State leaders have long recognized the value of statewide tests. Many had well-developed testing systems long before the No Child Left Behind Act, signed in 2002, required annual assessments in grades 3-8. Another sign of that recognition is the recent plethora of new state testing requirements for K-3 students. But would states continue to test…

The Elementary and Secondary Schools Education Act (ESEA) was finally reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The reauthorization was long overdue and with its passage comes much hype and some misinformation about what the law permits and does not permit. The purpose of this brief is to outline some of the key accountability…

Amid the cacophony of special interests fighting to be heard in statehouses and on Capitol Hill, a cadre of current and former chief state school officers is elbowing its way into the nation's education debate at a time when states are taking more control of K-12 education. A little more than a year old, Chiefs for Change is an invitation-only…

No matter where teachers, state officials, and testing experts stand on the debate about school accountability, they generally agree that the United States' current multiple-choice-dominated Kinder-12 tests are, to use language borrowed from the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, "in need of improvement." Now, federal officials are…

A survey of the broad policy community rates the governor, Democratic and Republican lawmakers, mayor, Chicago Board of Education, district central office, and the Chicago Teachers union in their work of Chicago school governance before and after the July 1995 restructuring. Preliminary results suggest improvement in school governance following…

American postsecondary education is a diverse collection of public and private institutions, ranging from community and technical colleges to comprehensive and research universities. These institutions are an invaluable resource to states and to the nation -- they educate many of the talented people who work in our industries, businesses, and…

The Chancellor's charge to the President sets forth the principles and guidelines each will follow in their respective roles. The Board of Regents of the State of New York sets educational policy and rules for the execution of the policy. The newly elected President of the State University and Commissioner of Education will execute the policy.…

The process of selecting a chief state school officer (CSSO) can be a significant means of allocating policymaking power in state educational governance. This paper examines the role of the chief state school officer and explains how that role is influenced by the selection process. Four selection models are described, along with the advantages…

This reports presents interview findings with education policymakers on various aspects of educational research. The sampling contained the following groups: superintendents and other local education officials; chief state school officers; state higher education executive officers; state legislators; governors' educational policy advisors;…

Countless reports have analyzed the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 on teacher quality and student achievement. What many of these reports truly leave behind, however, is the reality that state governments--not the federal government--have the strongest impact on the work of America's 3.1 million teachers. With that in mind, three…