To ensure that school districts and schools meet acceptable performance levels, many school districts and states have enacted various accountability policies. Two of the most controversial approaches to accountability are reconstitutions of schools and state takeovers of school districts and schools. For each approach, this policy brief presents…

This issue focuses on how special education fits into standards-based reform and contains the following featured articles: (1) A New Vision for Special Education Accountability (Martha L. Thurlow and Jane L. Krentz) charts the change in special education accountability as it moves from the old focus on Individualized Education Program teams; (2)…

In recent years, New York, like most other states, has adopted a set of challenging educational standards that are geared to preparing all students to be capable citizens and to compete in the global marketplace. The state has also implemented extensive Regents testing programs to measure student progress toward meeting the standards. These…

What students do in college matters as much as anything else in terms of their educational success. Educationally effective colleges and universities - those that add value to the student experience - intentionally craft policies and practices that channel students' energy to the activities that matter to student learning. Students who…

This report covers the activities of the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) from October 1, 2002, to September 30, 2003. In addition to describing OCR's civil rights compliance program, the report demonstrates how OCR is able to make a real difference in the lives of students. 2004 marks a special year in America's…

Choosing Higher Options in Community Education (CHOICE) Alternative School is devoted to professional development. This report documents the need for and planning of sustained and supported professional development for 4 staff members at the CHOICE Alternative School in Jamestown, New York. There was no focused plan or vision for staff development…

On July 22, 1997, a panel of approximately 25 individuals, including members of the Accountability Committee of the National Association of State Directors of Vocational Technical Education, participated in a focus group for the following purposes: to identify the information needed for program accountability; to assess the National Center for…

The National Association of State Directors of Vocational Technical Education Consortium (NASDVTEC) supports enactment of legislation that is dedicated solely to vocational-technical education (VTE). NASDVTEC urges the 105th Congress to build on the existing foundation of a strong state role in VTE by drafting legislation that achieves the…

This case study, part of the State Structures for the Governance of Higher Education study, focuses on governance and related issues in Florida's higher education system. The study's overall purpose was to examine differences among states in their governance structures, and to determine if differences in performance were related to governing…

This congressional report presents and examines the Carl D. Perkins Vocational-Technical Education Act Amendments of 1997. The following items are included: text of the amendments; summary of three hearings held in preparation for amending the Perkins Act; statement of views of the Committee on Education and the Workforce regarding needed changes…

The 10 papers in this handbook consider higher education theory and research. Following an opening essay, "Recollections and Reflections," by C. Robert Pace, which offers reflections on higher education as a field, on its evolution, and it future research needs, papers include: "Reflections on the Study of Effective College Teaching…

This report presents tables, graphs, and narrative to describe the current status of postsecondary education in Kentucky in the context of the Kentucky Postsecondary Improvement Act of 1997. The Act changes how postsecondary education is defined (to include postsecondary technical schools) and its activities and programs measured. The first…

In 2000, the National Education Goals Panel examined the conditions that help ensure school success, conducting a series of four field hearings nationwide to find evidence of success and to understand why schools were succeeding. Participants at the hearings included students, teachers, parents, principals, superintendents, university presidents,…

This reference includes presentations that cover current research, best practices, and solutions to improve student achievement. The 25 chapters are: (1) "The Three Stories of Educational Reform: Inside; Inside/Out; Outside/In" (Michael Fullan); (2) "Hey, You with the Frontal Lobes: Brains for Educators, Educators of Brains"…

"Contested Ground: Performance Accountability in Adult Basic Education" (ABE) is one of the most important books on adult literacy policy at the turn of the century. In it, Juliet Merrifield examines the critical issues of policy, practice, and theory with which the field is currently consumed. She and her colleagues maintain that the concept of…