As with other fields in education, career and technical education (CTE) has experienced a dramatic transformation since its inception in the 19th century. Since the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, there has been limited research on the impact, or possibilities, that recent legislation has had on…

This study examines how the Change Communication Model can be used to implement a new student information system (SIS) in a school district. The impetus of the study came from government mandates requiring district accountability through data-driven decision making. Data-driven decision making is only possible when student data are collected,…

Scientific and technological innovation continues to play an essential role in catalyzing the creation of new industries, spawning job growth, and improving the quality of life in the United States and throughout the world. Innovation relies, in part, on individuals possessing the knowledge, skills, creativity, and foresight to forge new paths.…

The Race to the Top (RTTT) competition asks states to continue making substantial progress in the quality of their longitudinal data systems, and, significantly, to dramatically improve their ability to use longitudinal data to inform policy and practice from the classroom to the state house. Today, too few states collect, meaningfully report, and…

Educators and policy makers in the United States have relied on tests to measure educational progress for more than 150 years. During the twentieth century, technical advances, such as machines for automatic scoring and computer-based scoring and reporting, have supported states in a growing reliance on standardized tests for statewide…

In 1999, a declaration formalizing "the European process" was signed at and informally named for Europe's oldest university: Bologna. "The Bologna Process" has transformed higher education in Europe. This book is essential reading for anyone concerned about the ability of America's higher education system to position the…

"Leadership for Quality and Accountability in Education" addresses the interconnected issues of quality and accountability in the education system and provides a coherent framework within which these issues can be analysed. The authors outline the significance of promoting quality in all educational establishments and go on to discuss "why"…

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) has focused on the role of accreditation in student achievement since the publication of its 2001 "Accreditation and Student Learning Outcomes: A Proposed Point of Departure." Student achievement has remained central to CHEA research and policy analysis, as well as interviews and surveys with…

Across the nation, a surprising number of both critics and advocates of urban schools demonstrate a naivete about the limits and possibilities of funding in relationship to the academic success of urban students. On one hand, critics often argue, without solid evidence or informed analysis, that urban school districts have sufficient funds to…

Basic measurements and applications of six selected general but critical operational performance-based indicators--effectiveness, efficiency, productivity, profitability, return on investment, and benefit-cost ratio--are presented. With each measurement, goals and potential impact are explored. Errors, risks, limitations to measurements, and a…

The lack of a language for publicly engaged scholarship poses a problem for institutional leaders, especially in light of public criticism concerning their institutions' contributions to the greater good of society. In this demanding climate of public accountability, institutional leaders are challenged to move beyond the rhetoric of engagement to…

Venn diagrams are illustrations used in the branch of mathematics known as set theory. Invented in the 19th century by John Venn (1880), they show all of the possible mathematical or logical relationships between sets (groups of things). They are particularly attractive as pictorial representations of leadership issues in schools because they…

Background: While much has been written in the evaluation literature on the theory of evaluations and on specific cases, there is still no comprehensive and easy to use indicator that can be used to hold organizations to the principles of effective evaluation, to score their quality in several areas, and to offer an immediate diagnostic for…

This paper reports on an interpretive study in which 25 elementary principals were asked about their assessment knowledge, the use of large-scale assessments in their schools, and principals' perceptions on their roles with respect to large-scale assessments. Principals in this study suggested that the current context of large-scale assessment and…

Education programs across 19 states are piloting a performance-based assessment for teacher-candidates that potentially could serve as a common prelicensing measure for new teachers. Based on a test in use in about 30 education schools in California, the Teacher Performance Assessment includes a "teaching event" requiring teachers to…