In order to improve desegregation of the elementary schools, and the low achievement level of elementary schools with high concentrations of poor and minority students, the Massachusetts Board of Education placed a coordinated approach to improving urban schools first among its objectives. The following educational objectives were set for each…

This report describes the instructional and support services delivered directly to migrant children and youth in Washington State. It also describes the statewide services provided through special projects and programs. The report details the use of federal grant awards to the state for fiscal 1987. There are five sections to the report. Section…

The Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) utilize the state mandated testing of students in grades 3, 5 and 8 with the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) as an accountability index. The district has set objectives to be met by teachers and students. The Department of Instructional Research, Testing, and Evaluation (IRTE) District Program…

The sixth report required by the Maryland Educational Accountability Act contains information about goals for Maryland public education and progress toward those goals. The first section explains accountability, the Maryland Accountability Act, and limitations of current instruments for measuring learning progress. The central purpose of the…

The seventh report required by the Maryland Educational Accountability Act contains information about goals for Maryland public education and progress toward those goals. The first section explains accountability, the Maryland Accountability Act, and limitations of current instruments for measuring learning progress. The central purpose of the…

Educational reforms in recent decades have resulted in a proliferation of specific programs with dispersed controls and expanded levels of governance. As a result, the environmental context within which a school district operates is exceedingly complex. This case study describes the complexity of the overall system of reporting that has evolved…

Selected financial and program records of nine administrative units of Michigan's Bilingual/Migrant Education Program from October 1, 1978 through September 30, 1983 were examined in an audit to assess fairness of fund allocation, compliance with appropriate laws and regulations, adequacy of administrative performance, and priority of school…

The meaning of standardized achievement testing to 50 third-grade teachers was investigated through a construct validation procedure using questionnaires and structured open-ended interviews. Subjects were from 18 schools performing distinctly above or below prediction on the Delaware Educational Assessment Program Longitudinal Study.…

By law the Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation has the primary responsibility for assuring the quality of elementary and secondary education programs in the state. The Commission finds its role as one of validation and process evaluation according to established procedures. Recently, the state legislature mandated the establishment of…

The phenomenon of minimum competency testing (MCT) is explored, beginning with its origins in public concern for educational accountability. Three major themes appearing in the states enacting prescriptive legislation are described: state standards/state test (Florida); state standards/local test (Oregon); and local standards/local test…

The National Education Association's Task Force on Testing has stated its opinion that standardized tests are overused. The task force suggests that the application of sampling techniques and a variety of alternatives to current testing practices would accomplish the same purposes. Representatives of the testing industry have indicated that the…

The statewide (Maryland) educational accountability plan described in this report was adopted in 1973 and called for the development and establishment of the following: statewide goals in reading, writing, and mathematics; local goals and objectives in each of 24 school systems in conformance with state goals; a comprehensive and uniform statewide…

Interrelations between the states and higher education are examined, and a generally optimistic outlook is presented. Two major sections are given, one commentary, the other descriptive. The commentary has these major themes: (1) American higher education, with federal, state, and private funding, has been comparatively effective; (2) some surplus…

This monograph is directed toward policy makers, parents, students, educational leaders, teachers, taxpayers and society as a whole, aiming at their involvement and the attainment of excellence in education. People living in a rapidly changing society have many expectations for education, among which are the teaching of moral and ethical values,…

This document presents the transcript of a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Education Reform about state and local level special education programs that work and federal barriers to innovation as part of efforts to reform the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Highlights of the testimony include: (1) progress in New York in…