In 1988, the Chicago public school system decentralized, granting parents and communities significant resources and authority to reform their schools in dramatic ways. To track the effects of this bold experiment, the authors of "Organizing Schools for Improvement" collected a wealth of data on elementary schools in Chicago. Over a…

Public organizations charged with coordinating higher education institutions face a complex set of tasks. Whether coordinating institutions within one sector or across sectors, such organizations play vital roles in promoting a state's capacity for policy leadership to meet the growing need for an educated citizenry. National experts have…

Documenting and improving early childhood program quality is a national priority, leading to a rapid expansion of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRISs). QRISs document and improve the quality of early childhood education programs and provide clear information to families about their child care choices. The current study described how…

To audit school climate requires sound comprehensive planning and should include assessment of the climate dimensions of human satisfaction and human productivity. (Author/JM)

In 2006, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Early Learning Initiative (ELI) to improve the school readiness of Washington State's children through three main strategies: (1) development of high-quality, community-wide early learning initiatives in two communities; (2) enhancement of statewide systems that support early…

Analyzes two possible assessment outcomes: (1) differing results on two or more assessments; and (2) loss of achievement after improvement cycle. Proposes short- and long-term solutions to problematic results, including analyzing differences in tests and pre-planning to avoid flaws in assessment design. (NB)

The school Assessment Survey (SAS) is a validated instrument that both assesses school conditions and provides useful feedback for staff. The SAS is organized around nine key organizational dimensions identified in the literature: (1) Goal Consensus; (2) Facilitative Leadership; (3) Centralization of Influence: Classroom Instruction; (4)…

This paper discusses how assessment practices in higher education can improve or hinder learning. An example is given to illustrate some common educational practices that may be contributing to underpreparation and underperformance of students. Elements of effective learning environments that may better address underlying metacognitive issues are…

The Saginaw Successful Schools Project (S3P) was described and evaluated using data collected from 1980 to 1985. S3P is a school improvement project based on instructional and school effectiveness research findings; but the starting point for change is determined by staff in each of the 31 school buildings. The School Improvement Survey (SIS) was…

This paper presents a model for continuous, systematic evaluation of ongoing programs and specifies data needed for decisionmaking in the areas of program adoption, curtailment, or expansion. These data give the decisionmaker the necessary information for program planning in today's sophisticated educational environment. (Author/RA)

Current thinking and research on the nature of formative evaluation of replicable forms of instruction are summarized. Methodologies appropriate for other evaluation roles (e.g. summative) are shown to be often inappropriate for the formative role. This paper attempts to classify sources of information concerning the merit of educational materials…

Assessing School-Age Child Care Quality (ASQ) is a five-step process which guides program staff as they evaluate the quality of their program so they can develop priorities and improve achievement of goals. The five steps in the ASQ process are: (1) preparing for program improvement; (2) gathering information; (3) building the Action Plan; (4)…

This curriculum framework is a guide for local education communities as they restructure their schools and improve foreign language planning. Grounded in national and state reform efforts, this guide for teachers to help students achieve the Sunshine State Standards, presents broad, overarching ideas for the development of curriculum and…

Measures of quality are now in widespread use across states as part of quality improvement initiatives. For example, many states are currently using global measures of quality that were first developed for research and practice purposes (such as the Environmental Rating Scales) in their Quality Rating Systems (QRSs). Although global quality…

This module is intended to help guidance personnel in a variety of educational and agency settings increase their skills in assessing desired outcomes, current status, and needs of program clients as well as skills to assess the environmental conditions that influence those needs. The module is one of a series of competency-based guidance program…