Supports William Clune's focus on outputs, rather than inputs and procedures. However, national and state standard setting and systemic reform would foster more school improvement and educational equity than the single-school approach. Focus on outcomes allows considerable local curricular discretion. Schools should be held accountable for student…

The background of practice and ideology that led to the national curriculum and national assessment in England and Wales is traced, along with the development of national assessment policy. The breakdown, which has resulted in teachers who refuse to conduct the prescribed testing, is described. (SLD)

Factors contributing to the growing federal regulation of United States colleges and universities are explained, and regulation's impact in the areas of student aid, race relations, scientific research, environmental protection, and age discrimination are discussed. It is argued that a balance between institutional autonomy and accountability must…

Advocates that the design and implementation of an early childhood unit in public elementary schools must be adapted to young children's unique needs. Such adaptation can occur by means of developmentally appropriate programs that require proper training for school administrators and staff, program accountability, and promotion of parent and…

Israel's Planning and Grants Committee (PGC), intended to mediate between government and higher education in financial matters, was designed to guarantee academic freedom while improving accountability. The committee is composed largely of academics. Increasing PGC involvement in higher education planning and regulation is restricting…

Offers an interim review of the implementation of the local management of schools (LMS) initiative. A model for LMS as an organizational form termed "decentralized management" is advanced and applied critically to understand aspects of the restructuring currently taking place within the British educational system. (48 references) (MLF)

Reviews educational reforms of the past 10 years as they relate to visual arts education. Finds that progress has been made in the development of theoretical rationales for art education and in assessing teacher performance. Also finds that little progress has been made in evaluating student learning and performance. (CFR)

Discusses how legal issues impinge upon teacher competency testing, describing key legal provisions (antitrust protection, due process, equal protection, substantial adverse impact, and business necessity), and examining each one's impact on testing and teacher certification. Recommendations to help teacher educators ensure legal, credible, and…

Discusses the growth of the assessment movement, reviews the different measures of student performance being requested by state agencies, and describes institutional responses to state mandates. Offers guidelines for implementing an effective assessment program. (DMM)

Popham describes the evolution of his Instructional Objectives Exchange (IOX) from an objectives-dispensing enterprise to an assessment-creating enterprise. Discusses national standardized testing, criterion-referenced versus norm-referenced assessment, teacher licensure tests, and professional development activities for graduate students. (KS)

The need to formalize codes of ethics for teachers, with the objective of finding an appropriate balance between professional autonomy and accountability, is discussed. Sample codes from the United States, Germany, and Switzerland are examined and interpreted. The role of ethics in educational reform, relationship of ethics to other teacher…

Examines North Carolina's measurable outcomes of workforce development and the economic impact of attending a community college in the state. Focuses on the performance reporting system and includes a discussion about using the data to inform policy. (VWC)

Measuring achievement is not the same as measuring the quality of teaching and learning conditions; the validity of the former is not related to the latter. As measures of school improvement, achievement test scores have not been validated. No accumulation of evidence shows assessment to be an indicator of good schooling. (MLH)

Discusses cooperative learning, asserting that students must be individually accountable and credited for their efforts to help teammates attain goals. Describes the Peer and Self-Evaluation System (PSES), a new and reliable procedure in which students identify and record team skills and receive confidential feedback regarding personal strengths…

Discusses cooperative learning and considers the use of interactive group software. Highlights include students' roles in groups; group accountability and peer pressure; the use of strong narrative; and characteristics to look for when reviewing software for interactive group use, including opportunity and context for group interaction and social…