Decentralisation is often expected to improve democratic participation and empowerment, and improve government responsiveness to local needs. International experience demonstrates that striking the right balance between centralisation and decentralisation remains highly challenging, and that developing appropriate institutional capacity to…

"Parent Attitudes about Education in Arizona: 2006" is the third-annual study of the opinion of Arizona parents on the issues facing public schools. The study is conducted by the Arizona Education Policy Initiative (AEPI), a collaboration of Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona, and it is a…

This article reports the results of a survey of third-grade teachers of English Language Learners (ELLs) in Arizona regarding school language and accountability policies--Proposition 203, which restricts bilingual education and mandates sheltered English Immersion; the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB); and Arizona LEARNS, the…

In this article, the author examines successful schools with high concentrations of poor and minority children--those in which students were doing as well as or better than those in affluent schools on statewide standardized tests--to see what they were doing to improve the level of instruction in their classrooms. These high-performing,…

The "Fiscal Year 2007 Illinois Community College System's Performance Report" contains summary information about state and common institutional outcome indicators. External comparative benchmarks are cited whenever possible using the latest available data (national reporting typically trails what is available at the state level).…

This document is a tool for demonstrating that the University System is meeting the "flexibility with accountability" expectations of SB 2003 passed by the 2001 Legislative Assembly. The 2007 report reflects some of the many ways North Dakota University System (NDUS) colleges and universities are developing the human capital needed to…

A discussion of issues related to accountability in adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs looks at ways in which current quality and accountability measures address the real issues of adult immigrant education. First, the strengths and weaknesses of accountability schema that have been developed in other education contexts are…

This report describes some of the benefits to the state of the University of Colorado's (CU) teaching and research activities; profiles CU students; discusses aspects of the academic experience; analyzes student costs; and summarizes the University's fiscal accountability. The report presents highlights of CU's activities; including: (1) CU is the…

In response to calls for increased accountability in educational institutions, the American Association of Community Colleges developed the following 13 core indicators of institutional effectiveness: student goal attainment, fall to fall persistence rates; degree completion rates; placement rates in the work force; employer assessments of…

A forum on inclusive schools, developed cooperatively by 10 national organizations, focused on the experiences of 12 schools and school districts across the United States and Canada. Twelve features are identified as characterizing inclusive schools: (1) a sense of community; (2) leadership; (3) high standards; (4) collaboration and cooperation;…

New Mexico State University-Alamogordo's (NMSU-A) Institutional Assessment and Strategic Planning (IASP) process is designed to identify what the institution is doing, what the community is doing that may affect NMSU-A, how well NMSU-A is achieving its mission and purposes, and what the college should do in the future. The IASP is an integrated…

This report, emanating from New Mexico State University-Alamogordo's (NMSU-A) Institutional Assessment and Strategic Planning (IASP) process, presents information pertinent to NMSU-A's planning process for 1993-1996. Following a brief introduction and the IASP Committee cover memo, the report highlights seven high-priority institutional issues:…

The National Partnership for Excellence in Education and Accountability in Teaching (NPEAT) helps place improvement of teaching at the center of reform efforts, addressing two problems that impede the development of systemic reforms to improve teaching quality: (1) absence of agreement about effective strategies for improving teaching among those…

Baseline data were obtained pertaining to needs assessment criteria and standards of performance as perceived by local secondary vocational administrators in Tennessee. All local secondary vocational administrators listed in the 1990-91 state directory were the eligible population. The survey consisted of 32 items with a Likert response scale.…

This document describes Tennessee's 1993 Master Plan for education and the state's progress toward achieving eight of its key goals. Goals are outlined for achieving results in the areas of early childhood education, primary and middle grades education, high school education, technology, professional development and teacher education,…