In October, a revised set of test scores showed that students in the eight Education Alternative, Inc. (EAI), schools in Baltimore, Maryland, had not performed as well as originally reported. Indicates that a contract with a for-profit company should specify how much test scores or attendance should improve each year and what the consequences are…

Many states are answering the call for public reports on educational progress by developing indicator systems that are designed to show trends within and relationships among school data. A table shows 13 states and the number of indicator components used. Offers advice to school boards considering indicator systems. (MLF)

Responses from 33 state education departments to a survey sent to all 50 state education departments about Total Quality Management (TQM) revealed that 22 departments were not currently considering TQM, 11 were considering it, but only 8 submitted designs. Advises school boards of steps to take to bring TQM to their schools. (MLF)

Schools should stop defending their turf and acknowledge they must earn the right to provide education. Educators should develop high expectations of students, value data gathering, provide parental/community feedback opportunities, and craft strong local achievement indicators. The result will be improved teacher satisfaction and taxpayer…

Describes the substantive changes made by Superintendent John Stanford in the Seattle public school system over the last two years. (LMI)

Less than 5 percent of charter schools have been shut down nationwide. Charter school advocates say closings prove that accountability measures already present in law and in practice are working. Critics counter that closings often reveal that more oversight is needed. Discusses fiscal mismanagement and the need for training. Summarizes…

In Kalamazoo, Michigan, teachers are evaluated on how well they and their students perform. Kalamazoo schools have probably one of the most comprehensive computerized systems of personnel evaluation and accountability yet devised. (Author/WM)

Federal law now requires states to establish achievement goals for special-education students. This article discusses the pros and cons of assessing and setting standards for special-education students. (LMI)

Two years after CEO Paul Vallas was brought in to run the Chicago Public Schools, the schools report higher scores on standardized tests, better attendance, and higher graduation and lower dropout rates. Of 557 schools, 109 were placed on probation, and students were held accountable for their performance. (LMI)

Before implementing an instructional program in the Rowland (California) school district, planners must define success in terms of measurable student performance, calculates resources expended in relation to the expected benefits, and determine how long it will take the program to achieve the desired results. Baseline data are then compared to new…

Few states publish school report cards that contain school performance ratings. Comprehensive school report cards are strategically oriented, reflect front-end planning, report test scores within a broader context, have readable formats, use credible and multiple messengers, and explain how to use information. A sidebar explains the school board's…

Although state laws governing school district investing are quite conservative, there have been some notable investment failures leading to the loss of public funds. School districts must beware three kinds of investment risks involving credit, market, and interest rates and consider safety, legality, liquidity, and cash-flow requirements. (MLH)

In Massachusetts; Washington D.C.; New York City; Chicago; Baltimore; Cleveland; and a host of other big cities, challenges to both elected and appointed local school boards have become commonplace in the last year. Discusses the situation in Chicago. (MLF)

Decrying dependence on "helping professionals," the author maintains that people absolved of responsibilities for their actions are willing to give up their independence. Prevalent psychological approaches to parenting and to treating students' behavioral and academic problems are criticized, and the common-sense solution of holding students and…