The move toward assessments that measure student growth, rather than just proficiency, has been perceived as an improvement in state accountability systems. However, Michael Watson explains that, for many students, these measures present an incomplete picture. Because they are based on grade-level assessments, any growth achieved by students who…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) appears to offer states and districts discretion to develop teacher evaluation policies, including those that may use Value Added Models (VAMs). While scholars are discussing this flexibility, limited attention has been paid to the potential role of the law in connection with the future use of VAMs in…

This hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions focuses on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act through access and innovation. The following committee members presented opening statements: (1) Honorable Lamar Alexander, Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; and (2) Honorable Patty Murray, Ranking…

The recent changes to school accountability under the "Every Student Succeeds Act" (2015) have highlighted the negative effects of chronic absenteeism on student achievement. For many students, poor attendance habits begin as early as kindergarten and continue through high school. Resulting in literacy and math gaps, the impacts of…

Decades of federal and state education legislation enacted to increase student academic achievement and enhance school quality have pronounced impacts on teachers and their instructional practice. That impact is captured in the term intensification. Intensification is multifaceted and manifests as additional tasks accomplished simultaneously, with…

The assessment landscape is varied and complex. Because assessments serve many purposes, they can take multiple forms depending on what they are measuring and how they are used. The intended purpose behind each assessment influences its design, and the design influences how assessment data can be used by students and their families, school,…

This study used a mixed methods approach to investigate the perceptions of administrators and instructors of full-time CTE programs in Oklahoma technology centers regarding their ability to develop employability skills in students. This study was framed by the human capital theory, which is described as the acquisition of a person's knowledge and…

In the context of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, 'academic integrity' describes a provider's responsibility to ensure its staff and students act with honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility as they engage in learning and teaching in courses and units of study. (See TEQSA's resources on academic…

This paper investigates how accountability pressures under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) may have affected students' rate of overweight. Schools facing pressure to improve academic outcomes may reallocate their efforts in ways that have unintended consequences for children's health. To examine the impact of school accountability, we create a unique…

The purpose of this research is to contribute to the body of knowledge on the impact of principal preparation programs and principal leadership style as measured by the MLQ-5X Short or Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Furthermore, this study seeks to examine principal preparation programs and leadership styles and their relationship with…

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) gives states greater flexibility to set performance levels in their accountability systems for career and technical education (CTE) programs. But it requires states to prioritize the performance of historically underserved students in those systems and involve…

The year 2020 saw significant state legislative actions, executive orders, and budget provisions that had a profound impact on funding related to Career and Technical Education (CTE) and career readiness. This report from the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and Advance CTE is the eighth annual review of CTE and career…

The Innovation Schools Act of 2008, § 22-32.5-102, et seq. C.R.S., was designed to provide a pathway for schools and districts to develop and implement innovative practices in a wide variety of areas and contexts to improve student outcomes. The Act provides a formal process that allows schools or groups of schools to make requests to their local…

To address the extraordinary circumstances of extended and widespread closures of schools upon in-person instruction due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), on March 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) invited, pursuant to section 8401(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), each State…

This qualitative study investigates the perceptions of alternative school administrators in North Carolina about the impact of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) on them and their campuses. The study interviewed four alternative high school administrators with schools labeled as Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) during the 2018-2019…