The book inquires into social purposes of schools and the translation of these purposes into educational goals, the functions of schools, and the aims of education. The author advances the thesis that schools are educational institutions. Chapter 2 discusses how social purposes have emerged in light of current realities, and distinguishes between…

Recent research on student achievement conducted by the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) indicates that American students are deficient in reading, mathematics, writing, and other skills. To reverse this trend, the Accountable Curriculum, a program that raises expectations for students was created. The program is a departure…

This book examines the relationship between higher education and state and federal government and proposes the deregulation of higher education. The book notes that deregulation works in preserving and sometimes increasing quality and in maintaining access and diversity, although it does not automatically reduce costs. Part 1 presents the case for…

This guide describes various strategies that states and districts are pursuing to help turn around low-performing schools and raise expectations for all students. Strategies include helping schools gain control of the learning environment, concentrating resources and efforts on providing students with challenging curricula and high-quality…

The State of New York conducted an audit on the Court Reporting Institute (CRI), a two-year registered business school, to determine whether CRI's management complied with relevant laws and regulations for certifying students as eligible for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) awards. Results indicated that CRI was overpaid a total of $817,909 in…

This report describes activities and achievements of a project that examined state policies linking new accountability demands with improvements in college teaching and learning. Major activities included: (1) meetings and national forums to explore state and public concerns about the quality and results of undergraduate education; (2) two…

This guide is intended to answer the questions that literacy practitioners might have about the Accountability Framework and the Core Quality Standards approved by the Ontario Training and Adjustment Board (OTAB). Section I provides a background to development of the framework and standards. Section II focuses on what an accountability framework…

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of including special education students in the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) accountability subset of students. In 1999, the accountability subset was expanded to include scores for all special education students not exempted and all bilingual/limited English proficient (LEP)…

A task force examined Vermont's special education paperwork and procedures to determine whether Vermont's requirements exceeded the federal requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Upon close examination, the task force found only four areas in which the Vermont special education regulations require more paperwork…

This paper addresses emerging issues affecting students with disabilities in standards-based assessment and accountability systems. Challenges and possible strategies for addressing the challenges are provided as identified by researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, based on a model developed by the National Center on Educational Outcomes.…

This paper describes the development of the Texas Educator Preparation Improvement Initiative (EPII), a program evaluation process for teacher preparation entities that involved a peer technical assistance program. Planners ensured that: all recommendations would be devoid of punitive measures; assistance would only be provided if requested by the…

This paper examines the responses of four high schools to new accountability policies in two states, New York and Vermont. In each state, one school that was better positioned with respect to the policy and one that was a target of the policy were studied. New York's policy attaches high stakes for students though the Regents high school exit…

This brief discusses ways to measure and report school quality. At present, the differences in state accountability systems make comparisons of schools and school systems very difficult. The most common approach to reporting school status is in the context of current status, an approach in which the school mean or median score for students in the…

This book explores what makes a school excellent. Schools are considered excellent, "good enough," or bad, depending upon multiple factors; "good enough" implies that a school could be doing better. The use and misuse of testing and educational assessment are discussed. Academic assessment based on multiple measures is recommended over high-stakes…

This collection of papers examines the hidden risks that teacher researchers may face in action research. There are 12 papers in three parts. Part 1, "School-Based Researchers," includes: (1) "Drafting Ethical Guidelines for Teacher Research in Schools" (Marian M. Mohr); (2) "'Tuesday Night' Revisited: Learning to Survive" (Leslie Turner Minarik);…