This "ERIC Digest" considers the U.S. charter-school movement, which has produced about 800 schools in half the states and enrolls over 100,000 students. Charter schools reflect founders' varied philosophies and commit to achieve certain educational outcomes within a certain period, in exchange for waiving many restrictive regulations.…

This paper describes approaches that states have taken to systemic reform in adult education programs, approaches driven by the demand for accountability and high-quality services from legislation and other sources. It begins by defining systemic change and presenting a framework for understanding it. The document presents approaches in four areas…

Institutional self-study is an appropriate method for determining quality and demonstrating accountability which can lead to academic and administrative excellence. With a trend toward state and federal government involvement in higher education, colleges will do well to conduct internal program assessments in order to maintain control. A…

The origin and extent of program reduction and discontinuance at colleges and universities, the elements of program review, and a framework for developing long-range organizational planning are considered. Program discontinuance refers to the merger of related programs, the elimination of certain degrees or programs within departments, and the…

The standards-based educational reform initiatives of the 1990's call for assessment innovations to support high standards. To document state assessment policies and to develop policy recommendations for assessment innovations, the George Washington University Center for Excellence and Equity in Education surveyed state assessment directors in…

To help vocational education administrators and practitioners, this paper presents a framework for vocational education program evaluation. Evaluation is defined as the act of rendering judgments to determine a program's value; two major types are formative and summative. Vocational education evaluation should take a broader and more comprehensive…

The book discusses current issues and trends in special education programming at the secondary level. An introductory chapter by Cynthia L. Warger outlines service delivery program models and the range of curriculum content options. In Chapter 2, Janet Sansone focuses on the issue of accountability in secondary education as it relates to…

The quality of off-campus degree programs is considered in relation to quality control models and efforts that have been used to achieve quality control, the parties responsible for quality control, the effectiveness of programs to improve the educational quality of nontraditional education, and future prospects. It is suggested that quality…

The strengths and weaknesses of the traditional external quality controls exerted by government and accrediting bodies to monitor colleges and universities are examined, along with the importance of institutional self-regulation. Government involvement in American higher education is traced historically, showing that until recently the oversight…

This fact sheet examines several issues in counselor and counseling program accountability. Issues in counselor accountability include credentialing, professional disclosure, documentation of activities, and linkage with outcomes. Program accountability issues involve stakeholders, availability of resources, documentation of activities, linkage…

A large number of students enrolling in community colleges do not aspire to or complete the associate degree. Instead, they attend community colleges for a multitude of reasons, including job training or retraining, licensure, preparation for transfer, and avocational pursuits. Given the preponderant pattern of part-time attendance and diversity…

This issue reviews publications that provide a starting point for principals looking for a way through the accountability maze. Each publication views accountability differently, but collectively these readings argue that even in an era of state-mandated assessment, principals can pursue proactive strategies that serve students' needs. James A.…

During the last decade many school systems began to define minimum levels of competency for their students and to construct tests to measure whether students had achieved these minimums. Many states have passed laws which require high school students to pass minimum competency tests in order to graduate. This digest overviews four areas of…

This digest in Spanish describes the key features of current accountability systems and explores their implications for administrators. It discusses various aspects of accountability systems, such as rigorous content standards and the alignment of professional development with standards and test results, and how these elements work together to…

This digest describes the key features of current accountability systems and explores their implications for administrators. It discusses various aspects of accountability systems, such as rigorous content standards and the alignment of professional development with standards and test results, and how these elements work together to improve…