"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Another Positive Step for ESEA Reauthorization: Testifying Before Congress, Duncan Calls for Reauthorization in 2010,…

In 1991, the Florida State Legislature established an accountability process for the state's community college system to foster institutional self-examination and improvement. In 1995, the Legislature undertook a review of the process to determine the extent that it had been implemented, the usefulness of specific documents, and the level of…

The educational reform strategies of Texas, California, and South Carolina are examined as they relate to reform outcomes. The current effort toward educational excellence must shift its focus from regulation and compliance monitoring to mobilization of institutional capacity. (SLD)

Virginia Governor's Schools provide gifted students with educational experiences that are otherwise unavailable in their local school divisions. Governor's Schools (previously called Magnet Schools) include 5 academic year schools, 5 summer residential schools, and 20 summer regional schools. This report, produced in response to a request from the…

In June 1989, the Utah State Office of Education contracted with the Research and Evaluation Methodology Program at Utah State University to conduct a statewide evaluation of Utah's Productivity Projects Studies Program. This executive summary of the results of the evaluation contains: (1) a description of the program; (2) an overview of the…

Reviews recent research about program and school evaluation, including studies of qualitative evaluation methods, replicability in program evaluation, assessment of equity in schools, triangulation, site-based management, approaches to evaluating staff development activities, state reform efforts, and educational inequality. (DMM)

A 3-year evaluation was conducted of the New York State Community Schools Program (CSP) in New York City Public Schools. The goals of the CSP include better, more developmental, challenging, and enriched curricula and more time on task, leading to improved academic outcomes for children in Community Schools. The goals also include school-site…

The general purpose of the Arizona career ladder pilot project is to establish a social intervention program which will result in improvement of the professional development and effectiveness of teachers and enhance student learning. This document is a comprehensive report to the Arizona state legislature on the development and progress to date of…

A survey was conducted of the literature pertaining to higher education program review. Many institutions of higher education have come under intense scrutiny and criticism, and have been required to respond to public pressure for accountability. Program review is one component of the assessment of institutional effectiveness. The following seven…

Although Pennsylvania's Long Range Planning for School Improvement (LRPSI) assumes linkage between school improvement and school compliance with state-mandated registration process guidelines, the extent to which the newly mandated evaluation/registration process will actually contribute to substantive school improvement and a rebuilding of public…

This year the Center on Education Policy (CEP) analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps…

This year the Center on Education Policy (CEP) analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps…

The impact of class size reduction at the early levels on student achievement in various states is discussed in this report. The Tennessee Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) study, a statewide longitudinal evaluation of the effects of class size on student achievement and development in primary grades K-3, analyzed demographic and basic…

This year the Center on Education Policy analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps between…

This year the Center on Education Policy (CEP) analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps…