Sustained silent reading (SSR) is intended to promote reading growth through allowing students to have sustained encounters with self-selected reading material without interruption in the presence of positive peer and teacher role models. Recent research suggests that SSR is of significant value when combined with a regular program of reading.…

The history of institutional accreditation and the standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) are discussed. The societal and related economic and political reasons for the evolution of accreditation in its present form are addressed, since accreditation is related to prestige, political influences, consumer…

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Association of American Universities are conducting an experiment in research grant administration designed to respond to the perceived needs of universities for more flexibility while assuring appropriate accountability for Federal research funds. The experiment delegates most grant administration…

A study was conducted in 1976 of applicants who submitted corrections or amendments to their Student Eligibility Reports (SERs) for the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) Program. The objective was to review the applications corrections process and to determine factors linked to applicants' use of correction procedures. Attention was…

The validity of information provided in applications to the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) program was studied, along with procedures used in recovering overpayments. The objective was to investigate misreporting and misuse of the BEOG program. A 1977-1978 study reviewed cases referred to the U.S. Office of Education by educational…

The use of estimated income to analyze financial need of applicants to the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) program was investigated. Attention was focused on: how well applicants estimate their income; reasons for errors in estimation, and whether applicants supplying income tax returns supply true versions. For 1,547 eligible BEOG…

Application forms for the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) Program for 1974-1975 were compared to Internal Revenue Service (IRA) tax forms to determine the scope of applicants' misreporting and to identify categories of applicants who tend to misreport. A total of 70,063 tax forms and BEOG records from eligible and ineligible applicants…

Drawing upon experimental work in different history departments, Mark Cottingham explores "assessment for learning" principles in practice. He raises the problem of a clash between these approaches and the progression model inherent in the National Curriculum Attainment Target, and, crucially, the way in which history departments are…

This study examines whether new private schools are innovative, drawing on theories of markets and institutions. Choice advocates claim that markets spark innovation, while institutional theory suggests that isomorphic forces will limit novel school forms. Using qualitative data from third sector private schools in Toronto, three hypotheses about…

In its most simple form, competency means that the student must demonstrate that he knows certain things and that he can do certain things before being passed on to the next level of schooling. In its most politically potent form, competency means that school personnel are judged by how well pupils acquire minimum school skills. In this paper the…

This paper explores the current age of accountability, citing examples from the field of child welfare. The discussion focuses on: (1) a definition of accountability; (2) an examination of historical antecedents; (3) a discussion and critique of the systems-oriented styles of accountability presently in use; and (4) a summary of major problems…

This report is based on a discussion of critical issues in education that was the focal point of the 1975 Institute of Chief State School Officers. In preparation for the 1975 Institute, each chief officer was asked to prepare a short paper describing the most important issues facing him on the state level and those he believed to be the most…

The essays in this collection examine the outcomes or benefits of community colleges with respect to specific constituencies; discuss the impact of the policies, programs, and needs of external agencies on the colleges; and consider methods by which educational outcomes can be improved and measured within the institutional setting. After…

Notes on a 1980 seminar for members of statewide coordinating and governing boards are presented as part of an inservice education program. Speakers and participants spoke on such topics as the relations among universities and governments in a time of increasing accountability, institutional reactions under conditions of fiscal stress, and…