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. The program is dedicated to lifting up all teachers so that these teachers can, in turn, lift up their…

This report is an annual publication that provides information about Diablo Valley College (California). The report contains information from administrative reports produced by various state, district, and college officials. The following sections are included: (1) General Information, which contains data on the history of the college, general…

Over the past decade, a new kind of entity has emerged in public education: the for-profit provider of education and management services. This is a report on a study of the effectiveness of the programs of three such companies-Edison Schools, Mosaica Education, and Chancellor Beacon Academies-operating in 10 charter schools in the District of…

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) prepares an annual report on dropouts in Texas public schools. This report includes state summaries of the annual dropout rate, longitudinal secondary school completion/student status rates, and state attrition rates. Out of 1,849,690 students attending grades 7-12 in Texas public schools during 2001-2002, 16,622…

These six NCLB (No Child Left Behind) Action Briefs focus on: "The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001: An Overview" (NCLB provisions that affect every state and school district in the country as well as those that affect only Title I schools and NCLB resources); "Title I Overview" (facts and resources); "Teacher and…

This question and answer sheet describes the legislative background of current accountability requirements for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs, the issues involved in testing level gain, and critical questions whose answers can lead the field forward. It focuses on the following: what the legislation requires; how states are meeting…

This study examined the efficacy of parents roles as active and discerning members of their childrens Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) through the use of a large randomly selected sample with a high respondent rate. Families were selected from the special education roster in an urban district. Of the 95 families selected, 83 parents completed…

This bulletin offers data on recent trends in juvenile violence, juvenile drug offenses, and gang-related juvenile offending, and describes prosecutorial responses to such offenses. Examples of promising prosecutor-led programs combating the illicit use of guns, violence, drugs, and gangs are also provided. These examples provide a range of ideas…

This report provides an overview of the Department of Education's (ED) progress toward four main goals: (1) help all children reach challenging academic standards so they are prepared for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment; (2) build a solid foundation for learning for all children; (3) ensure access to…

This report examines the balance that exists between school-based management mandates and the superintendent's ultimate responsibility for student performance in Texas. It claims that the literature on school-based management stipulates that states must transfer authority, responsibility, and accountability from the central office to the school…

In June 1998, California started an evaluation of standards-based accountability. The evaluation focused on the status and impact of local accountability systems, content standards, assessment measures, use of data, consequences and incentives, and assistance in school districts across the state. In the course of the study, the California…

States are implementing standards-based reforms because of past failures to produce educational environments that ensure high academic achievement. The development of state standards, the availability of related curriculum documents, assessing student achievement, and institutional accountability measures have been some of the most effective…

The seven papers in this monograph focus on defining and assessing quality. The paper are: (1) "Reflections on Design Ideals" (E. Grady Bogue), which addresses some "governing ideals" of collegiate quality; (2) "Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Investment and Quality in Higher Education" (Sven Groennings), which sees…

It is now seen as an economic and political necessity for countries to produce higher levels of performance across the spectrum of ability of all their students. This paper describes one example of the influence of political conditions on the process of developing assessment instruments and on measuring standards. In England, the trend is toward…

Recent government policies in the United Kingdom implementing new systems of evaluation and accountability have highlighted the use of performance data to inform judgments about secondary schools, but these developments themselves have been informed by a relatively small number of research studies. This paper reports the findings of a study of…