In New Zealand the rhetoric of educational administration reform has claimed that local school management will lead to improvement in the areas of efficiency, effectiveness, and equity. In addition, the role of the school principal has been a significant site of contest and struggle. This paper presents findings of a ongoing ethnographic study…

Literature on educational policies of the "New Right" suggests that within a neoliberal context, school principals become institutional managers rather than educational leaders. The practice of feminist educational leadership, which works for improved social justice and equity for staff and students, is committed to empowering coworkers,…

This study was conducted to develop a set of concepts regarding teachers' perspectives on accountability, to present exemplars and discussion of each concept, and to analyze implications of the concept for classroom practice. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 experienced elementary and high school teachers. Two pilot…

School/site-based management requires shifting the initiative in public schools from legislators, school boards, superintendents, central administrative offices, and unions, to individual schools. The purpose of school/site-based management is to increase student achievement and success by making those closest to the delivery of educational…

According to the General Accounting Office (GAO), at least 154 programs administered by 14 federal departments/agencies provide approximately $25 billion in annual employment training assistance. The GAO reviewed 62 of those programs in December 1993, and a U.S. Senate committee requested basic information about 88 of the programs in June 1994.…

This document outlines a community-based state school system that allows a large degree of local autonomy in exchange for heightened accountability for school performance. It highlights a model education platform for candidates in the 1994 election. A system of educational excellence for the 21st century would be performance-based, locally…

In 1994-95, the Education Commission of the States plans to focus on quality in higher education--quality that reflects the changing needs of society; quality that shows in the performance of all colleges, universities, and community colleges; and quality that counts for parents and students. The Commission will examine what Americans need and…

In 1992, the Illinois Community College Board forged new ground in accountability for higher education by adopting a plan for the implementation of educational guarantees. Guarantees demonstrate the community colleges' dedication to providing exemplary programs and service. Guarantees ensure that graduates of community college technical programs…

This report by the Florida Articulation Coordinating Committee defines seven objectives or goals of articulation and measures that indicate how well the objectives are being met. The report includes the most recent data available, identified by objective and measure. Objective 1 is to adequately prepare secondary students so they can smoothly…

This testimony on charter schools is based on a report prepared at the request of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies by the General Accounting Office. Remarks focus on charter schools' instructional innovations, autonomy, accountability systems, and the challenges they pose for federal programs.…

The Texas Education Agency identified the need to implement an evaluation system of performance standards for selected vocational education programs as required by the Perkins Act. The project developed criteria to assess vocational education in secondary schools in Texas. Two objectives were met during 1990-91: conduct background research on…

Educators must take into account the changing social, cultural, and economic trends contributing to high absenteeism and dropout rates. No curriculum can succeed if students are not in attendance to learn, develop, and advance in society. This paper evaluates the researcher's computerized system to track student attendance and prevent unexcused…

Findings of a study that developed and applied a microfinancial model to track financial resources through the school systems are presented in this paper. The School Site Allocations Model (SSAM) shifts the current finance structure to the schools. First, the model was designed and tested in 30 school districts across the United States. Next, data…

This is the first report from a 5-year study of the classroom level effects of state assessment reforms. The first year examines changes in the teaching of writing and mathematics in Kentucky elementary and middle schools as a result of the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System and the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). This report…

Degrees of Excellence is a publication that examines the forces behind the rising cost of higher education, and discusses several policy proposals put forward in Minnesota and elsewhere to improve performance and accountability in higher education. Several factors that have converged to strain public higher education budgets in Minnesota include…