In Italy, the National Evaluation System (SNV), encompassing both internal and external accountability components, is designed not only to hold school actors accountable but also to stimulate innovation and change in pedagogical practices. Nevertheless, existing literature presents inconclusive and contradictory findings regarding the effects and…

This paper addresses perceptions and implications of teacher evaluation by Arab school principals in an era of accountability. Analysis of semi-structured interviews with 26 Arab principals showed that teacher evaluation as a strategy keeps the school accountable in an era of reform. Additionally, most principals recognize the tool's possible uses…

One measure of current education reform in Hong Kong is reporting school performance to the public to increase the transparency and accountability of schools, enhance parents' right of access to information, and provide guides for choosing schools. This article examines the controversies and politics involved and shows how the sociopolitical…

The COVID 19 pandemic has disrupted education around the world. As the first shock passes, planning is taking place on two timescales: the short-term challenges in the return to school, and the challenges over the next 18-24 months as systems work to build resilience and adaptability for the future. This "Trends Shaping Education…

As a consequence of the federal "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) law, there is tremendous pressure on school principals, teachers, school superintendents, district staff, state departments of education and governors to maximize the increase in student achievement that is obtained with every dollar of expenditure. Currently, teachers are…

Synthesizes into four nondiscrete categories--societal, organizational, jurisdictional, and fiscal--the deliberations of 78 persons dealing with problems and solutions in the area of educational finance. (Available from The Ontario Council for Leadership in Educational Administration, Suite N1201, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1V5,…

Using Texas's experience with standards and high-stakes testing, this critical sociocultural view of accountability illuminates hidden or neglected aspects of accountability-its meanings, consequences, and the processes by which it is institutionalized. Authority is moving to the state level; teachers, parents, and students have too little…

Over the past century, American public schools have changed according to educators' initiative to establish and refine a system of public schooling. Change has been driven by social and political influences, and most recently, by an ill-defined sense of economic progress. Educators seem dedicated to change without understanding what constitutes a…

In Australia, teachers' accountability has grown less centralized and less bureaucratized as teachers have become more knowledgeable and better trained. Opposing forces are currently battling over whether to increase monitoring. In as multidimensional an administrative field as Australian schooling, a complex, changing monitoring system must…

Describes some forces that have shaped current attitudes toward evaluation of education, presents five guidelines to help in discussions of assessment, and charges teachers with the responsibility of making evaluation effective. (DF)

A study was conducted on the factors that affect learning in urban and suburban schools in Ohio, focusing on the 8 urban and 132 suburban school districts in the 8 largest counties in the state. The urban and suburban schools are compared in terms of educational, social, economic, and other factors. The chapters of this report are: (1) "How…

The future of Greece's well-being will depend on improving educational performance to boost productivity and improve social outcomes. In the current economic context, with the need to get best value for spending, Greece must and can address inefficiencies in its education system. The challenges are significant. For example, Greece lags behind many…

The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of the beginning of its modern era in 1997. The Foundation has not made a habit of issuing regular reports on its work, but this opportunity provides the occasion to review what the Fordham Foundation has done. It recaps the major priorities and activities in the national…

A model for evaluating the sustainability of educational reform involves examining the knowledge base, social and economic factors, underlying philosophy, and political aspects of the reform proposal; estimating the extensiveness and impact of the proposal on the educational system; and examining areas affected by reform such as curriculum and…

Addresses the problems of using student test scores to evaluate teachers, citing North Carolina as an example. Considers the problems with accountability laws, misidentifying problems when using student test scores, and teaching to the test. Discusses appropriate accountability mechanisms, the importance of social context, and organizing for…