Eighteen papers from the University of South Africa's Conference on Distance Education are presented on issues in education and distance education. They include: "Distance Education in Africa's Educational Development: The Case of Ghana" (Joe K. Ansere); "Distance Education: A Solution to the Economic Problems of Education in…

Competency Based Teacher Education (CBTE) is examined as a means of providing a systematic approach to handling educational complexity which will lead to modernizing teacher education. Analysis and discussion are offered on: (1) what CBTE consists of and how it functions; (2) CBTE as an educational reform movement in the United States; (3)…

An accountability model has been derived from a research based staff development model used in secondary school classrooms. This accountability model contains four components: (1) baseline/pretest; (2) inform; (3) guided practice; and (4) post-test observations. In the first component, teachers are observed; individual profiles of behavior are…

The development of a merit pay system in effect since 1953 in a suburban school district is discussed in light of district records and interviews with administrators and teachers. A key element of the system is a standing committee for evaluation of the program, consisting of the superintendent, teacher-elected representatives, and one…

Perspectives on the context and results of the investigation conducted by the National Commission on Excellence in Education are presented. It is noted that the Commission's analysis sought to determine the extent to which colleges fail to set and maintain high standards, and the extent to which they fail to make their measures and benchmarks of…

An overview is provided of the issues involved in the development of programs to assess institutional effectiveness, particularly as they relate to California community colleges. After part I reviews the trends that have made institutional accountability a legislative concern nationwide, parts II and III consider various definitions of…

This comprehensive report on the Washington State program for migrant children's education was compiled by the state department of education in order to comply with federal and state funding requirements. This report consists of two major parts. The first part contains completed copies of forms and letters as required by the funding agency along…

This comprehensive report on the Washington State program for migrant children's education was compiled by the state department of education in order to comply with federal and state funding requirements. This report consists of two major parts. The first part contains completed copies of forms and letters as required by the funding agency along…

This comprehensive report on the Washington State program for migrant children's education was compiled by the state education department in order to comply with federal and state funding requirements. It is divided into four parts: (1) Federal Assistance Application; (2) Program Narrative; (3) Budget Information; and (4) Assurances. The program…

This analysis of the changing balance in who controls the schools contends that local authorities have been slowly losing authority to the states. Moreover, within the local districts, the central offices are assuming more control in such matters as curriculum content and state testing programs. The paper begins with an overview of recent…

Thirty options for reducing guaranteed student loan defaults and related federal costs are provided by the General Accounting Office (GAO). The options are presented by groups of program participants: students, schools, lenders, guaranty agencies, and the Department of Education. These options include: adopt GAO's past recommendation to increase…

A revised user manual for the Planning, Budgeting, and Monitoring (PBM) process of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) is presented. The logical development of NTID's tactical, one-year planning process is outlined, along with activities (e.g., interdivisional planning) and products (e.g., mission profile). For each chapter,…

This annotated bibliography was prepared to provide background material for a synthesis paper, "Teacher Evaluation as a Strategy for Improving Instruction." Both formative (teacher improvement) and summative (personnel decisions) aspects of the topic are addressed by the materials collected. The 52 selected items, most of which were…

In response to increased scrutiny of public education and the need for counselors to quantify and legitimate their work, Grossmont College (GC) has developed an accountability model for counselors. The model prescribes the identification of the statutory requirements, institutional needs and characteristics that establish the parameters for…

Perspectives on accountability in distance education, which began in Australia in 1911 at Queensland University, are considered. It is suggested that to be effective, distance education needs a sound philosophical basis; appropriate organizational structure; adequate resource allocation; specialized educational techniques and student access;…