A new development in teacher education is the involvement of accrediting agencies, legislatures, and the federal government in mandating standards, curriculum, and assessment at all levels of education. The effects of this development on teacher education are examined, and changes needed within teacher education and administrator education…

Examines the policy context of the adoption of competency-based training (CBT), including in English as a Second Language. The article argues that, although it is doubtful that CBT can deliver the substantive economic, educational, and equity goals claimed for it, it fulfilled important political and management objectives for the Labor government.…

Draws on international research, policy, and practice relevant to quality assurance systems to analyze the development of a national framework for educational quality assurance in South Africa. Describes an emerging framework for quality assurance that encompasses evaluation of student achievement, quality audits and reviews, program and service…

Discusses three interrelated policy initiatives at Georgia State University concerning faculty workload, the system for post-tenure evaluation, and salary equity. Each policy has ramifications for the others, and experience has shown benefit in an integrated, collegial approach to these issues. Also examines problems and benefits in developing and…

When the Cincinnati Public Schools devised a reform strategy for improving student performance, it became clear that the district's traditional budgeting system was inadequate. Traces the district's process of moving to a system of student-based budgeting linking funding equity and flexibility to accountability and excellence. (MLF)

Describes the Transforming Education through the Arts Challenge (TETAC) initiative. Discusses issues to be addressed if change in arts education is to be achieved, specifically teacher preparation, professional development, networking, and standards and accountability. (CMK)

The movement to standardization and high-stakes testing has been driven by ideological and political concerns and has adversely affected teaching/learning, democratic discourse, and educational equity. Rural schools are hit harder because of geographic isolation and insufficient staff and resources. Testing used for purposes other than measuring…

A number of school boards have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy out their superintendents' contracts. Offers advice from school board members, superintendents, search consultants, and school attorneys on the issues of contract buyouts. Calculates the cost of contract buyouts in four large school systems. (MLF)

Acknowledges the need for state-level educational accountability, but argues that strategies for assessing educational outcomes should be an institutional prerogative and an integral part of the teaching/learning process. Criticizes assessment programs imposed by state governments, proposing instead a student-centered approach to the measurement…

Suggests how administrators may reduce teacher incompetence. Teacher incompetence can be reduced if administrators fully understand and undertake appropriate preventive and remedial measures. Two sections comprise this article. First, a taxonomy of teacher incompetence reveals the magnitude of the problem. Second, preventive and remedial measures…

Uses the home-education policy arena as a lens through which to view changing beliefs and practices about student assessment. The home-education policies of 10 states illustrate issues relating to accountability in public and private schools and the use of standardized tests. (SLD)

Shrinking state funding and pressure for accountability are forcing institutions of higher education to overhaul their missions, take stock of their spending, and inevitably, reorganize themselves as they prepare for an increasingly competitive college market. Data on average state tuition increase, and appropriations to higher education are…

Implementation and results of government-mandated "results-oriented planning" in Norwegian universities are analyzed using two approaches: the first looks at the effects of the initiative, and the second views the management reforms as cosmetic. It is found that while academic staff are involved in the new planning system, little effect…

Examines why seven third-grade teachers modified their skills-based reading and language arts program, and describes the instructional changes they made over a two-year period. Examines changes in students' reading and language arts standardized achievement test scores (increases in 4 classrooms), special education referrals (81% decrease), and…

Includes four articles that discuss the evaluation of library reference services. Topics addressed include unobtrusive testing; measuring the accountability of reference librarians by behavioral rather than factual evaluation; on-the-job training of reference librarians; and faculty expectations of academic reference librarians. (52 references)…