In recent years, governmental policy changes have exerted significant impact on the structural transformation, role diversity and commercialisation of national quality assurance agencies in many nations. Due to policy change, ongoing structural transformation and emerging roles, four national quality assurance agencies in Australia, Japan,…

State education agencies (SEAs) are federally mandated to address discrimination in schools, including discrimination in school discipline practices, and SEAs can play an important role in helping schools and districts develop and implement more equitable, data-driven approaches to student discipline. SEAs' ability to identify challenges and offer…

The pivot point for educational change is now firmly placed with the district, rebalancing the position of the state and the school relative to the local education agency (LEA). The state education agency (SEA) has been shifting its emphasis for decades, from a compliance-focused authority to a change agent equipped with systems, processes,…

"The SEA of the Future" is an education publication series examining how state education agencies can shift from a compliance to a performance-oriented organization through strategic planning and performance management tools to meet growing demands to support education reform while improving productivity. This volume, the sixth in the…

The fundamental changes taking place in the global economy pose an existential threat for high-wage economies like the United States. Countries with high-wage economies will either figure out how to convert their mass education systems into systems that can educate virtually all their students to the standards formerly reserved for their elites,…

This paper explores the relationship between neoliberal ideology and the discourse and practice of education governance reform in Ontario over the last two decades. It focuses on changes in education governance introduced by successive Ontario governments: the NDP government from 1990 to 1995, the Progressive Conservative government from 1995 to…

The role of state education agencies (SEAs) in leading change to improve student learning has been evolving over several decades. The 1994 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (U.S. Department of Education, 2013) introduced the "statewide system of support" as a framework for guiding the state's role in district…

The No Child Left Behind Act declared that improving education in every school in the United States was a top national priority. However, this act did not acknowledge how state departments of education have successfully constructed reforms for the past few decades, despite the power struggle between governors, legislators, school districts, and…

There have been calls to increase the autonomy of higher education institutions in Europe for a number of years. They have been counterbalanced by demands for increasing accountability and a European quality assurance system. In London in 2007, the European ministers of education decided to implement a European register of accredited quality…

In this discussion paper, I seek to understand the complex interaction between notions of "professionalism" and gendered identity constructions against the backdrop of increased state regulation and demands for performativity in the early years. I seek to explore the ways in which "teacher professionalism" is constructed by…

The major purpose of this descriptive report is to provide an overview of the structure, capacity, and roles of educational service agencies (ESAs) across five states--Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin--in the Great Lakes region, within the context of the broader statewide systems of support for educational improvement and progress.…

Explains the role and functions of England's Audit Commission, established in 1983 to promote proper stewardship of public finances and help public servants achieve economy, efficiency, and effectiveness. The commission's influence stems from its ability to link with other government initiatives, use of rigorous investigative methodology, and a…

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was passed with a promise to "change the culture of America's schools." A focus on accountability for results is among its main vehicles for transformation, including the requirement that significant action be taken in schools and districts that continue to underperform academically. Toward that end, NCLB…

The author was employed as an inspector of education in Nigeria from 1973 to 1978, in what was a completely new system of national inspection. His experience as an inspector has given him a long term interest in educational administration, particularly in relation to the types of school inspection that different countries have in relation to their…

Department of Education regulations and initiatives designed to address problems of fraud, abuse, and loan default in federal student aid programs are examined. The scope and intrusiveness of some recent regulations are criticized, and unintended effects are noted, including increased administrative burdens on all institutions. (Author/MSE)