Some of the issues surrounding school productivity are discussed in this ERIC digest. It presents the results of early research that explored whether there is a relationship between educational funding and student outcomes. Some of the reasons behind schools' productivity problems are presented, including problems with unstable governance and the…

This report was designed to help policy makers and concerned citizens understand the context, culture, and history that set the stage for Oregon's efforts to reform state government, including those areas of government that affect education. This text offers a "snapshot" of what Oregon is doing to improve results, such as setting…

This testimony focuses on the reauthorization of the health professions education programs authorized under titles VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act. It argues that the effectiveness of these programs--which are designed to increase the number of health professionals, improve their distribution in locations that have a shortage of…

This resource guide, the first of three volumes, lays out the fundamentals of outcome measurements for assistive technology. It includes the whys and hows of gathering data so that assistive technology practitioners can integrate outcomes measurement activities in their daily practice. Chapters include: (1) "Concepts and Rationale for…

In 1985 the Georgia General Assembly passed the Quality Basic Education Act, recognizing needs in key areas such as provision of an equitable finance structure and staff development programs. A section of the act addresses planning and evaluation, mandating activities and requirements including a comprehensive evaluation of each public school,…

This document provides a framework and reference for counselors, and identifies skills and experiences needed by students as a part of attending school and becoming successful. The first chapter discusses the emergence of developmental guidance and counseling. School guidance and counseling are defined, and the formative years are discussed. Four…

After approximately 20 years of developing collaborative delivery systems for children with disabilities, educational researchers have developed an extensive knowledge base. In an effort to identify potential strategies for developing and institutionalizing school-linked coordinated service delivery systems for at-risk youth, this paper examines…

Little research has been conducted in an effort to clarify the legal ramifications involved in the support services a guidance department may offer in a typical high school. Of particular interest are the liabilities to which counselors, principals, and other school personnel might be subjected in guidance departments having peer assistance…

This paper examines a variety of cash-generating school operations--student activity accounts, athletics, athletic user fees, other user fees, concessions, and cafeterias--and identifies areas where controls are needed. Specific techniques for ensuring effective cash controls are outlined. Internal-audit procedures are suggested that address the…

Determining the limits of accountability and how schools should be assessed is one of the most difficult problems in education. The state of Texas has attempted accountability by rewarding some schools and punishing others without justification. The school superintendents of Bexar County (Texas) and the Center for Educational Leadership at Trinity…

This report summarizes Alaskan school districts' 1992-93 education plans and each district's "School Report Card to the Public." It summarizes the districts' progress toward their 1991-92 education goals, reports on standardized test results, and summarizes comments on schools' performance, parent involvement, and other indicators of…

Although state takeover of low-performing schools is not a new phenomenon in American education, it has seldom been exercised. Takeover actions exist in 11 states--Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia--but only New Jersey and Kentucky have exercised steps leading to…

One aspect of teacher induction that has been given inadequate attention in relation to its importance is the issue of mentor accountability. Using data from the 1989-1990 school year, this study investigated the degree to which mentors acted in accordance with standards set out by the Connecticut State Department of Education. Two research…

Although only a few dozen school systems have formally embraced site-based management, thousands of districts across the country are experimenting with it in some form. The study described in this report attempts to distill the experience of pioneering school systems, so that citizens and educators in other localities can benefit from it. During…

Under the School Improvement and Accountability Act (SIAA) of 1989, North Carolina school districts developed plans for educational improvement. During the 1989-90 school year, 134 school districts developed responses to the SIAA, and all included differentiated teacher salary/pay plans. These pay plans are analyzed, and several generalizations…