Several issues facing the measurement community were brought on by the recent emphasis on stricter educational accountability measures. These testing issues include the limits of test scores, effects of testing on instruction, proper test use, importance of the test content, and defining the basics in education. (EGS)

The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE) serves as the coordinating board for South Carolina's 33 public institutions of higher learning and is responsible for serving a dual role within state government acting both as an advocate for higher education as well as an oversight entity on behalf of the General Assembly. The agency's…

This analysis of secondary-postsecondary alignment issues suggests some clear directions that campus, system, and state policy leaders must take to improve the success of students in the educational pipeline. These efforts will be more successful if they take place as part of broader K-16 initiatives--efforts that include early outreach to high…

States benefit considerably when their stocks of "educational capital" grow. From a workforce and tax revenue standpoint, state rates of return on baccalaureate education are far higher than those associated with any other educational step. Additional benefits attributable to higher education--ranging from enhancements in citizen participation…

The Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) was developed through a collaborative partnership in 1999 and first implemented in all Alberta school authorities in the 2000/2001 school year. The goal of this program is to improve student learning and performance by fostering initiatives that reflect the unique needs and circumstances of each…

This publication presents proceedings from the Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) fall 2000 conference. The first general session presentation was "Through the Eyes of Children... Creating a Shared Vision of Education" (Don Suskind), and the second session was "Teachers and Administrators: Responsible for…

This comprehensive reference document incorporates the 1997 Master Plan Policies updated and amended with policies adopted by the Illinois Board of Higher Education since the 1997 edition. As a compilation, it includes relevant sections of the comprehensive master plans of the 1960s and 1970s and issue-related policies developed in the 1980s and…

The Nebraska Comprehensive Statewide Plan for Postsecondary Education was approved in 1992. Covering the University of Nebraska, the state colleges, community colleges, independent colleges and universities, and private career institutions, the plan is revised periodically to reflect the state's changing needs. Within the plan, six major issues…

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states are implementing policies that provide incentives to attract and retain teachers and increase student performance. Every state has unique priorities. This report includes a framework for thinking about priorities for a state based on the SREB's teacher supply and demand research (reducing new teacher…

This is the first annual Results Report for the Illinois Community College System. For each of the six statewide goals, the report provides information on stated Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) and college priorities, common and individual college initiatives and actions, and state-level initiatives that support the goal. ICCB staff review…

"No Child Left Behind" (NCLB), the title of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, describes a worthy goal for this nation. Tragically, NCLB is aggravating, not solving, the real problems that cause many children to be left behind. NCLB must be overhauled if the federal government is to make a useful contribution to…

Explains declining academic standards as at least partially the result of two decades of innovative teaching. Describes the predicament of high school graduates who cannot read. Explains the hazards of affective, innovative teaching, and the anticipated benefits of returning to traditional education mixed with limited and proven innovative…

Discusses the importance of accreditation in academic self-regulation, and addresses the major issues surrounding it that are also of concern to the general public: keeping higher education available and affordable, striving for inclusive and diverse campuses, and finding more effective ways to assess learning and academic quality. (YKH)

Examines relationships which exist internationally between contexts, methods, and impact on institutions of external quality assessments in higher education. Argues that debates about quality assessment are frequently debates about power and change. Case studies of the University of Aalborg (Denmark), Uppsala University (Sweden), and Monash…

Analyzes the 1990s conservative reform agenda in Australia. Examines the relationship between education, the economy, and the state, particularly the marketplace analogy and the concept of quality schooling. Current policies emphasize a return to managerialism and a direct education-work connection. Discusses implications of the conservative…