In most contemporary discussions about the achievement gap--between rich and poor students, and between Asian and white students on the one hand, and African American and Hispanic students on the other--the underlying assumption is that educational reform can eliminate it. Educational reform efforts, focused on testing and data-driven…

The paper develops an index of "global preparedness" for pre-9/11 US bachelor's degree recipients based on secondary school and college transcript records, and student responses to survey questions in a longitudinal study that covers the period 1988-2000. Only 10% met the most generous of threshold criteria for inclusion. By occupation at the age…

Test results and employer complaints indicate that the average high school graduate hasn't learned enough and that he brings that deficit with him to college. As remedy, Chester Finn argues for uniform educational standards and measurements in a transparent reporting system that gives families the information necessary to scrutinize and accept or…

This paper considers the experiences of teachers in a "progressive" English independent school, in particular with respect to what might loosely be termed job satisfaction. The paper suggests that these teachers have ideals and aspirations in common with many of their colleagues who teach in the state sector. The writers suggest that…

Office discipline referrals (ODRs) are widely used by school personnel to evaluate student behavior and the behavioral climate of schools. In this article, the authors report the results of a review of the relevant literature to evaluate the validity of ODR data as indices of school-wide behavioral climate, the effects of school-wide behavioral…

The last 20 years have seen the development of sophisticated techniques for analysing individual data within a hierarchical context and the growing availability of good datasets to which these techniques can be applied. The modelling of pupil performance controlling for prior attainment has led to a type of analysis commonly titled…

The authors provide an analysis of why the controversies surrounding educational treatment are likely to continue even with scientific validation of practices as called for in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act. They describe how bias in human judgment makes it difficult to trust others and also difficult to doubt oneself relative to important…

Teachers have been in the era of accountability for some time. There is an increased demand for accountability and the use of non-referenced testing with President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" initiatives. However, there is a growing demand for less reliance on standardized tests. Admission decisions to colleges and universities are…

Relying on standardized tests to measure performance and determine accountability obscures the fact that only reciprocal rights and responsibilities can create authentic accountability. A student has the right to expect a teacher will begin on time with a well-prepared lesson, the necessary materials, and the skill to conduct a class. A teacher,…

In this article, the author provides some examples to illustrate broader points about accountability and reporting. The examples are based on a study of teachers in the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, undertaken for the NSW government ("Time to Teach, Time to Learn," 2003). The study reviewed teaching practices surrounding…

This paper is organized around a single interview with an academic colleague who was asked to reflect on his changing experience of Ph.D. supervision. Material from the interview is used to raise some questions about the nature of responsible supervision in the humanities and social sciences, and the ways in which the possibilities for responsible…

The General Academic Learning Experience (GALE) is an assessment of community college student knowledge in the liberal arts. The study involved the design and administration of an instrument, which included a demographic survey and a multiple-choice content test. In total, over 2,500 students from 10 colleges in Southern California participated.…

As societal and classroom demands for accountability increase, teacher educators are challenged to prepare and support new teachers for the realities of today's classrooms. Sometimes the preparation and the realities appear to be in conflict. University-based teacher educators may stress critical thinking and active learning. School-based teacher…

Recent Government policy has been strongly in favour of encouraging entrepreneurship and partnerships with industry. A flagship project backed by 68 million British Pounds was launched by Gordon Brown as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1999. Due diligence exercises by the DTI failed to ensure that value for money was obtained. What had been planned…

The rise of accountability policies during the early 1990s coincided with an increase in the achievement gap between white and minority students, reversing decades of steady improvement in outcome equity. This article explores the policies that helped to reduce the achievement gap before 1990, the effects of the subsequent shift toward…