Public officials are increasingly contracting with the private sector for a range of educational services. With much of the focus on private sector accountability on cost-effectiveness and student performance, less attention has been given to shifts in democratic accountability. Drawing on data from the state of New York, one of the most active…

The purpose of this paper is to compare the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) self-assessment model in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Spain and in Jordan. Case study methodology on eight services provided by a public university in Spain and seven services provided by one public university and one private university in…

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires that two accountability strategies--raising standards and public pressure through publicizing performance data--be implemented simultaneously. However, when coupled, they may produce an inappropriate consequence for public opinion. The public may misunderstand the drop in achievement that occurs when the bar is…

Charter schools, although a stage for potential educational reform and innovation, remain subject to federal laws regarding the education of students with disabilities. As they intersect with federal law, the variance of state charter laws and policy surrounding the provision of special education creates a challenging context for helping charters…

Representatives from North Carolina shared with other members of the Interstate School Building Service a systematic approach to school closure that includes analysis of facility physical condition and useful pupil capacity, current and projected enrollment, cost of operation, transportation responsibilities, racial balance, alternate uses, and…

The development and implementation of the educational computer network in West Virginia are summarized. Task force conclusions, equipment configuration networking, clusters of terminal processors, instructional strategy, equipment, software, teacher training, improvements in communication and in instruction, and the main menu are the topics…

The framework the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) lays out is that of quantifiably examining school performance and intervening in inverse proportion to success. Discusses five key challenges policymakers and educators must overcome to make the federal law work. (Author/MLF)

Traces the organizational history in Kentucky after the Department of Education was abolished by the Kentucky Educational Reform Act (KERA). Offers suggestions to other state legislators contemplating state department restructuring. Contends that "restructuring" turned out to be the same old process of bureaucratic adjustments practiced…

States should take an active and direct role in education reform: supporting school reform efforts, providing technical assistance, defining and controlling educational content, and assessing the outcomes of education. (MLF)

The social/political issues facing university English departments in South Africa include problems of identity and definition, the need for instruction within the context of social and political history, the problems of cultural relativism, the corrosive implications of Black subordination, and the complex alternatives of private and public…

Presents excerpts of a survey on the instrument status in chemistry departments and the perceived needs of those departments for new instruments. Responses are based on data from 32 chemistry departments at major research institutions, 71 departments at smaller schools, and 13 chemical engineering departments. (JN)

Statistics on the nature of academic physiology departments are provided. Included are salaries by number of years, rank, and region, numbers of faculty members, and numbers of pre- and postdoctoral trainees in process and completing degrees in the year 1989. (CW)

Argues about the conclusion that bigger science departments are more productive than smaller ones. Indicates the conclusion cannot be supported by the data. (YP)

This study analyzed and compared the behavioral procedure standards of 39 state departments of special education and 41 state departments of developmental disabilities/mental retardation. Results are discussed in terms of systematic monitoring of procedures, staff training, procedures to increase behavior, prohibiting/restricting procedure use,…

When current fiscal data of New York State school districts are analyzed with information on pupil characteristics and staffing patterns, some policy issues are raised, including a mismatch between local district need and avaliable resources, shortchanging of New York City pupils, and a close relationship between local wealth and staff…