After 20 years of inadequate heating and cooling, an Indiana school district took advantage of a 1994 state law that allows school districts to bypass the "low-bidder wins" restriction. The district established a guaranteed energy-saving contract for a climate-control-improvements package to retrofit the junior-senior high school. (MLF)

New Zealand and England's experience with decentralized decision making illustrates that achieving local control and accountability goals may be more elusive than initially envisioned. Additionally, there are problems with training, time management, and principals' professional/personal adjustments. Those advocating radical decentralization in…

Reports America's concern with the quality of today's schools. Discusses the three aspects of quality assurance: accountability to the government (stewardship), community (responsiveness), and profession (professionalism). Argues that all are needed to balance the needs for school quality. Describes two challenges for regional accreditation. (AJL)

Discusses the connection of service learning competencies to nationally recognized beginning teacher standards, such as Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), providing two examples of strategies that various teacher education programs have used to infuse service learning pedagogy into courses while addressing INTASC…

The Scottish Executive called for a national debate on the future of education to be held in the Scottish Parliament, March- July 2002. Major concerns of various Parliamentary committees included improved and equitable education, particularly for children with disabilities; accountability; and the development of a qualifications framework for…

This case study examined a collaboration between a college and school district to explore options for constructing systematic early childhood field experiences that would enhance a developing school initiative related to school readiness. Preliminary outcomes relate to continuing to work closely together, conducting additional mutual…

Three education deans responded to three vignettes by thinking aloud about ways to resolve problems with moral and social implications. Their responses supported a proposed conceptual framework's moral and social dimensions and highlighted themes within each of these two dimensions that education deans relied on to solve problems. Results suggest…

Outlines a framework for considering the validity of standards-based score interpretations and then considers the potential roles of different stakeholder groups and other participants in that process. Suggests study of a new standard-setting method, the "briefing book," which would describe alternative cut scores. (SLD)

Three-year study examines the effects of school-based management (SBM) on the organizational health of 28 elementary schools in Jerusalem using 7 indicators from the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire and the Organizational Health Inventory. Finds no significant impact of SBM on the schools' organizational health, but finds…

Examines what teachers learn about the role of assessments in instruction through designing and using their own curriculum- embedded assessment, noting how the development of teachers' understanding of assessment for instructional purposes supports and conflicts with use of assessment data for reporting and accountability purposes. The paper…

Discusses the Roundtable on Higher Education, which brought together stakeholders of the North Dakota University System (NDUS) to establish a common vision, a clear set of expectations, and the results for which the system would be held accountable. Reports that the Roundtable reached a level of accomplishment beyond any expectations, and that the…

Discusses the growth and challenges of charter schools. Asserts that small stand-alone charter schools may not be the basis for a sustainable, large-scale movement for change in education. Education management organizations and other similar service providers may be needed to help charter schools become a serious force for change. (WFA)

Examines the effects of high-stakes testing in Chicago, the first large urban school district to introduce a comprehensive accountability system. Concludes that high-stakes testing has the potential to improve student learning, but policymakers must look beyond aggregate measures of student performance to assess the nature of observed performance…

The proposed use of performance indicators for evaluating higher education institutions in a number of countries is critically analyzed, particularly regarding their use for institutional and program rankings and comparisons. A more developmental system retaining positive aspects of performance indicators and encouraging program improvement is…

Recent legal judgments have compelled the British government to redefine the meaning of free education. This paper examines how school governors formulated policies to charge for certain educational activities. The governing board's arbitrary decision-making practices depart significantly from the rational model espoused by the 1988 Education…