A new teacher appraisal process involving 5 competencies and 163 indicators has been devised by the Provincial Government of Ontario, Canada. Principals are being held responsible for the appraisals, and the competencies and indicators are being imposed on professional practice. This paper suggests that a better approach to professional growth…

This paper focuses on the challenges that states face as they implement the accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, particularly those related to the identification and assistance of schools in need of improvement. Studies are underway that examine the implementation of some NCLB sanctions, such as the supplemental…

This report presents findings from case studies conducted during the 2003-04 school year, the second year that the supplemental services provisions of NCLB had been in effect. It follows up on baseline data collected the previous school year. This study conducted interviews in a purposive sample of six states and nine school districts, which were…

The most recent federal effort to produce substantial improvement in student achievement scores, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), requires states and districts to ensure that all students are performing at proficient levels in reading and mathematics by the 2013-2014 school year. NCLB requires that each state and district have a single accountability…

This report states that in 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 in Maine the number of Reading Recovery programs provided increased by 5% and 11% respectively, and that more than half of all Reading Recovery[R] students successfully completed the program. The report also states that students who successfully completed Reading Recovery[R] continued to improve…

This report presents data on Missouri's public system of higher education and, in some cases, for the combined public and independent colleges and universities. Missouri has 31 public two- and four-year college campuses, 25 independent institutions, 1 state-designated technical college, and more than 120 proprietary schools. The report is divided…

It is argued that publishers of achievement tests, especially those who publish tests intended for use in many parts of the United States, are for the most part not in a position to obtain any decent evidence about the consequences of the uses that are made of their tests. What responsibilities and actions publishers can reasonably be expected to…

This publication provides tables containing key Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policies for each state as of July 1999, plus longitudinal tables describing a subset of states' policies from 1996-99. Tables are based on information in the Welfare Rules Database (WRD). The WRD was developed in response to the increasing difficulty…

This statewide evaluation of Even Start family literacy programs in Maine was conducted from November 1999 through September 2000. Six out of seven Even Start programs funded by the Maine State Department of Education for the 1999-2000 year participated in the study. All Maine Even Start programs offer a combination of home-based and center-based…

This overview of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests is designed to help schools implement the Massachusetts"Curriculum Frameworks." For this fourth administration of the MCAS tests in 2001, the design of the tests remains essentially the same, but there are some changes highlighted in this overview. The first…

This paper focuses on the initial phase of a curriculum mapping program as part of the development of a state-mandated school improvement plan. Mapping, a system of curriculum analysis and subsequent alignment, has been cited as a valuable component of curriculum renewal and staff development that has positive impacts on student achievement and…

As part of the educational planning process, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education requested this review of alternative models for the Oregon University System (OUS). Staff of the Board of Higher Education synthesized existing literature on the variety of U.S. higher education governance structures, including newer models such as the public…

Under a legislative mandate, the Maryland Higher Education Commission is required to update the State Plan for Postsecondary Education every 2 years. This is the first update of the State Plan. This update is not a new plan, but a reflective report on the progress made and the new issues that have arisen since the State Plan was approved in June…

This book presents the perspectives of experts from the fields of history, economics, political science, and psychology on what is known about accountability, what still needs to be learned, what should be done right now, and what should be avoided in devising accountability systems. The common myths about accountability are dispelled and how it…

This issue brief presents an overview of the teacher shortage problem nationwide, examining incentive programs that states have developed in response. It details the serious shortcomings that can be found in these approaches, examining state-level data collected from all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on a survey administered to the…