This article responds to and reflects upon the articles in this special issue. Specifically, it deals with the usage of theory in each of the articles, what we might see, as examples of re-descriptive usage in autonomous theorizing. The articles utilize different theories and varying intellectual resources--Foucault and Deleuze (Richard Niesche),…

Amidst demands for greater accountability, many methods of ensuring teacher quality have been suggested. One that is currently gaining popularity in some quarters is Value-Added Assessment. In this system, statistical methods are applied to determine which teachers are succeeding, and which are failing in adding "value" to a child's…

Annual student testing may make it possible to measure the contributions to student achievement made by individual teachers. But would these "teacher value-added" measures help to improve student achievement? I consider the statistical validity, purposes, and costs of teacher value-added policies. Many of the key assumptions of teacher value added…

Describes the results of a 3-year investigation into cheating by school personnel in Chicago and the design of a technique that will help to bring the problem under better control. The goals of the research were to measure the prevalence of cheating by teachers and administrators and to analyze the factors that predict cheating. (MLF)

Reliable institutional research is seen as serving as a valuable means of generating accurate, objective data useful in reaching sound management decisions in institutions of higher education. Institutional research is defined as the systematic, comprehensive self-study used by a college or university to improve the institution. Sound…