For many people, school reform means taking the responsibility for goal setting away from teachers and assessing common student accomplishments, but the costs and benefits of this accountability strategy have not been determined. The difference between the aims of education represented by test scores, and those represented by the activities of the…

This two-volume report examines the planning needed in order that Iowa's higher education system can keep pace with, as well as anticipate, the state's future societal changes and educational needs. The report opens with a review of where Iowa and its education system now stand and looks at the expected shape of the state's economic and social…

The Student Achievement Accountability Committee (SAAC) of the San Diego (California) City Schools was formed to make recommendations concerning accountability in relation to the district's objective of closing the student achievement gap. The SAAC was formed in 1990 with representation from school administrators, parents, and teachers. The SAAC…

This report explores issues related to accountability in the context of Children Achieving, the school reform effort of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). The accountability system begins with content standards in English/language arts, mathematics, science, and the arts. The Stanford-9 Achievement Test has been designated to assess how students are…

This document presents the master plan for Florida postsecondary education, with recommendations in the areas of access, interdependence, outcomes, and funding. An introduction offers a vision statement for postsecondary education in the state, reviews the planning process, identifies underlying principles, and explains the planning context. The…

Fifteen years after the release of the landmark education report, "A Nation at Risk," a number of the nation's most prominent education reformers, business leaders, and policymakers met at an event sponsored by the Center for Education Reform, Empower America, the Heritage Foundation, and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. To discuss the…

This paper reviews the literature on academic quality programs and examines issues faced at one institution in which two initiatives emphasizing student outcomes and faculty performance as indicators of quality are underway. In its review of the literature the paper focuses on concepts such as total quality management, peer or student evaluation…

This book is a collection of nine papers presented at a 1996 symposium that addressed issues and models for strategic thinking about higher education, especially the economics of higher education, institutional mission as it affects positive change and accountability, and technology. The included papers are: (1) "Why Can't a College Be More Like a…

Staff development is a school district activity that is generating more activity and becoming more expensive. As the amount of dollars spent increases, so will the demands for accountability and results. Traditional methods for determining staff development programs are inadequate or incomplete. A more effective method is to relate the staff…

In March 1990, the Wisconsin legislature passed into law the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Its enactment made Wisconsin the only state in the nation with a private school voucher plan. Litigation concerning the constitutionality of the program has involved the following actions: (1) the Wisconsin Supreme Court refused to hear the case; (2)…

As part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965 the Congress has examined concerns over the integrity of the student aid program and has consequently looked at reforming the current structure used to approve schools for program participation. The current structure has a "triad" format whereby schools that wish to…

This paper traces the Colorado Legislature's House Bill 1187, Article 13 from its inception through to its present implementation and addresses various pertinent issues in regard to accountability. The legislation mandates accountability in higher education within Colorado. The issues discussed are the rationale and underlying concepts, schools of…

This paper presents a literature review on governance and structure of higher education and a case study of a governance review in Nova Scotia (Canada), paying particular attention to the role of intermediary bodies between universities and governments. Types of governing structures are described. Issues in determining the ideal structure are then…

This report explores what state boards of education can do to enhance the performance of classroom teachers, and it looks at those areas within the teaching profession that are ripe for improvement. The document focuses on four main areas upon which state boards of education have direct impact: (1) revamping policies and regulations for teacher…

Both business and education leaders have come to view their alliance as the way to educate America's youth to meet society's needs. Because successful businesses are flexible and adaptable, business leaders can work with school boards in changes promoted by the current school reform movement. Board members need to work with business to identify…