Includes "School Choice: An Overview"; "Public School Choice: An Overview"; "Would Choice + Competition Yield Quality Education?" (Elmore); "National Testing: An Overview"; "Measuring Schools Is Not the Same as Improving Them" (Darling-Hammond); "Testing, Testing, One, Two, Three..."…

The positive and negative elements of six educational reforms are discussed: search for excellence; cooperative learning; middle schools; master teacher certification; site-based management; and accountability. Gifted educators are urged to promote these reform movements for the maximum benefit of all. (Author/JDD)

Teacher assessment programs of four Florida school systems that have attempted to link teacher assessment, development, and school improvement are described and their efforts evaluated. Common components are identified, with collaboration, professional development, and accountability being among the most important. Each system addressed school…

Examines the effectiveness of recognition and reward programs in holding schools accountable for the academic performance, various ways of measuring student academic performance, and the effects of incentive systems on teacher morale. Issues related to evaluating recognition and reward programs and questions related to how incentive programs can…

This article focuses on the limitations and possibilities of teaching as a research-based activity in the current context of further education (FE) practice. The article argues that research can deliver real improvements in the quality of teaching and learning in further education. To enable this improvement to take place, the article suggests…

The 2009 edition of the "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) third annual review of state laws, rules and regulations that govern the teaching profession. This year's report is a comprehensive analysis of the full range of each state's teacher policies, measured against a realistic…

The Idaho edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on teacher…

This year the Center on Education Policy (CEP) analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps…

This year the Center on Education Policy (CEP) analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps…

Educators and policymakers have accomplished much over the past decade, aided by parents and taxpayers. California has set a high bar for what all children are expected to learn, from kindergarten forward. Instructional materials and tests are now closely aligned, so that teachers know how to gauge their students' progress. And achievement growth…

Five years after the bipartisan passage of the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001," the U.S. Department of Education remains dedicated to promoting education excellence in every corner of the country. The Department's "Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2007-12" sets high expectations for America's schools and students, and for…

On March 29, 2007, the Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing in Washington, D.C., entitled, "How NCLB Affects Students with Disabilities." Specifically, this hearing was held to determine how the No Child Left Behind Act helps, hurts, or keeps about the same, what has been done for children with disabilities. The…

This paper uses a quality-assurance framework to unify the application of school-effectiveness and school-improvement knowledge to a school system. The paper proposes that effective school development is enhanced by the implementation of quality systems that recognize the stages of performance-development cycles. It discusses quality-assurance…

This first evaluation in a Scottish national program of higher education quality assessment reports on evaluation of programs in the fields of economics and electrical and electronic engineering. Section 1 contains background information about legislation establishing the evaluation program, quality assessment and quality audit, the role of the…

Major issues concerning the Individualized Education Program (IEP) are reviewed and modifications are proposed. The history of the IEP and current legal requirements for developing IEPs are considered. Current issues with the IEP include the cost of development, the lack of parent involvement in IEP development, and the use of the IEP for…