Over the past several years, high school graduation rates in the United States have come under intense public scrutiny fueled by a renewed interest in high school reform as well as higher public school accountability requirements. At this time, two issues dominate the debate over high school graduation rates: First, there is a need for a common…

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…

In accordance with Florida state law, this progress report informs the Legislature of actions taken by Florida's Community College System in response to a 1999 Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) review. The OPPAGA found that the Legislature and the Division of Community Colleges have implemented several of…

This report represents the culmination of the activities conducted by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (White House Initiative) over the span of seven years, as of this writing. It also encompasses the work of the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (the…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) NCLB Redux: House Committee Releases Draft Language on NCLB Reauthorization, Includes Significant New Programs for…

This report summarizes the results of academic, career and technical, adult education, and developmental education programs that were reviewed during fiscal year 2006. It highlights and summarizes accountability activities and initiatives described by Illinois' 48 community colleges in their Accountability/Program Review Reports for fiscal year…

Washington state's public four-year universities and college have submitted their 2003-05 accountability plans to the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB). The state operating budget directs the Board to review these plans and set biennial performance targets for each institution. For 2003-05, the four-year institutions are reporting on a…

The federal Migrant Education Program provides supplemental instruction and support services to migrant children through grants to states under Title I, Part C, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The reauthorization of Title I in 1994 contained new requirements that Title I schools help students meet new state standards developed for…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 requires that public elementary and secondary school systems be held accountable for achieving high levels of educational proficiency for all students. While achievement testing is the central component of state accountability systems under NCLB, these systems must include graduation rates as an academic…

This document summarizes the state of education in Maryland in 2003 following adoption of the Achievement Matters Most school reform plan. Advances in attendance, graduation and academic achievement are summarized. Continuing commitment to student health and safety, and the ongoing challenges of teacher preparation, recruitment and retention are…

Controversies over graduation rates and No Child Left Behind have raged in research, media and political circles for almost a year. All too often, though, when complex issues of social and economic importance collide with policy and politics, heat is generated but little light. As a result, it may be difficult for local educators to parse the…

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…

The process of accreditation review in the U.S. serves two primary functions: quality assurance and continual improvement. The experienced educators who voluntarily serve on accreditation teams apply common standards of quality that serve students and meet public accountability expectations and offer suggestions and recommendations for…

In 2005, Governor Tim Pawlenty and the Minnesota Legislature charged the Minnesota Office of Higher Education with developing an accountability system to measure the higher education sector's effectiveness in meeting state goals. Minnesota's leaders recognized that the knowledge, creativity and intellectual capacity of the state's people are the…

This is the fourth annual report to Congress by the US Department of Education. Among the highlights of this report are: (1) More students were reported by states as having enrolled in vocational and technical education courses in Program Year (PY) 2002-2003 than in the past three years; (2) There remain concerns about the quality and reliability…