This report examines the implementation of standards-based reform in Washington and whether the reform strategy has worked. The report is based on a survey of two statewide samples of elementary schools at which students had taken the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) fourth-grade test in 1997 and 1998. The first was a sample of 30…

The present era is one of accountability, high-stakes standardized testing, and standards-based reform. However, there is a relative absence of meaningful discussion of how to achieve equitable outcomes that do not unfairly penalize the most under-served students. This paper challenges the perpetuation of reform practices that do not measure their…

Three surveys assessing 100 California charter schools were conducted in 1997-98. Interviewees included teachers, principals, and parents. Findings include: 7 out of 10 charter-school principals report that their schools boast waiting lists; overall, parents selected the school's curriculum as their primary reason for selecting a charter;…

Intended for use by teams of educators to spark discussion about current practices and how well their own approaches match identified best practices, this poster suggests nine effective literacy practices associated with improved student performance in the early grades. The nine practices are from a study of elementary schools with higher than…

This report explores why some schools may be better than others at helping students learn. It responds to the congressionally mandated Special Study Panel on Education Indicators, which asked the National Center for Education Statistics to examine indicators of the health of the nation's educational system. The report reviews the literature on…

Measuring school and system performance presents a major challenge and opportunity for governments. The public is demanding stringent quality reviews to ensure that the multi-billion dollar education investment has the greatest possible impact on student learning. Current methods to evaluate system performance do not do a good job of demonstrating…

This booklet is designed to serve as a guide for policymakers who want to involve their constituents in community dialogues on education. It contains information about what community dialogue is, why state policymakers should participate, and how to make the most of participation in a community dialogue on education. This booklet is helpful for…

This booklet is designed for anyone who is interested in bringing state policymakers and their constituents together to dialogue and deliberate about public education. It contains information about what community dialogue is, why state policymakers should be included in dialogue with members of the communities they represent, and how to…

The North Carolina Community College System engaged in a strategic planning process in 1998 that was the basis for the information resources and technology plans for the entire System. A focus of the planning was technology, and a technology environmental scanning team developed a set of planning assumptions, which led to the creation of 15 goals…

This report contains the interim findings of the Evaluation of Charter School Effectiveness. The study team collected and analyzed data on organizational arrangements and instructional activities implemented in charter schools to assess the impact of charter schools on teaching and learning. The study focused on four research questions: What is…

Throughout history, cities that have been centers of great learning have usually also taken their place as economic powerhouses. Here in America, economists have long noticed that educated cities--that is, cities with a greater percentage of knowledgeable and skilled residents--have fared better economically than their unskilled counterparts, but…

The basic charter school bargain--freedom in exchange for accountability--presents unique challenges to authorizers. Authorizers must walk a tightrope of sorts, respecting each charter school's independence and distinct mission, while holding every school accountable for educational results and public obligations. Overseeing charter schools is…

Magnet schools gained prominence in education in the 1970s as a tool for achieving voluntary desegregation in lieu of forced busing. The theory behind magnet schools as a desegregation tool is simple: Create a school so distinctive and appealing--so magnetic--that it will draw a diverse range of families from throughout the community eager to…

Reanalyzes 12th-grade data from the "High School and Beyond" study in order to resolve controversies regarding the original analysis, its methodology, and secondary studies it generated. Finds no evidence that private schools produce superior cognitive achievement, once their students' socioeconomic characteristics and extramural…

Critically reviews literature on school effectiveness challenging the assumption that school differences have little effect on student achievement, presents a speculative portrait of an effective school, and proposes directions for future research. (MP)