NFER conducted an independent evaluation of the Inspect and Improve (I&I) pilot project in Eastern Uganda. I&I is a school inspections and improvement programme implemented by Promoting Equality in African Schools (PEAS) in partnership with Uganda's Directorate of Education Standards (DES), under the Ministry of Education and Sports…

Policymakers have expressed increased interest in program-level higher education accountability measures as a supplement to, or in place of, institution-level metrics. But it is unclear what these measures should look like. In this report, we assess the ways program-level data could be developed to facilitate federal accountability. Evidence shows…

Drawing upon data from an Australian study, this book gives voice to beginning teachers navigating their way through their first year of teaching and discovering what it means to be professional learners. The chapters within provide rich insights into the ways in which beginning teachers make sense of the new and challenging experiences they face…

With the recent reauthorization of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), unprecedented philanthropic investment in career pathways, and the urgent economic needs of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the career readiness field is at a critical moment in time. To meet this moment, states,…

Purpose: As the federal government has retreated from taking a dominant role in encouraging implementation of common K-12 standards, states and districts have moved to fill this education policy vacuum. This study aims to understand how state and district leaders are navigating this new policy environment. Research Methods/Approach: Drawing upon…

School accountability systems can serve many purposes, including sharing information, measuring progress toward state and local goals, and supporting greater educational equity. Given the important role accountability systems play in states' education systems, states have taken the opportunity provided by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to…

The demand for public accountability in U.S. higher education has risen since the beginning of the 20th century. To meet these expectations, colleges and universities undergo institutional accreditation reviews to ensure they meet accountability and quality assurance requirements. This increased focus on institutional accreditation has prompted a…

On January 19, 2021, the author of this letter sent the final "Frequently Asked Questions: Impact of COVID-19 on Accountability Systems Required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA)," and accompanying "State Plan Addendum template," that provide responses to questions that States have raised regarding…

Organizational change around diversity and inclusion does not occur rapidly in higher education. As institutions strive to deliver on their espoused goals, values, and mission to reflect the social and cultural demographics representative of the state, society, and world, many argue the importance of strategic diversity plans. While recruitment…

The leadership inside and outside the schools envisioned in the context of output-oriented new public management reforms reacts upon the complexity and visibility of changes in a school environment. Thus, the main purpose of this conceptual article is to explore the under-theorized and under-researched relationship of the new public management mix…

This paper examines the impact of external quality assurance evaluations conducted by the Institutional Evaluation Programmes (IEP). IEP is an international quality assurance agency offering improvement-oriented peer reviews to higher education institutions on a voluntary basis. The paper is based on the results of a survey sent to evaluated…

In an effort to enhance the quality of early childhood education (ECE) at scale, nearly all U.S. states have recently adopted Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS). These accountability systems give providers and parents information about program quality and create both reputational and financial incentives for program improvement.…

A map created from data compiled by Isabela Schettino and Katie Radvany at the Reimagining Education: Teaching and Learning in Racially Diverse Schools Summer Institute (held at Teachers College, Columbia University, and directed by Amy Stuart Wells) shows which states have included references to culturally responsive teaching practices in the…

Significant economic shifts--spurred by rapid technological advancement and the Great Recession--fundamentally altered the path toward economic security and self-sufficiency in the United States, with major consequences for education and work. More states and communities are prioritizing career pathways that start in high school and culminate in a…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine data use practices within a cross-sector initiative involving high school career academies. It discerns how partners used data to assess the public value of academies and address equity concerns. Design/methodology/approach: A case study methodology was applied to examine cross-sector activities…