Provides a case study of how school effectiveness policy is mediated by teachers and Local Education Authority (LEA) advisors. Uses qualitative data of a "failing" junior school in the United Kingdom to highlight (1) an LEA response to an evaluation by the Office for Standards in Education and (2) staff mediation of the LEA intervention.…

The idea that schools seldom change is debunked as a myth and discussed in terms of two types of change (incremental and fundamental) that have marked the history of public schools. This myth has also affected the education of children with disabilities, particularly concerning judgment of the success or failure of innovations. Suggestions for…

Presents the results of a survey conducted by the Canadian Society for Education through Art (CSEA). The survey questioned the relevance of policies in place since the late 1960s. The policies addressed subjects including competitions and exhibitions, commercially prepared materials, and the teaching of art. Includes responses and discussion. (MJP)

Discusses the implementation of a charter middle school serving at-risk students in Louisiana and intended to provide an alternative to expulsion. Reviews the school's objectives, school governance and charter law compliance, educational program, accountability, and preliminary progress. Considers the level of attainment for each of 13 goals for…

Describes the theoretical framework and practical application of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS). Concludes that the survey is based on an empirically-proven statistical construct that has been executed accurately with results that shed light on the relationship between functional literacy and national and individual well being.…

States that French authorities refused to make International Adult Literacy Survey results public, citing methodological flaws, the need for better procedural precautions, and a more adequate notion of literacy. Presents a synthesis of the counter investigations demanded by French authorities that justify their doubts on the IALS definitions and…

Considers the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1997 Arts Report Card. The NAEP assessment provides data on what eighth-graders know and can do in music, visual arts, and theater. Evaluates the assessment, discusses the results, and addresses a call for action. (CMK)

Examines the national educational assessment systems of Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay to explore the role of politics and state-polity relations in shaping the design, implementation, and impact of national assessment systems. Discusses the rapid global diffusion of national assessment systems and the impact of centralized versus decentralized…

This article examines how a state, a district, and a local school in Texas are making steps toward meeting the first recommendation (setting challenging curricular standards) of the 1993 national report "National Excellence: A Case for Developing America's Talent". Specific performance standards for students are listed and standard…

Begins with a look at the year's major education news: implications of the massacre at Columbine High School, major Supreme Court decisions, and pro- and anti-voucher political rhetoric. Following is an analysis of how the nation is doing on the Goals 2000. Other sections take the pulse of public education and analyze the challenges faced by…

This commentary on "Accountability for All Students: Kentucky's Alternate Portfolio Assessment for Students with Moderate and Severe Cognitive Disabilities" (Kleinert and others), discusses the convergence of the inclusion movement and school reform efforts and the ability of the portfolio assessment to facilitate the inclusion of…

This article discusses potential benefits and detriments of high-stakes assessment on students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). It suggests these tests are unlikely to be useful for students with EBD because they differ dramatically from validated assessment procedures for students with disabilities. These students may experience…

This article considers issues in educational reform, particularly accountability-oriented policies, and student motivation. We argue that prominent theories of motivation derived from cognitive traits/states are antithetical to the assumptions underlying conventional assessment formats and accountability-oriented reforms. We advance an alternative…

The purpose of the study was to investigate the adequacy of educational services available for the implementation of the ideals of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) in Southern Nigeria. Using the multistage sampling technique, 800 primary school teachers were selected from the three geo political zones in Southern Nigeria as participants in the…

This paper discusses some of the major issues in the operation of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). The paper presents a brief development of the concept of distance education in Nigeria and the development of flexible open distance learning through the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The paper also…