This brief addresses the benefits and concerns raised by the use of high stakes testing as the centerpiece of new accountability systems. It offers some recommendations for policymakers seeking to incorporate such tests into state accountability systems. High stakes tests can clarify and establish challenging performance expectations for students,…

This report tells what has been learned about reporting on higher education performance in the last 10 years and describes the kinds of information being used to inform policymakers and the public about higher education in the member states of the Southern Regional Education Board. The report provides examples of how the information is linked to…

This report describes the development of student aid policies and explores the multiple purposes toward which various types of aid are now directed. The transformation of student aid has occurred over three periods, a national economic era from the end of World War II to the mid-1960s, a universal access era lasting through the 1970s, and a…

This paper describes how the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa Te Rau Herenga O Aotearoa (LIANZA) has mobilized the library and information profession in New Zealand to present key messages to the new government which describe a vision of how an integrated National Information Strategy (NIS) will help the government to…

Some observers of political phenomena are referring to the 1990s as the "age of accountability." Early in the decade of the '90s, articles in periodicals, professional journals and other sources were voicing warnings about increasing public policymaker frustration with higher education and the spreading development and implementation of…

This paper attempts to conceptualize, sort, and analyze national and state policies that have affected teacher education programs during the last 30 years. If teacher recruitment, preparation, licensing, and professional development are situated at the ropes center, then who is winning the tug-of-war over teacher education policy making. The paper…

This report discusses innovative uses of information technology by community based organizations, examining how to develop a comprehensive policy agenda for bridging the digital divide. It begins by presenting background information on the digital divide as context for understanding the organizational divide. Next, it discusses challenges facing…

The purpose of this College Library Information Packet (CLIP) Note is to study the characteristics of library Web site policies and to provide small college and university libraries in need of such policies the tools to develop them. This study does not attempt to critique these policies but serves to document current practices smaller academic…

The computer revolution has contributed greatly to the increased use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, and GIS is now being used to inform education policy. This paper introduces the technology of GIS to education researchers and policy analysts and illustrates its use with some recent research on charter schools. Its potential…

Written as a practical guide for mayors, civic leaders, and school board members, this book describes the politics of reform in urban school systems and clarifies options available to community leaders seeking to improve school performance. Drawing lessons from six U.S. cities that have made concerted efforts to improve their schools, the volume…

This brief considers the use of high-stakes testing. Much of the fanfare accompanying "get tough" policies for failing students and schools has tempered as policymakers begin to see the complexity of raising student achievement dramatically in a short period of time. Education assessment systems are improving, but they are not as good as…

This paper seeks to bridge visual arts education and educational policy decisions to improve student learning in the visual arts. Moving this agenda forward will require the National Art Education Association's (NAEA) Board of Directors and its constituency groups to commit to (1) use the organization's resources and intellectual capital to inform…

This report summarizes data from 1990 and 1993 surveys on preschool mainstreaming that investigated the prevalence of inclusive programming in early childhood education, whether policy challenges to the inclusion of young children have changed over time, and currently existing challenges. Results indicate: (1) there is a dearth of policy research…

This profile uniquely presents a variety of educational and socioeconomic information for Fresno County, nearby counties, and the state. The profile highlights the relationship between various factors that affect the economic well-being of individuals and communities. This presentation of information provides a framework for enhanced…

This profile uniquely presents a variety of educational and socioeconomic information for Imperial County, nearby counties, and the state. The profile highlights the relationship between various factors that affect the economic well-being of individuals and communities. This presentation of information provides a framework for enhanced…