This paper examines the balance between autonomy and accountability in education from the perspective of Massachusetts and Texas charter schools and their state authorizers. By analyzing national survey data, interviews with key policymakers, and case studies of six low, medium, and high performing schools, the paper examines the organizational…

This publication focuses on data reported annually by South Carolina's public institutions of higher education as part of institutional effectiveness reporting and part of the process of performance funding. Data related to the funding process reflect the 1999-2000 performance year (institutional ratings of spring 2000), and historical performance…

State assessment systems must address both technical and policy issues as assessments and accountability practices are developed and implemented. These technical and policy issues have been expanded from traditional large-scale assessment to new alternative assessment approaches required by law and developed in every state. The primary purpose of…

The federal Migrant Education Program provides supplemental instruction and other support services to migrant children. The program provides formula grants to states under Title I, Part C, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This document summarizes the data from a three-volume study, which examined how the program is helping migrant…

This testimony by the co-director of the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, Christopher Edley, examines the U.S. Department of Education's (DOE's) early implementation efforts regarding the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB), recommending actions that the DOE should take to ensure that states, districts, and schools understand and…

Nonprofit organizations, private foundations, and for-profit corporations interested in shaping public education regularly partner with charter schools in New York. State law allows charter schools to pursue external partners to help meet their fiscal, facilities, operational, and instructional needs. This qualitative study of 10 schools in New…

This paper discusses the current state of fiscal relations between the federal, state and local governments in the United States and suggests directions for improvement. The significant degree of fiscal autonomy of the states and, to a lesser extent, of local governments has had several beneficial effects, including the responsiveness of public…

One criticism of Milwaukee's Parental Choice Program (MPCP) made by parents and policy makers focuses on the lack of information regarding student performance across participating schools. Schools participating in the MPCP are not required to either administer standardized exams or report their scores. The Public Policy Forum's annual census of…

"No Child Left Behind" ("NCLB") requires that parents receive certain information about their child's education, as well as the overall performance of the child's school on state tests in reading, math and science. "NCLB" gives funding for early childhood learning; allows for more spending on each student, especially disadvantaged students; and,…

The purpose of this paper is to stimulate discussion of how to measure the educational progress of Students with Disabilities (SD) and English Language Learners (ELL) students who are deemed unable to sit for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment, even with accommodations. As NAEP has become more relevant as a state …

This book focuses on contemporary accreditation, why it matters, and how it can be done effectively. The author covers historical background, getting started, strategies for achieving accreditation, and visions for future academic success, with examples and case studies. Accreditation is the primary way of ensuring the quality of higher education…

The global movement to improve education by decentralizing governance and financial management and by holding school personnel accountable for outcomes aligned with standards extends even to traditionally centralized systems in Asia. The author explores research questions related to how resources are acquired, who decides how best to use resources…

The Office of Indian Education (OIE) helps support local education agencies, Indian tribes and organizations, postsecondary institutions, and other entities in their efforts to address the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) so that these students can meet the same challenging…

Over the past 6 years, 28 states have authorized the creation of charter schools as an alternative form of public education. This policy brief examines the goals and implementation issues specifically related to teaching and learning. It presents findings of a study that explored how learning communities were created and sustained in 17 charter…

This paper describes an evaluation strategy designed to assess the efficacy of an education system at the district level. The strategy provides a measure of accountability that takes into account the potential effects of demographic variables. The study focused on Bellevue Public Schools (Washington), a medium-sized district near Seattle with an…