This report is a sequel to the Council of Great City Schools' 2004 report "Restoring Excellence to the DC Public Schools" that prompted the district school system to develop a new strategic plan, adopt strong academic standards, recruit new talent and accelerate professional development, and generally overhaul both buildings and…

The papers in this book reflect current debates on academic standards and quality assurance, and speak from the perspective of institutional leaders and national quality bodies and higher education researchers. Included are reports on the progress of several international quality initiatives and studies on the impact of external quality assurance…

In 1999, a task force was appointed to develop early childhood education (ECE) program expectations or standards for New Jersey's ECE programs. The standards were based on the task force's review of research, curricula, standards, and guidelines developed by local boards of education, other states, and professional organizations; feedback on draft…

This document summarizes findings from a 1998-99 study of teacher development that investigated California's challenge to provide high quality teachers for all students. California's set of standards to improve education for all requires that all students have qualified teachers. In order for California's move toward academic excellence to…

This information kit describes the importance of having skilled and well-prepared teachers in all American classrooms. Section 1, "Why We Must Invest in Good Teaching," explains that "Good Teaching Makes a Difference." Section 2, "The Current State of Teaching in America: Five Barriers to Increasing Student…

Recounts the experiences of Kansas social studies educators in designing and implementing a workable assessment instrument that would meet state requirements. The design emphasized five characteristics (thematic orientation, skills emphasis, social studies perspectives, variety of resources, and community orientation) constructed around a…

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) gives states wide discretion to define what students must learn, how that knowledge should be tested, what test scores constitute proficiency, set standards for high school graduation rates, teacher qualifications, school safety and many other aspects of school performance. As a result, states are largely free to define…

This report presents seven case studies and discusses the role of continuous quality improvement (CQI) in college classroom effectiveness efforts, particularly specific institutions where sustained CQI programs have affected college classroom practice, their common features, and lingering doubts about CQI. An introduction discusses general…

In an effort to provide the people of Iowa with a clearer sense of the needs for improvement in the state's 15 public community colleges, this report examines problem areas and causes and presents recommendations for improving educational quality. First, a discussion is provided of four key problem areas identified through a survey of over 1,000…

The 1986-1987 annual report of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) is presented. In addition to statements from the SREB chairman and president, the report contains a program sampler in which progress in the following areas is addressed: improving the quality of teachers, establishing standards and assessments to improve quality in higher…

A discussion of how well freshmen students are performing at Arizona's three universities, the relationship of high school class standing to performance, and the resulting need to change admission standards is presented as one of the working papers in the final report of the Arizona Board of Regents' Task Force on Excellence, Efficiency and…

In 1973, compulsory province-wide grade 12 examinations, administered in Alberta since 1906, were dropped; teachers were given the responsibility of assigning final grades. Mandated by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1976, this study by the Minister's Advisory Committee on Student Achievement (MACOSA) surveyed education professionals,…

Guidelines adopted by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education for institutions offering undergraduate and graduate courses at off-campus locations are presented. The following areas are addressed: determination of courses to be offered, standards of credit courses offered at off-campus locations, faculty, administrative organization…

The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a regional accrediting agency of schools, colleges, and universities, and serves the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Canal Zone, and some overseas locations. In this publication are included its…

Reports from the popular media indicate that the public is demanding a return to the teaching of basic skills, instead of supporting educational innovations which emphasize affective rather than cognitive objectives. Concerned with declining academic achievement at all levels of education and with the inadequate job skills of high school…