This report is presented in compliance with Florida statutes regarding educational outcomes and accountability. It reports on Pensacola Junior College, and includes statistics for the following areas: (1) enrollments; (2) retention and success rates for AA degree; (3) retention and success rates for AS degree; (4) transfer performance; (5)…

This study on accountability designs for underperforming schools focuses on probation as a tool for policy. Findings are based on the analysis of state performance data, the reading of approximately 100 school improvement plans, and the study of 11 focal schools in Maryland and Kentucky. Test-score data from Maryland show that probation is…

The first issue of the Educational Policy Reform Research Institute's (EPRRI)publication, "Policy Updates," introduces the Institute and briefly reports on three key elements of accountability. It notes that EPRRI investigates the impact of educational accountability on students with disabilities and on special education. The Institute…

More than 2,100 charter schools serving more than 500,000 students operate in 37 states and the District of Columbia. This book contains a report of a study that examined the first 10 years of the charter-school movement. The study addressed the following questions: (1) What students do charter schools serve? (2) Are charter-school teachers more…

This brief paper is a presentation that preceeded another case of considering the ongoing dialogue on the advantages and disadvantages of centralized and decentralized school-improvement processes. It attempts to raise a number of questions about the relationship between state-designed standards and accountability initiatives and change and…

After more than 10 years into the charter-school movement, a fundamental issue remains to be addressed, according to this paper. The issue reduces the charter movement down to its basic core premise, which is effectiveness. The question for all stakeholders is how effective is the charter-school model. Evaluation within the context of the…

This paper explores how new accountability policies interact with culturally relevant teaching at the classroom level. When teachers are under the constraints of accountability and student testing policies, are they able to adopt and practice culturally relevant pedagogy in their classrooms? Previous research indicates that high-stakes…

This book examines the effects of reforms in some countries' national education systems, noting that far from improving education, they have often made it more difficult for teachers to do a good job in the classroom. It focuses on how teaching has changed and continues to change in England's educational reform climate. The book argues that many…

This study focuses on the work of state administrators of federal programs. It follows up on baseline information collected during late fall 1996 and early winter 1997, analyzing the ways in which state administrators have continued to respond to the new laws. The programs included in the follow-up study are as follows: the Goals 2000: Educate…

This report is the fifth review of the accomplishments of Washington's 32 two-year colleges under the provisions of the Worker Retraining program. The Worker Retraining program assures that jobless workers have immediate access to job retraining for a new career if they are not able to find work in their current field. It also builds the capacity…

This document presents the strategic plan of Iowa's Board of Regents for the state's three institutions of higher education (and two special schools) for the next five years. Introductory information includes a statement of the document's purpose and overview, and the Board's mission statement, responsibilities statement, vision statement, and…

This dissertation examines performance-based funding in higher education in Alberta (Canada) using a case study that examined government funding of public higher education in that province. Six hypothesized goals for performance-based funding were developed from the literature, and relevant government documents were analyzed in terms of these…

This policy brief addresses the first two rulings of the North Carolina lawsuit on the state constitutional right to education, commonly referred to as "Leandro." The "Leandro" Supreme Court opinion and subsequent court rulings add a model of adequacy that dovetails almost perfectly with standards-based education reform. Model…

The report presents findings and recommendations from a 1996 statewide study of the adult education needs of limited-English-proficient (LEP) adults in California, designed to help in planning and policy initiatives. The study explores three broad areas of concern: patterns of need (the extent of services needed by the LEP population, by county…

Released in April 2000, this report is one of a series of publications issued by the California Postsecondary Education Commission as part of its planning and coordinating responsibilities. Intended to address the needs of elected officials, educators, and governing bodies, the report discusses California's complex higher education issues in the…