This report analyzes education in Minnesota. After a brief introduction in chapter 1, chapter 2 reviews educational accountability at the national and state levels and the development of Minnesota's own assessment and accountability system. This review not only leads to recommended next steps in that assessment and accountability system, it also…

The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1994 includes explicit requirements to ensure that students served by its Title I are given the same opportunity to achieve high standards and are held to the same high expectations as all students in each state. By the spring of 2000, states should be prepared to submit evidence…

This paper describes the Study of Systemic Reform in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), an embedded research project that crossed the lines between objectivity and subjectivity, technical assistance and evaluation, and qualitative and quantitative research. The project created a collaboration between researchers at the Wisconsin Center for Education…

This issue focuses on decision making. The term "D[cubed]M" used throughout the issue means data-driven decision making. D[cubed]M is not merely crunching numbers or translating statistics; it is about creating a picture to see where you have been and to determine where you want to go. Provided is a special D[cubed]M checklist to figure out how…

This bulletin is part of the best practice series on programs that provide assistance in building or expanding juvenile correction and detention facilities and in training correctional staff. These bulletins are designed to present up-to-date knowledge to juvenile justice policymakers, researchers, and practitioners about programs and approaches…

This paper examines the forces that affect school accountability. It presents the discussion in the context of the classic agency model, which is built around a principal-agent relationship. In these types of relationships, a principal attains certain goals through an agent, who acts on her behalf. Although ubiquitous in society, these kinds of…

This paper examines the relationship between high-school examinations and university expectations for a well-prepared student. Its purpose is to explore the alignment between state, standards-based assessment systems and the expectations students face once they undertake university studies. It uses a proven methodology for analyzing the congruence…

This study examined Alabama and Tennessee state education report card data for 1998 through 2003. The purpose of the study was to determine whether there were measurable differences in reported accountability indicators between districts that elected and those that appointed superintendents. The study also examined trends in attrition and hiring…

This document is intended to help mathematics teachers prepare students for the "exit exam of essential skills" required by the new Student Accountability Standards enacted by the North Carolina State Board of Education. Unlike current End of Grade and End of Course tests, the North Carolina High School Exit Exam (NCHSEE) focuses on…

The latest Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, includes new standards, testing, and sanctions provisions designed to bring better performance and new accountability for that performance to local schools. The accountability ingredients in the new law were mostly not new to the 2001 debate…

President George W. Bush's "No Child Left Behind" plan for educational improvement is based on four principles: accountability for results; local control and flexibility; expanded parental choice; and effective and successful programs. Improving education, however, will require more than just state officials, school boards, and school…

This report describes findings from the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Professional Development Project, which was developed to inventory the alignment of dollars and professional development offerings to a set of professional development principles and district priorities; compare findings with other districts and best practices; articulate and…

Two assessment activities have been particularly useful at one urban university with an innovative general education curriculum: the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the use of rubrics to score student portfolios. This study analyzed NSSE data in relation to the portfolio scores on four general education learning goals in an…

Over the past decade, institutions of higher education have come under increasing demands for accountability. Colleges and universities are expected to document student learning, beyond traditional course grades. The use of assessment as a tool to improve learning relies on the active involvement of faculty in planning, implementing, and refining…

This paper argues for creating the kind of accountability that will help New York City's lowest performing schools by developing mechanisms to improve the school system's transparency and by increasing parent and community access, representation, and power in schools and districts. Part 1, "Governance Reform Alone Won't Improve Our…