In September 2007 the Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado State Board of Education jointly announced the launch of "Forward Thinking", an ambitious plan "to create a purpose-driven and dynamic system of educational leadership, service and support that relentlessly focuses on the learning of all students." The…

One of the best ways to avoid being poor as an adult is to obtain a good education. Individuals with higher academic achievement and more years of schooling earn more than those with lower levels of human capital. This is not surprising given that we believe that schooling makes people more productive, allowing them to command higher wages in the…

The Council of the Great City Schools has prepared this eighth edition of "Beating the Odds" to give the nation another look at how inner-city schools are performing on the academic goals and standards set by the states. This analysis examines student achievement in math and reading through spring 2007. It also measures achievement gaps between…

The "Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 19981" (commonly referred to as "Perkins," "Perkins III," or "the Act" and referred to hereafter as "Perkins III") requires, in Sec. 113(c)(3)(C), that the secretary provide the appropriate committees of Congress copies of annual…

This article introduces the issue of articles on research assessments and rankings. It focuses on the British Research Assessment Exercises (RAEs) and New Zealand's Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF). It contrasts these with systems that are not tied to funding formulas and emphasise quality enhancement rather than quality assurance. It…

This report discusses the use of performance indicators (PIs) in higher education, focusing on definitions, frameworks, examples, and implications for universities. It notes that demands for accountability have led to intense interest in university performance measures, and that early indicators simply described the university or the system and…

The evaluative mechanisms in the Department of Advanced Education and Labour and Department of Human Resources Development in the Canadian province of New Brunswick were reviewed. Data were gathered from the following: meetings with key staff in each department, briefing session for all key informants, 19 personal interviews, brief review of the…

This document presents data on the student performance of North Carolina students for the year 1994. Section 1 traces the development of school and student accountability measures, outlines the implementation of actions designed to enhance program equity throughout the state, and describes specific program and student performance standards as they…

Charter schools may provide part of the answer to increased demand for restructuring and school accountability/autonomy. This handbook describes in detail the organization and operation of charter schools. Chapters define charter schools, describe their appeal and the approval process, present a model charter-school structure, discuss innovative…

This issue brief, which is intended for individuals involved in planning and delivering adult literacy programs, examines several major characteristics of recent House and Senate bills regarding block grants, describes the new requirements of block grants and their potential effects on adult education and literacy services, and suggests actions…

There is a growing sense of frustration among members of the science education research community that results from the fact that the impact of research in science education on classroom practice has been disappointing. In this theoretical paper, the questions of relevance and accountability in science education research are first reviewed and…

This is the first in a series of reports on the educational progress of Texas public schools. It reviews the concerns that led to the development of the integrated accountability system now used in Texas and examines this system relative to those of other states. A major new research and evaluation effort, the Statewide Texas Educational Progress…

Responsibility is one of the core values of individuals in a democratic society. This publication presents research findings that address whether responsibility can be learned or taught, and what factors affect its development. Chapter 1 includes seven articles that examine the concept of responsibility, concluding that responsibility is a learned…

The private sector, including private schools, nonpublic schools, and homeschools, offers a wide variety of education programs for difficult-to-educate students. These students include the overlapping categories of at-risk youth, adjudicated youth, and children with disabilities. This report provides an overview of private-sector programs that…

Charter schools are publicly financed schools that are governed by teachers, parents, administrators, or others who want to create and manage an innovative public school. This document briefly defines charter schools and provides an overview of their history. It also discusses the stance toward charter schools taken by President Clinton, who…