For more than a decade, states have evaluated school performance largely through a single measure--test scores--and rated schools on whether they improved students' performance in reading or math. The idea was to focus schools' attention on the outcomes that mattered most and to focus states' attention on the schools that needed the most help in…

Until recently, states focused on ensuring the presence of a "highly qualified teacher" in every classroom. Under the 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), this title described a teacher holding at least a bachelor's degree and the appropriate state license and…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an empirical comparison of two measures of school success -- a value-added assessment system and the federally-mandated system of adequate yearly progress (AYP) -- to identify highly effective urban schools in the USA and to explore the predictive relationship between evidence-based decision-making…

Describes role of school business officials in complying with No Child Left Behind Act's mandated use of school and student data. Includes data mining for educators and information technology solutions. (PKP)

Student information systems, one of the first applications of computer technology in education, are undergoing a significant transition yet again. The first major shift in SIS technologies occurred about 15 years ago when they evolved from mainframe programs to client-server solutions. Now, vendors across the board are offering centralized…

Since the inception of the No Child Left Behind legislation, school districts have been faced with a growing need to gather, analyze and monitor more data than ever before in the management of school performance. Accountability mandates also have placed a greater emphasis on gleaning the most granular types of information from these large sources…

For some districts, the current obsession with data grows out of the need to comply with No Child Left Behind and additional accountability-related mandates. For others, it dates way back before the phrase "data-driven decision making" rolled so frequently off the tongues of educators. In either case, there is no denying that an integral…

In 2005, Corpus Christi Independent School District (CCISD) met its Adequate Yearly Progress targets under No Child Left Behind for the third year in a row. All but one of the district's 61 schools was rated "academically acceptable" or better, and more than one quarter achieved a ranking of "recognized" or…

Displays findings from a fall 2002 survey of all states to determine how they were progressing in meeting No Child Left Behind Act's list of requirements. Generally, states and local districts are stronger developing accountability systems but a significant gap remains between the federal law's demands and the capacity to meet them. (Author/MLF)

New technology promises to ease the work load to meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act and set the stage for easier and more comprehensive data analysis and subsequent changes to instruction. A sidebar lists data resources. (MLF)

Requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act present school districts with a massive lesson in data-driven decision-making. Technology companies offer data-management tools that organize student information from state tests. Offers districts advice in choosing a technology provider. (MLF)