This paper is based on a participatory research project with four Nepali high school students. This study provides analyses and perspectives of the "insiders", unlike most research on higher education, which is produced through the government. These student testimonies not only expose some of the deep inequalities in educational quality…

"Choice" and "freedom" as measured by the ability of parents to select their children's schools are deeply embedded in the national ethos of the United States of America. Wealthy American parents have always exercised school choice but minority and low-income students are often trapped in failing schools. This paper is based on…

This article reports that some graduate programs are switching from comprehensive qualifying exams to portfolios compiled by doctoral candidates. Five years ago the graduate program at the University of Kansas' history department was like many others--filled with small cohorts of anxious, fearful procrastinators. Doctoral students were taking an…

The survey Performance Standards for In-service Teachers is widely used to help describe teacher skills relating to instructional technology for assessment or planning of professional development. It is based on the six constructs of the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers, and though used broadly in a variety of contexts, it…

In an effort to establish a baseline of technology competency among our entering education students, our College of Education began implementing the Assessment of Technology Competencies (ATC) in Fall 2003. This performance-based assessment evaluates word-processing, presentation, spreadsheet, graphic/drawing, and Internet skills. Although…

Many expect that charter schools will produce innovations, but it is unclear what kinds and how much innovation is desirable. This paper summarizes the research evidence on charter school innovation to date and suggests ways to more productively pursue future research and development in the charter sector. The paper addresses three main questions:…

Efforts to introduce school choice have produced pressures on public schools to improve their performance. As a result, many public schools have embraced the total quality management principle of continuous improvement. In this article we explain that while this may be well intentioned, it may have perverse unintended consequences. A likely…

High stakes accountability (HSA) reforms were enacted in state after state and federally through the No Child Left Behind law, based on the belief that incentives that have consequences attached are effective ways to motivate educators to improve student performance. Our focus for this article is on school district level responses to HSA reforms…

The Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA) provides a framework for public universities to provide evidence of success and increase public confidence. The goals of the VSA are threefold: (1) Demonstrate greater accountability and stewardship to the public; (2) Enhance effective educational practices by measuring educational outcomes; and (3)…

This article reports the results of a longitudinal study of 35 Swedish comprehensive schools involving interviews with teachers, school leaders, students, and parents carried out in 1980, 1982, 1985, and 2001. During the 35-year period covered by the study, the schools experienced significant reforms. The most important of these reforms involved a…

This paper reports on research into the use of ICT within a one-year initial teacher education (ITE) course in the UK, specialising in physical education (PE). The study examined how the course, which operates in both university and school-based settings, endeavoured to support trainees' use of ICT in PE and then to identify areas where the…

A continuity principle is suggested for scaling of assessment scores from different levels of a multilevel mastery training program. In such training programs students are self-paced and work at levels of tasks appropriate for their levels of performance. The problem addressed in this report concerns the scaling of assessment scores at different…

Describes a project to disseminate information about effective educational programs and practices to districts, schools, and interested educators in the state. (RC)

A conceptual framework for considering the costs and benefits of postsecondary education assessment is presented, along with a typology linking the costs of evaluation to their informational benefits. A number of cost-analysis paradigms and techniques for assessing alternative evaluation projects at the institutional level are also examined. The…

The evaluation model presented here was developed by the West Northfield (Illinois) District 31 Evaluation Committee in collaboration with consultants from the Institute for Educational Research. Based on a review of the literature prepared by the Institute, the guide elaborates on the steps to be taken in conducting an educational program…