This collection of essays and articles on education reform highlights many of the issues of greatest interest to educators and the public. Articles are grouped into the following categories: (1) "The Front Lines" (9 selections); (2) "Charter Schools" (4 selections); (3) "School Choice" (4 selections); (4)…

Findings of a national survey of educational committee chairs to identify and rank the top five issues in education are summarized in this report. The top five issues, in order of importance, are the following: K-12 school finance; accountability; at-risk youth; higher education finance; and early childhood education. Effectiveness is identified…

This summary report is one of a series addressing major policy, management, or program issues facing Congress and the administration. The issues identified in this report indicate the need to: reduce the cost and preserve the integrity of higher education student loan and grant programs; enhance the federal role in monitoring lenders, agencies,…

This newsletter defines common law negligence, discusses recent trends in common law negligence, cites litigation, and establishes guidelines to assist school administrators in the avoidance of such tort action. The success or failure of a negligence suit most commonly turns on one of three factors: duty, breach of that duty, and proximate cause…

This issue is the second in a three-part series on quality teaching. The other two issues in the series focus on teacher recruitment and teachers' career structures and work environment. This issue examines research and expert consensus on teacher preparation, looking at: the importance of subject matter knowledge to effective teaching and…

This theme issue focuses on the use and consequences of high stakes tests. The lead article, "High-Stakes Testing: Too Much? Too Soon?" by Sherry Freeland Walker, introduces the topic and related issues, outlining the pros and cons of high stakes testing by the states. The problem, some experts say, is that states have tried to do too much too…

This issue focuses on decision making. The term "D[cubed]M" used throughout the issue means data-driven decision making. D[cubed]M is not merely crunching numbers or translating statistics; it is about creating a picture to see where you have been and to determine where you want to go. Provided is a special D[cubed]M checklist to figure out how…

Describes the development of a 10-day interfaculty leadership training course for higher education administrators in Sweden in the context of the deregulation and decentralization introduced in 1993. Discusses implications for strategic management in higher education, focusing on social identity, leadership acceptance, leadership training, and…

Charter schools have been proposed as a compromise between public-school choice and voucher programs and as a way to promote innovation without privatizing education. The schools are largely free of bureaucratic supervision; in return, the schools agree to be held accountable for student performance levels. Two states, California and Minnesota,…

The view that peer review and faculty self-government are detrimental is expressed. Peer review, a procedure in which the conduct of faculty members is subject to review by other faculty members, is used primarily in personnel and research decisions (e.g., tenure, promotion, and/or salary increases, and to assess grant or contract proposals).…

Two papers on performance indicators are presented: (1) "Quality Control in Education: The Use of Performance Indicators," by Ernest Theodossin, and (2) "Developing and Using a Performance Indicator Instrument," by Theodossin and Craig Thomson. The first paper looks at the relationship between colleges and the manufacturing…

Elements of economic production theory are applied to the relation between time and student learning. The analysis takes into account that individual students matter, that students are often taught in classes, and that jointness in production is the rule rather than the exception. The values teachers place on the different possible educational…

This issue of "Network News" takes a look at emerging P-16/K-16 partnerships and data systems. The first article, "P-16 Data and Accountability Systems," by Hans L'Orange and Rick Voorhees (an adaptation of a policy brief) looks at data being used for accountability within P-16 systems and provides some general characteristics…

This document outlines a community-based state school system that allows a large degree of local autonomy in exchange for heightened accountability for school performance. It highlights a model education platform for candidates in the 1994 election. A system of educational excellence for the 21st century would be performance-based, locally…

During five meetings conducted in different states by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) to gain insight into the status of 55 parent involvement programs from their organizers and implementors, parental involvement in the secondary education level repeatedly emerged as a shared concern. Following the meetings SEDL…