Discusses the content and impact of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990, which redesigned the state's education system, including new finance, governance, and accountability mechanisms. Although funding differences between school districts declined, the basic proportions of allocations changed very little. The KERA strategy appears…

Summarizes proceedings and discussion at the National Association of College and University Business Officers' November 1997 conference on the adverse effects of state requirements and practices on institutional effectiveness. Attendees included campus leaders, state legislators, corporate representatives, and state administrators. Central issues…

Discusses the importance of accreditation in academic self-regulation, and addresses the major issues surrounding it that are also of concern to the general public: keeping higher education available and affordable, striving for inclusive and diverse campuses, and finding more effective ways to assess learning and academic quality. (YKH)

Compares two approaches for establishing student achievement standards and expectations for province-wide assessment in Saskatchewan (Canada). The first approach based standards on judges' estimates regarding the percentage of students who should be able to attain desired levels of performance. The second approach required judges to reach a…

This article examines three legal and policy issues affecting students with emotional and behavioral disorders: placement in the least restrictive environment; discipline of students who present a danger to staff and students; and inclusion of students with disabilities in accountability and assessment programs. (DB)

Examines relationships which exist internationally between contexts, methods, and impact on institutions of external quality assessments in higher education. Argues that debates about quality assessment are frequently debates about power and change. Case studies of the University of Aalborg (Denmark), Uppsala University (Sweden), and Monash…

The No Child Left Behind Act reflects a decision by Congress that federal money not be squandered searching for local solutions, but that scientifically based research be utilized to ensure that every student meets academic standards. The school improvement process requires that local stakeholders cooperatively plan an improvement process, and…

In 2001, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education published "Standards for Professional Development Schools," which differ from the 1997 draft standards in their explicit attention to large networks of professional development schools (PDS). Exemplary practices from four large PDS networks demonstrate the applicability of the…

Based on the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) recent report, this article provides the foundation for state accountability systems that focus on improvement. Contains NASBE's proposed Public Policy Position on Low Performing Schools. (Contains 14 references.) (Author/MLF)

A study of five high-poverty districts making strides in improving student achievement revealed that these districts focused on systemwide strategies including new approaches to professional development; making decisions based on data, not instinct; and redefining leadership roles. (MLF)

Argues that school boards must focus on improving academic achievement within the context of budget cuts, the No Child Left Behind Act, and the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision that educational vouchers are constitutional. Recommends affirmative school-board action such as developing school-community partnerships. (PKP)

Discusses data warehousing, which provides information more fully responsive to local, state, and federal data needs. Such a system allows educators to generate reports and analyses that supply information, provide accountability, explore relationships among different kinds of data, and inform decision-makers. (Contains one figure and eight…

The superintendent's innovation and enthusiasm are leading school reform in Dade County, Florida. Educational experimentation includes a satellite school at the airport to serve grades K through two; a nighttime high school; and a school that has teachers acting as mentors for students at risk. (MLF)

Discusses the review of California's master plan for higher education by a state blue-ribbon commission. Reviews the commission's recommendations concerning the community college curriculum, student progress, transfer programs, governance, and accountability. Considers the work of the commission a reflection of a new alliance between faculty and…

Provides an annotated bibliography reflecting the major issues involved in accountability and assessment programs at community colleges. Includes abstracts of documents contained in the ERIC database on assessment methods, student outcomes studies, and the use of assessment as a planning tool. (MAB)