Objectives: Working under the constraints of external accountability policy, public school principals are faced with challenges in prioritizing educational goals. Using the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) data sets, this study examined the nature and sources of changes in principals' educational goal priorities in the era of accountability,…

Adult education's mission is a critical one. It seeks to provide the large and diverse population of adults who lack basic skills, a high school credential, or English language skills with the competencies they need to be productive workers, family members, and citizens. Federally funded adult education serves learners in three types of programs:…

Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 directs the federal government to conduct a national assessment of adult education, including activities to understand the extent to which adult education strategies positively affect learners. A systematic review of the research on the effectiveness of particular strategies in adult…

As more states move to legislate minimal graduation requirements, questions arise about who will set the standards for academic achievement and what effect such legislation will have on students. (JD)

Demographic and educational data were gathered from July 1986 through April 1989 for approximately 121,504 participants in Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) from all 58 counties in California that have implemented GAIN. Instrumentation was the GAIN Appraisal Program, three tests developed to provide an initial appraisal of participants'…

From the perspective of the field of adult literacy, the year 1999 is best seen not as the penultimate year of the millennium but as the year bookended by the reauthorization of the National Literacy Act in late 1998 and the National Literacy Summit of early 2000. Both of those events represent a huge milestone, and 1999 may be regarded as the…

The Kentucky Educational Improvement Act of 1978 mandated local school districts to initiate two programs: (1) screening and diagnostic test; and (2) development of district educational improvement plans outlining remedial programs or activities. The Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS/S) were selected as the statewide screening instruments…

An independent, external evaluation of the compensatory component of the Educational Opportunities Fund of Alberta, Canada covered the period from July 1973 to June 1976 and focused on twenty-one northern Alberta school districts. Results revealed that pupil mastery of basic skills has improved and pupil selfconfidence has increased since the…

Examination of results of several cases in which students failed minimum competency tests evokes criticism of the way the testing program is carried out by the state. (JD)

California providers of instructional services under Section 321 of the Adult Education Act collected learner data in Fall 1991. From the total population of 130,000 adult basic education (ABE) learners, a sample of local agencies and all state agencies collected demographic and pre/posttest data for 87,934 adult learners in programs of ABE and…

At the heart of No Child Left Behind's accountability system is the requirement that states test nearly every public school student in grades 3-8 and in one high school grade in reading and math. The magnitude of NCLB's testing requirements, the law's demanding deadlines, insufficient federal funding, and other factors have produced an undesirable…

The State of Florida has, for several years, been committed to perfecting a workable system of accountability for the public schools. The Florida Statewide Assessment Program, begun in 1971, has been an important element in this accountability effort. The Program was designed to assess students' academic strengths and weaknesses, particularly in…

This article takes a philosophical look at judicial concepts of fiscal equality as they apply to education. Ideas discussed include (1) the concept of basic education and how equal education applies; (2) differences in requirements of equality; and (3) educational outcomes used to judge equality. Comments by Stephen Arons are included. (DF)

This article discusses the fairness and legality of competency testing programs for the handicapped. The following concerns are addressed: (1) exemptions for handicapped students; (2) individual determinations; (3) differential diplomas and standards; and (4) differential assessment procedures. A discussion of the legal implications indicates…

The Maryland Accountability Program Annual Report has been developed as a reference document on test data for the public. It provides a survey both of test results and of the progress being made by students attending Maryland public schools in grades 3, 5, and 8. The 1980-81 report is divided into three chapters. Chapter 1 defines educational…