The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) grants states more authority over their school accountability systems than did No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Hence, states have an opportunity to design improved school rating systems. Three of the most important improvements that states can make are to ensure that their accountability systems: (1)…

On April 3, 2017, sixteen states (Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Vermont) and the District of Columbia submitted their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) state accountability plans to either the US Department of…

In April 2021, New America's Open Technology Institute (OTI) and the Philanthropication thru Privatization Project (PtP) released a joint proposal that the federal government should invest a substantial portion of the windfall proceeds from future auctions of public airwaves (spectrum) to seed a new Digital Equity Foundation dedicated to…

Faced with rising demand for information about early childhood programs, states need to find tools and strategies to monitor the progress of and to identify high-quality early childhood programs. In response, REL Mid-Atlantic convened a regional workgroup for state personnel who work with the systems containing early childhood data. The workgroup…

California's alternative education options for youth vulnerable to dropping out of school have been established at different historical points and for different student age and target populations. For purposes of this brief, "alternative school" is defined as belonging to one of six legislatively authorized types of public (non-charter)…

This article describes how community colleges take on major changes as they undergo complete organizational redesign and streamlining of programming and services in the face of multiple challenges.

What happens when local school leaders sit down to talk with teachers, parents, and other members of the community about the ends and means of local education? Can people bringing different perspectives and experiences to the issue agree on top goals for their communities? Can they settle on needed changes and decide what signifies genuine…

This document has been developed by the New Jersey Department of Education with the assistance of the TA Customizer Project funded by the U.S. Department of Education Charter Schools Program (CSP) and conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE). Its focus is on providing information and technical…

Many colleges and universities are engaged in new efforts to assess the outcomes they produce. As a first step, these institutions usually examine their mission statement, goals, and objectives. These form the foundation for assessment but they are also fundamental tools for enhancing institutional effectiveness in general. This handbook was…

This booklet contains the material used at a planning session of the Citizens Advisory Committee of the superintendent of schools held in conjunction with the district's Title III project entitled, "Building a Comprehensive Planning System Model with EPPBS." The purpose of the material is to provide the educational decisionmakers with…

This is the final report on long range planning for financial support for and investment in New Jersey's state colleges. Opening sections summarize the findings of the Advisory Commission on Investing in the State Colleges charged with examining the issues, origins, membership, charge and general principles of that Commission, the economic, social…

The challenge in university governance is to provide sufficient autonomy to sustain academic vitality while ensuring that this energy is directed toward the broad public interest. Maine and New Jersey, two very different states, have been experimenting with structural changes, primarily decentralization, to balance autonomy with accountability.…

The speaker concentrates on the effects of statewide accountability implementation on school system management and on the state's delivery of educational services. In discussing the need to link accountability systems with existing organizational systems, the speaker spends the majority of his time examining how the New Jersey efforts relate to…

The College Outcomes Evaluation Program (COEP), intended to be a comprehensive assessment of higher education in New Jersey, focuses on outcomes in order to improve undergraduate education. After an introduction covering the national perspective, New Jersey's efforts, COEP, and rationale and principles, subcommittee reports summarize the content…

New Jersey requires an annual evaluation and classification of schools based on: development and implementation of an educational plan, achievement of statewide standards in basic skills, and compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. Guidelines for the evaluation criteria and procedures are given. Data are collected through the…