Throughout every region of North Carolina, leaders of organizations in all fields -- business, education, government, community, faith-based, and others -- agree that the future prosperity and well-being of the state's citizens requires successfully educating all of its children. That means effectively supporting children of every race and…

Every student deserves an education that prepares him or her for lifelong learning, success in the world of work, and participation in representative government. Unfortunately, far too many students are not receiving the high-quality educational experiences needed to help them reach these goals. Meaningful progress toward equity in education does…

This guidebook provides an introduction to Instructional Improvement Systems (IIS) for State education agency (SEA) managers and program leads. Functional components of a theoretical IIS model are discussed and used as a reference point for the introduction a seven-step planning and implementation cycle designed to guide SEAs in the development of…

This book describes the rationale and research underlying the testing of an "audit" that explored how school districts organize themselves to reform middle-grades education. The volume is intended for those who seek to improve achievement, equity, and learning communities. Section 1 describes the theory, research, and framework for district…

This guide provides information on the cooperative audit resolution for program improvement. It offers guidance for resolving audit findings, as well as tips on how to use the Cooperative Audit Resolution and Oversight Initiative (CAROI). CAROI is a collaborative method to provide alternative and creative approaches to resolve audit findings and…

This manual endorses and adopts the sector-assessment approach for planning and managing the allocation of educational resources. Chapter 1 presents the manual's goals. Chapter 2 describes the manual's content and information sources, explains the term "sector assessment," identifies the groups that benefit from recommendations made by…

This manual describes a systematic process for conducting an educational needs assessment at the building level which includes suggestions for the formation of an advisory group and the use of two Likert Scale surveys. The advisory group is composed of parents, students, and educators; this group carries out the tasks of understanding, planning,…

To help school boards, educators, and citizens in Connecticut do more comprehensive district planning, this handbook introduces the planning, evaluation, and resource management (PERM) model and describes how it works. Section 1 of the document gives an overview of the planning process, defines comprehensive planning, and answers general questions…

The Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Model for Competency Based Education (CBE) Assessment Programs is designed to assist state and institutional decision-makers in the cost analysis of alternative assessment strategies in CBE programs. The general model indicates stages of decision-making related to the use of various assessment strategies within the…

This article describes variables that may influence alternate assessment outcomes for students with disabilities and offers recommendations to enhance student achievement. These variables include technical quality, curriculum access, data collection, instructional effectiveness, risk factors, and resources allocated to instruction. Two of four…

The setting of priorities among educational objectives is just as critical, and at least as difficult, as the selection of objectives. Information that is commonly used to make decisions about priorities involves: the needs of persons who will benefit from the school program; the resources available; and the knowledge of what payoffs are likely…

The survival of higher education institutions is addressed in this book. Strategies and procedures for assuring institutional vitality are outlined, based on the author's 30 years of studying and advising colleges and universities in various states of financial health. The major components of institutional vitality are enumerated, including a…

Establishing instructional priorities in public schools is a worthwhile and important process. Because time and money are insufficient to increase staffing in schools, setting priorities is a necessary component of successful managing. Steps to be taken in setting instructional priorities are as follows: (1) Adopt a statement of mission describing…

Guidelines are presented for applying cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis techniques to nonformal education (NFE) programs in developing nations. The methods are based on workshops conducted in Kenya, Tanzania, Indonesia, and Guatemala. The manual is designed for those personnel responsible for planning, administering, and evaluating NFE…

This document is the result of a national Mainstream English Language Training workgroup. Guidelines and suggestions are presented, in five chapters, for English Language Training (ELT) programs. Chapter one deals with the scope and design of particular ELT programs, taking into account the clients to be served, the needs of the service locale,…