This paper, developed from the discussions of the Executive Session on Making the System Work for Poor Children, describes why the current human service system is failing to help many poor children, and maps out the dimensions of a system that could greatly improve these children's prospects. The argument is made that the current system's problems…

Seven papers address future directions that the member libraries of the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) National Section of the Australian Library and Information Association can pursue to respond to a changing environment characterized by declining public funds; the need to fulfill some of the major requirements of the government's…

The assessment movement within higher education will not meet its broadest objectives unless it pays more attention to educational processes through process management. Process management holds that quality suffers when those who produce the goods or services are not directly accountable to the stakeholders in the production enterprise. Within…

Commissioned by the governor of Minnesota, a study was done of the state's current resources, and future needs with a view to planning an integrated, efficient and effective system of post-secondary education. Through a series of eight meetings and visits to over 70 campuses where commissioners talked to students, educators, policy makers and…

Educational refinement is defined as attempts to improve education through incremental improvements in the existing structure, while educational reform refers to change in the structure itself. A strong move is underway to reform education in the United States. It is argued that the development of assessments in support of educational reform…

In response to the criteria of its regional accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Jefferson State Community College (JSCC) developed an institutional effectiveness plan which, while demonstrating accountability, had as its primary goal the improvement of college programs and services. The plan consisted of three…

Findings of a study on public school funding and accountability in Hawaii are presented in this report. Following a detailed executive summary, the introduction outlines the state legislative history that mandated the study and describes the study's design. Chapter 2 discusses the different methods used to analyze educational expenditures and…

An overview is provided of Arapahoe Community College's (ACC's) efforts to improve undergraduate education and the success of those efforts. After outlining changes made in the transfer, vocational education, and developmental studies programs, the report identifies new strategies that have been adopted to disseminate information about…

Findings of a case study that examined professional accountability in an elementary classroom are presented in this paper. Classroom observation, document analysis, and postobservation conferences were used to examine the practices and beliefs of one female teacher of second and third graders at a multicultural public elementary school in New York…

This paper describes the state of public education in Illinois in 1994. Over the last 3 years, the state has tried to improve its educational system, but continues to fall short of its goal. Attempts to produce economic efficiencies come at the expense of educational programs in rural communities while decentralization efforts in Chicago try to…

This report examines the need for inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in community life and describes activities of service providers in Minnesota toward meeting that goal. Part 1 reviews issues of eligibility involved in the exclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities from services. The lives of people who are…

The National Association of Counties (NACo) conducted a mail survey of service delivery areas (SDAs) to disprove allegations that 40 percent of them had not been audited since the start of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) in 1983. A questionnaire was developed and mailed to every third SDA on a list of all SDAs. Of 244 SDAs, 235 or 96…

Prepared to document Howard Community College's (HCC's) progress in implementing its plan for assessing student learning outcomes, this performance accountability report describes the implementation of the plan as of November 1991, covering information gathered, actions taken, and proposed activities. Four strategic priorities which apply either…

In 1989, the Texas State Board of Education undertook the responsibility for developing a 4-year plan and for establishing a vision for education that extends into the next century. This document contains the goals for education established by the 71st Texas legislature. The mission of public education in Texas is for it to be characterized by…

A preliminary collaborative model is presented for the restructuring of the San Diego (California) city schools to implement diverse forms of assessment. It is assumed that collaboration among program evaluation, curriculum, and classroom teachers can foster reforms. Central office staff can enable and facilitate the implementation of different…