This book presents cases of schools (Part One) and programs at the district level and beyond (Part Two) in which reform, while driven by high-stakes accountability, became larger and deeper through data-driven dialogue, culture change, organizational learning, and other elements of high performing cultures. Commentaries on cross-case patterns by…

The students who have the most difficulty reaching accountability standards in Wake County Public Schools are those with more than one of the following characteristics: recipients of free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and/or students with limited English proficiency. The Evaluation and Research Department identified…

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) received $19,270,573 in federal Title I Part A entitlement funding in 2004-2005 to support schools' efforts to provide students with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to meet state academic performance standards. This report summarizes program evaluation information for…

This article argues that time is the single most important asset of college faculty and administrators and that, in the future, management of that time will be an increasingly important function of college administration. Ways to optimize use of time-related resources are outlined. (MSE)

This study examined the relationship between high-stakes testing pressure and student achievement across 25 states. Standardized portfolios were created for each study state. Each portfolio contained a range of documents that told the "story" of accountability implementation and impact in that state. Using the "law of comparative…

In 2007, the Texas Legislature (80th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2007) authorized the creation of the Texas Rural Technology (R-Tech) Pilot program, which provides $8 million in funding to support rural districts in implementing technology-based supplemental education programs. In order to be eligible for funding, districts must have…

The format of this book addresses the most salient questions administrators, school board members, and community stakeholders need to ask to ensure academic and fiscal accountability, providing definitions, background information and the current research. Readers will be provided with sufficient knowledge to effectively question the financial…

This study examined the characteristics of students who default on their student loans and compared default among Whites, Asians, African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. Four logistic regression models were developed using information from the National Post-Secondary Student Aid Study which contains an array of pre-college, college,…

Oregon is raising its expectations for students. The current academic standard, which allows students to graduate with only a D-minus average in 22 credit hours of classes, is being replaced by the requirement that students prove that they are proficient in English, mathematics, science, history, and other academic subjects. Students will…

Proceedings of a conference on educating secondary school age children from immigrant families include summaries of papers, discussions, and panel presentations on the following topics: adolescent immigrant age and developmental issues; instructional issues in language development and bilingualism; limited-English-speaking students' access to core…

As part of a series of hearings on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, testimony was heard over 3 days on the integrity of the federal student financial assistance programs. In the course of addressing this issue witnesses testified the first day about public confidence in the programs, accreditation of schools and their…

These four issues of volume 1 (1991) contain brief reports on published research of the National Center for Research in Vocational Education (NCRVE). In Issue 1 are these eight articles: "Twelve Exemplary High Schools: Preparing Vocational Students for College"; "High School Vocational Education Withering Away?"; "Separate…

A Texas State Job Training Coordinating Council task force developed a series of recommendations regarding improving Texas' current employment and training system to prepare the state's residents for the "smart jobs of the future." A formal literature review was conducted, and regional forums were held and attended by a wide range of…

This report presents the National Agenda for Achieving Better Results for Children and Youth with Disabilities as developed by a forum of representatives from major disability advocacy groups, direct service providers, families, related services personnel, researchers, teacher trainers, teachers, and administrators. Section 1 articulates the need…

Restructuring of Kentucky's public schools is required if poor and minority children are to be included in school reform. The responsibility for creating schools that serve all children falls to both the state and local school districts. A state level initiative must be combined with local district effort. This report provides recommendations for…