that develop and implement comprehensive designs for high-performance schools. By 1995 plans had been developed for over 200 participating schools. This paper presents findings of a study that explored the elements of school-accountability systems that aid or…

In the context of educational institutions, intrapreneurs are proactive and innovative educational leaders who work as entrepreneurs inside the institution. In order to successfully carry out intrapreneurial activities, community colleges must have a structural and administrative framework that supports a market orientation and a reduced…

The United Kingdom's 1992 Education Act established the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), which was mandated to oversee an inspection system for all schools. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the extent to which the inspection process helped schools with their school-development planning. A survey was mailed to…

With the advent of the National Education Goals formulated by President Bush and the nation's governors, there is a new, nationwide environment for America's schools. Goals and objectives set at this new level imply a desire for involvement in national monitoring of local efforts to assess student, school, and district performance. Concerned about…

The gap between policymaker enthusiasm for the uses of student assessment and expert caution is analyzed by examining new forms of student assessment as an education policy strategy. The study is based on interviews with 34 national and state policymakers and focuses on their differing expectations of what assessment policy can accomplish and how…

To gain a better understanding of how performance indicators can contribute to state policy and improve higher education accountability, this project traced the experiences of 10 states that have instituted various types of accountability programs based on performance indicators. Case studies and accompanying analytical essays describe and…

This document contains selected proceedings from an Education Finance Workshop. The workshop addressed various perspectives about the appropriateness and cost of some currently popular reform approaches. Two introductory papers are: (1) "Our Task: Building the Links," by Ron Henderson; and (2) "Is Public Education Necessary to a Democratic…

The management of school systems by for-profit private contractors is one alternative method of school reform. This document describes some private-management plans and examines some of the central issues. The arrangements between public school systems and three private contractors of education are described--Education Alternatives, Inc. (EAI),…

The goal of this report is to formulate a true alternative to the current form of governance for public education. Based on studies of governance in other large decentralized service organizations and of local educational reform efforts, the report concludes that there is a real alternative. The alternative allows the schools to be operated by a…

Although the competency based assessment "movement" has undergone intense examination and much change, the concept of the competent communicator and the difficulties associated with measuring such proficiencies remain. The progression of terminology used in the literature reflects that what began as lists of skills to be tested so that…

This policy paper is the second in a Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB) series on accountability reporting. This paper describes several problems states have encountered in their initial school report-card efforts, some of the lessons they have learned, and some of the questions that must be answered. Following the introduction, the first…

This policy brief clarifies the definition of charter schools and explores their place in school restructuring and reform by describing existing charter schools in Minnesota and California, examining legislative and contract guidelines, and discussing the future possibilities of charter schools. Charter schools are sponsor-created and…

A charter school is an autonomous entity that operates on the basis of a charter or contract between the individual or group (teachers, parents, and others) that organizes the school and its sponsor (local school board, county, or state board). Once granted a charter, the school receives educational formula-driven funding as though it were a…

This digest examines the tenets of outcome-based education (OBE), outlines some of its primary criticisms and challenges, and describes successful OBE models implemented in various school districts. Outcome-based education (OBE) is one model for restructuring currently being examined nationwide. In contrast to traditional educational practices…

This publication describes issues in the policy debate about opportunity-to-learn (OTL) standards. OTL standards are designed to represent what schools and teachers should do if the new curriculum and achievement standards, as outlined by National Education Goal 3, are to be met. Goal 3 calls for competency in challenging subject matter for all…