This paper portrays community colleges as American institutions facing a critical need for self-assessment, especially as the new millennium approaches and effects an ever-increasing reliance on technology and information. Focusing on organizational sustainability, a generative method for change is described that emphasizes processes, team…

In the context of controversy over the use of high stakes testing, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) asked for an evaluation of the performance levels and cut score of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) mathematics and reading tests. While awaiting technical documentation from the Pennsylvania Department of…

Former President Bill Clinton's 1997 State of the Union Address discusses the issue of ensuring that Americans have the best education in the world. He issued the following 10-point call to action for American education in the 21st century: (1) set rigorous standards, with national tests in fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade math; (2) make sure…

This report reviews Iowa's community college programs and related services. Data are based on fiscal years 1999-2002. The following sections are included: (1) Introduction, which provides a history of Iowa's community colleges; (2) Credit Enrollment, which offers a variety of reports on credit hours and student enrollment status; (3) Credit…

The data tables and listings in this report provide secondary school dropout data at the state and district levels as a supplement to Secondary School Completion and Dropouts in Texas Public Schools, 1999-00. This supplement includes annual dropout rates calculated under the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) definition and rates…

The Texas Education Agency prepares an annual report on dropouts in Texas public schools. This report contains information on the annual dropout rate used in the accountability system and state attrition rates. It also includes a series of longitudinal secondary school completion/student status rates. Of the 1,818,940 students who attended grades…

in this era of standards, high-stakes testing, and accountability, school leaders need to know how they can increase the achievement of their students. Researchers have found that high-achieving schools show common, key factors, including challenging learning experiences for all students, a principal who fulfills his/her role as the instructional…

This book, which is a companion to the books, "Shaking up the Schoolhouse" and "Inventing Better Schools," presents the Working on the Work (WOW) framework for improving student performance by improving the quality of schoolwork. Field-tested in schools nationwide, the framework describes the 12 essential components of a WOW…

This report examines Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Annenberg Challenge, Children Achieving, a districtwide systemic reform initiative designed and led by a small core group of district officials and external partners. It was organized around eight core strategies (fair funding, standards, accountability, decentralization, leadership and support for…

During 1994 to 1996, 15 school districts in British Columbia, Canada, received proposals to establish alternative public schools of choice based on the effective school model. These became commonly known as "traditional schools." Most of the proposals were denied, but four elementary schools were in existence by early 1998 and three…

This report provides an overview of the Department of Education's (ED) progress toward four main goals: (1) help all children reach challenging academic standards; (2) build a solid foundation for learning for all children; (3) ensure access to postsecondary education and lifelong learning; and (4) make ED a high-performance organization. The…

Since the 1990-91 school year, an ongoing project has studied the implementation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) in four rural Kentucky school districts. Study methods have included over 1,200 interviews with various stakeholders, observation of over 500 classroom instruction hours, and a comprehensive review of key documents. This…

This report records the assessment and institutional research activities at Coconino Community College during the 1998-1999 academic year. These activities are part of an effort to evaluate institutional effectiveness with respect to college mission, programs, and instruction. It focuses on past and present assessment activities and future goals,…

This report provides a cross-state analysis of accreditation procedures and standards of the seven states in the Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory region (Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming), with the intention of fostering dialogue among the states as they develop new policies and standards.…

A cornerstone of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 was the creation of a high-stakes performance assessment program called the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS). KIRIS test results were the basis for granting monetary rewards to schools and school districts where student test performance improved significantly and…