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…

The amount of literature on program evaluation decreased in 1996, continuing a trend begun in the late 1980s. One exception to this is the literature on assessment. Another frequent issue is the technique of evaluation. Many examples of research on evaluation are from international settings, where accountability and evaluation appear to be…

The Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education established the Commission on the Affordability of Higher Education to respond to concerns and challenges posed by the rising cost of attendance at colleges and universities and private career schools. This commission was charged with reviewing pertinent data and making recommendations to the…

The College-Level Academic Skill Test (CLAST) is part of Florida's system of educational accountability. It is an achievement test that measures students' attainment of the college-level communication and mathematics skills that were identified by faculties of community colleges and state universities. Students in community colleges and state…

The Assessment Faculty Guide from St. Louis Community College provides guidance for faculty members about how to implement outcomes assessment. The handbook is divided into five areas: (1) assessment rationale, including history, definition, principles, and questions and answers; (2) the structure of assessment, providing a description,…

This study looks at the interview responses of teachers and administrators in five secondary schools in Ontario (Canada) to government-initiated accountability strategies. Several questions were posed: (1) What were the perceived effects of these strategies? (2) What motives did teachers and administrators ascribe to the government for introducing…

This report describes activities and findings of Project SEARCH, an on-going qualitative research project investigating the current status of policies regarding children with disabilities in charter schools. The project has involved a preliminary analysis of all current charter laws to examine the inclusion of students with disabilities and a more…

"Special Education for a New Century" pays particularly close attention to how inclusive education practices can best be promoted in the era of standards-based accountability. An updated version of the best-selling "Special Education at the Century's End", this new volume combines cutting-edge research and theory about students…

On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly known as No Child Left Behind ("NCLB"). This law dramatically affects how all schools, including charter schools, are held accountable for the academic performance of their students. Since the passage of NCLB,…

Aspects of both formative and summative evaluation of academic advisors, primarily full-time faculty, are addressed: administrator roles, faculty attitudes, accountability, and evaluation criteria. It is recommended that guidelines for advisor evaluation be disseminated throughout the institution and painstakingly followed. Adequate resources…

Provides an overview of state-mandated minimum competency testing programs. Describes the potential impact of competency testing on the school counselor. Proposes actions counselors might take to protect student well-being and counselor functions from misdirected regulation. (RC)