The purpose of the present evaluation study was to examine the progress made in program implementation, school climate, and student achievement by Tennessee charter schools. Six evaluation questions guided the methodology for this study. Student achievement results are addressed in a separate report. The following evaluation questions are…

This document reports the results of the Kansas Assessment Program for reading and mathematics for 1999. The mathematics assessment is given in grades 4, 7, and 10. Over 30% of the 4th graders met the individual student standard for excellence in mathematics, with 8% of 7th graders and only 4% of 10th graders meeting the standard. Five-year trend…

For too many graduates, the American high school diploma signifies only a broken promise. While students and their parents may still believe that the diploma reflects adequate preparation for the intellectual demands of college or work, employers and postsecondary institutions know that it often serves as little more than a certificate of…

A Pennsylvania State University study of institutions deemed to be using technology well found that they all use policy, budget, and strategy measures to maximize benefits; encourage early implementation of information technology infrastructure and standards; emphasize customer service to integrate technology into institutional culture; and use…

In 1987, Toronto Board of Education mandated the development of standards, called "benchmarks," for students' achievement in mathematics and language at the end of grades 3, 6, 8, and 10. The development and testing of benchmarks stressing higher-order thinking, problem solving, and the use of experiential approaches and manipulative…

Teachers in Ireland fear that benchmarking in the context of the present review of pay and conditions for all public service workers camouflages a shift of concern away from the development of the individual student to concern for the quality of the educational process provided by schools. A recent dispute between secondary teachers and the Irish…

Since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), school leaders have been locked in a continuing struggle to comply with it. Unrelenting student testing, revisions to class schedules, required disclosures, teacher-quality issues, and requirements for supplemental services are straining every sector of school district operations.…

The British Columbia (BC) English as a Second Language (ESL) Articulation Committee's Canadian Language Benchmarks project was precipitated by ESL instructors' desire to address transfer difficulties of ESL students within the BC transfer system and to respond to the recognition that the Canadian Language Benchmarks, a descriptive scale of ESL…

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) monitors the South's education reforms through "Benchmarks" reports, tracking progress toward 12 goals for elementary, secondary, and higher education that were endorsed by the SREB in 1988. The board collects state-by-state data every 2 years and compares how states are doing on over 60…

This document is the Virginia Board of Education's "Reading First" application. Funding of this grant request will provide the commonwealth the capacity to award local educational agencies sixty to seventy- five school level subgrants that are based on model classroom and professional development criteria. The document contains 2…

The High School diploma has lost its value because what it takes to earn one is disconnected from what it takes for graduates to compete successfully beyond high school--either in the classroom or in the workplace. Re-establishing the value of the diploma will require the creation of an inextricable link between high school exit expectations and…

The utility of a quasi-experimental evaluation design for estimating benefits derived from a program to match job-seekers to openings listed by employers was examined in three studies of Job Service referrals and placements in Washington and Oregon. Data examined included a mail survey of a sample of 587 Washington residents referred to job…

The Illinois Early Learning Standards were developed by the Illinois State Board of Education with the assistance of hundreds of educators. The goal of the standards is to provide teachers and caregivers useful information that is directly needed as part of their daily classroom work. Based on comments from educators, parents, and various experts…

In March 1997, all State, Territory and Commonwealth education ministers agreed on the national goal: that every child leaving primary school should be numerate and able to read, write and spell at an appropriate level. To provide focus for this goal, ministers agreed to a sub-goal: that every child commencing school from 1998 will achieve a…

In March 1997, all State, Territory and Commonwealth education ministers agreed on the national goal: that every child leaving primary school should be numerate and able to read, write and spell at an appropriate level. To provide focus for this goal, ministers agreed to a sub-goal: that every child commencing school from 1998 will achieve a…