This report analyzes the evolution and effectiveness of standards-based reforms in U.S. education. Starting from the increased federal involvement with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1965 to the Goals 2000 launch of more recent reforms, the document explores the role of state governments in implementing systemic reforms aimed at…

States serve a special role in the nation's public education system. Through elected legislatures, states have endowed their various state departments of education with powers over public education, which include granting authority to local entities--typically school districts--to run schools. In their oversight capacity, states--traditionally…

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) targeted substantial School Improvement Grants (SIGs) to the nation's "persistently lowest achieving" public schools (i.e., up to $2 million per school annually over 3 years) but required schools accepting these awards to implement a federally prescribed school-reform model.…

Several states had an assessment that they considered to be an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS) in place, or in development, when the April 2007 federal regulations on modified achievement standards were finalized. This article uses publicly available information collected by the National Center on…

This study explored the perspectives of 350 California superintendents from various-sized school districts in relation to their ability to support student learning while addressing the numerous and complex personnel, social, and economic challenges faced by schools. Specifically, this study investigated the attitudes and opinions of district…

In April 2007, Federal No Child Left Behind regulations were finalized that provided states with additional flexibility for assessing some students with disabilities. The regulations allowed states to offer another assessment option, alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). States are not required to have…

Technical aspects of the evaluation report are described and criticized as being determined by federal and state government regulations. The official evaluation report's unfortunate effects on the school are noted. It is suggested that the case study has revealed further serious weaknesses in mandated evaluation. (Author/RL)

Student school enrollment patterns within six school districts in Texas, California, and Florida were reviewed to determine whether students classified as children of migratory agricultural workers were missing school and having their education disrupted because of their lifestyle. Using the Migrant Student Record Transfer System (MSRTS) forms,…

Legislative and programmatic efforts to improve teacher quality have become a major focus of state policymaking in recent years. States have employed numerous strategies in response to concerns about the preparation, quantity, and capacity of the teacher workforce. In this chapter, the authors introduce conceptual frameworks for understanding…