New Mexico's Every Student Succeeds Act state plan set the goal for all English learner students to attain English proficiency within five years. The Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest English Learners Research Partnership conducted this study to better understand progress toward English proficiency among American Indian English learner…

The purpose of this paper is to offer an analytic perspective to policy makers and educational practitioners regarding how to use longitudinal achievement data to evaluate schools. The authors further discuss the potential practical applications of their models for superintendents, researchers, and policy makers. The premise of the study is that…

The purpose of this study was to examine the job satisfaction of Iowa public school principals and contrast the job satisfaction to the perceptions six years previously. The population for the 1999 and 2005 study was a sample of principals from Iowa K-12 schools. The study revealed significant differences in overall job satisfaction, in gender of…

This study focuses on the profile of principals who seem to be able to shape the school culture to best encourage teaching and learning. Data from a representative sample of primary schools (N = 46) were collected through questionnaires for principals and for teachers (N = 700) and semi-structured interviews with the principals. Functioning,…

The widespread use of comparative data can lead to problems on a campus unless the data are systematically incorporated in the institutional planning cycle. A model has been developed to alleviate a number of problems and increase the power of comparison as a management tool. (MSE)

Institutional comparison groups can be selected in several ways, depending on the comparison issue. The method chosen involves both technical and political considerations. (Author/MSE)

Discusses the use of peer institutions as a component in college and university financial and budgetary decision making. The use of peer institutions to establish points of reference is an inevitable outcome of pressures for increased input and accountability. The key factors to be used in determining the extent of a peer-institution match are…

Results of the National Association of College and University Business Officers' annual study of endowment funds and investment performance are summarized. Analysis focuses on size of investment holdings, expenditures, institutional investment patterns, and trends. Data are presented on investment pool asset allocation patterns and rank 495…

Setting up a successful interinstitutional data-sharing project involves commonsense guidelines: be clear about what is wanted, take advantage of what already exists, use appropriate technology, staff adequately, recognize institutional differences, and concentrate on achieving insight rather than precision. (Author/MSE)

The use of instructional facilities at University of Alaska campuses was assessed in 1982 through a comparison of usage rates and prescribed standards. The objective was to assist the state legislature evaluate present and future capital improvements requested by the university and to enhance institutional managerial decisions regarding the need…

Comparison is inherent to system and state coordination activities and is valuable for overall review and for identifying differential needs. A variety of factors affect interinstitutional comparisons, and close cooperation between boards and institutions can increase the effectiveness of the process. (MSE)

The passage of the Children First Act in 1988 ushered in a new era of data collection, analysis, and reporting about the overall quality and condition of education in Louisiana. Implemented in 1990, this major piece of legislation resulted in the publication of the Progress Profiles (School Report Cards, District Composite Report, and the…

The passage of the Children First Act in 1988 ushered in a new era of data collection, analysis, and reporting about the overall quality and condition of education in Louisiana. Implemented in 1990, this major piece of legislation resulted in the publication of the Progress Profiles (School Report Cards, District Composite Report, and the…

Up to six years of data (the current year and the five previous years where available) are presented in the District Composite Report. Each year, this report is updated by adding the most current year?s data and deleting the data that are more than six years old. Incorporating longitudinal data in the District Composite Report enables policy…

Based on data from the National Longitudinal Study of the Class of 1972, this study confirmed the financial value of the baccalaureate degree, in comparison with the high school diploma, and well-known differences in income to graduates by field of study. Differences by type of higher education institution were relatively smaller. (Author/MSE)