This paper examines the balance between autonomy and accountability in education from the perspective of Massachusetts and Texas charter schools and their state authorizers. By analyzing national survey data, interviews with key policymakers, and case studies of six low, medium, and high performing schools, the paper examines the organizational…

The data tables and listings in this report provide secondary school dropout data at the state and district levels as a supplement to Secondary School Completion and Dropouts in Texas Public Schools, 1999-00. This supplement includes annual dropout rates calculated under the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) definition and rates…

The Texas Education Agency prepares an annual report on dropouts in Texas public schools. This report contains information on the annual dropout rate used in the accountability system and state attrition rates. It also includes a series of longitudinal secondary school completion/student status rates. Of the 1,818,940 students who attended grades…

Describes the state networks of education service agencies (ESAs) in Georgia, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin. Compares state ESA accreditation programs with regard to intent, evaluation methods, standards employed, use of performance indicators, and sanctions for poor performance. Contains 12 references. (SV)

The state policy implications of using higher education performance indicators for accountability purposes are examined, based on the experiences of 10 case study states (Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin) and others that have initiated such efforts. Specific issues that must be…

The structures, organizations, and reward systems required to sustain universities, their faculty, and their students preclude genuine restructuring of schools of education. One promising reform path is school-based teacher education, which locates the primary faculty expertise, curriculum-development responsibility, and budget authority in school…

Highlights how one Texas school district moved from being a district in which token representations of minority achievement were considered evidence of districtwide success to being a district where success for all children is the operating paradigm. Guided by vision, culture, and district support, teachers have raised student achievement levels…

This study reports data collected from a survey of 140 Texas bilingual program directors to explore the use of accountability data for program decision making. Examined are findings related to the availability, kinds of decisions made, and evaluation activities conducted using 11 sources of data (i.e., the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills,…

The intent of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 is to hold schools accountable for ensuring that all their students achieve mastery in reading and math, with a particular focus on groups that have traditionally been left behind. Under NCLB, states submit accountability plans to the U.S. Department of Education detailing the rules and…

The intent of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 is to hold schools accountable for ensuring that all their students achieve mastery in reading and math, with a particular focus on groups that have traditionally been left behind. Under NCLB, states have leeway to: (1) Craft their own academic standards, select their own tests, and define…

Historically many students with disabilities did not participate in accountability systems. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires that students in all targeted subgroups, including students with disabilities, have the opportunity to learn challenging material that is linked to content standards and to participate in statewide…

In the United States and Mexico, public schooling, as a government institution, has attempted to reinforce cultural and national values explicitly through civics lessons and implicitly through attitudes and classroom management. This study shows how schools on each side of the U.S.-Mexico border attempt to teach distinct national and cultural…

In responding to internal and external pressures for accountability in higher education, especially in the areas of improved learning outcomes and student success, IT leaders may soon become critical partners with academic and student affairs. IT can help answer this call for accountability through "academic analytics," which is emerging…

This paper reports on a study of three states (Maryland, Massachusetts, and Texas) that investigated their policies and practices imvolving standards, assessment, accountability, teaching quality, and public engagement. It focuses on common conditions contributing to success in raising achievement (consistency, consensus, and comprehensiveness);…

This report includes state summaries of the annual dropout rate used in the accountability system, along with state attrition rates. It offers a series of longitudinal secondary school completion/student status rates. Out of 1,794,521 students attending Texas public secondary schools during 1999-00, 23,457 dropped out, a decrease of 15.0 percent.…