These standards are provided to promote the achievement of excellence in Maryland's public school prekindergarten programs. To that end, this document delineates standards of quality and provides a list of indicators that concretely describe what a program will look like if the standards are being met. The standards and indicators address seven…

Although the main purpose of a school district's evaluation system is to improve employees' performance, the evaluation procedures and the supporting documentation must also serve as evidence in the termination hearings of an unsatisfactory employee. Accordingly, this chapter provides practical advice to school administrators concerning…

The Salt Lake City Board of Education appointed a committee in May 1988 to review shared governance concepts and as a part of the deliberations this handbook was revised. The handbook has seven sections: (1) basic history and philosophy; (2) policies and agreements regarding shared governance; (3) the principles of shared governance; (4) the…

This guidebook presents a process to elicit and organize information about school district practices, proposes standards to judge the effectiveness of those practices, and provides a method for determining desired improvements. Following the introduction, section 2 contains a distillation of the research findings on school effectiveness along with…

Taxpayer revolts have led to increasing concerns about accountability, particularly among ancillary school service personnel. Approximately 150 questionnaires were distributed to school psychologists to obtain a sample of responses to questions commonly asked by parents, educators and the community. Their responses dealt with the role and function…

Information concerning accreditation in higher education--a process of quality control and evaluation of institutional program development, effectiveness, and improvement that is based on established criteria and standards--is presented. Thirty-three questions and answers on accreditation are provided to clarify many concerns regarding the status…

In this brief overview of placement services for a comprehensive school, the following topics are discussed: (1) the history of job placement; (2) the need for job placement services (accountability); (3) general objectives of placement services; (4) format for establishing a school placement service; (5) school-business-industry cooperation; (6)…

The views of seven urban Texas school districts with regard to educational improvement are represented in this paper. The importance of local control and a variety of program alternatives is explained. The need for tax relief in order to maintain legislatively mandated programs is discussed. Findings of two research studies with regard to…

This handbook was developed to assist vocational administrators in (1) developing strategies for goal-setting and resource allocation, (2) identifying potential problems, (3) analyzing cost-effectiveness of vocational programs, and (4) improving managerial skills using information from the analysis in the decision-making process. The handbook…

The School BUS (bottom-up simple) model for school accountability uses local standards-based assessment data to improve schoolwide performance during the year, and from year to year. This system derives its ideas from abundant professional literature about successful school renewal. A local accountability process should link changes in school…

This book is about the assessment and inclusion of all students, including those with disabilities, in statewide and district assessment programs. It addresses aspects of assessment such as testing practices, test content, legal guidelines, technical aspects of tests, students' learning objectives, and instructional programs. Throughout the book,…

This document discusses educational assessment and accountability in current educational reform efforts and the implications for students with disabilities. A preface addresses common educational reforms, new laws promoting education reform, and how today's reforms fit with special education. The paper then describes three types of assessment:…

This paper discusses federal requirements for addressing general education curriculum standards and student participation in educational assessments in the Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) of students with disabilities. Specific regulations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act are cited, and the following recommendations are…

The emphasis of school psychology on prevention, early intervention, assessment, collaboration, and problem solving requires counselors to have a tremendous range of evidence-based knowledge. This publication, divided into two volumes, is designed to provide a comprehensive reference for school psychologists on contemporary research and…

The Assessment Faculty Guide from St. Louis Community College provides guidance for faculty members about how to implement outcomes assessment. The handbook is divided into five areas: (1) assessment rationale, including history, definition, principles, and questions and answers; (2) the structure of assessment, providing a description,…