With class-size reduction (CSR) in California now a reality, some early evaluations of the program are now possible. A contribution to this early assessment is offered here. The paper describes teachers' and parents' renewed confidence in public education despite the challenges presented by the logistics of implementing the program in the nation's…

The Tennessee Board of Regents systemwide report card and individual report cards for each of the 14 community colleges are presented. The purpose of developing this report card was to respond to the public's increased calls for accountability in higher education. The report cards--47 in all, one for the system and one for each of the 46…

Information is provided on the content standards and work to achieve them for mathematics in one Colorado school district and reading and writing in another. The six mathematics content standards of the Weld County school district are outlined for kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12), and performance standards are also described and illustrated…

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) represents a commitment by OECD member countries to monitor the outcomes of educational systems in terms of student achievement within a common international framework. This publication presents the guiding principles of…

This report draws on the first two years' experience, findings, and research of the seven strands of the Raising Quality and Achievement (RQA) Program to draw general conclusions about issues being addressed, progress made, and challenges remaining for colleges in the United Kingdom. It defines quality and achievement, describes the national…

This brief paper examines issues in service delivery and collaborative partnerships in light of requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, both of which emphasize the importance of providing access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities and…

California state law requires a sponsoring agency to determine whether charter schools nearing the end of their term should have their charters renewed. Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) was one of the first to grant charter school status, and consequently among the first to renew school charters. The district contracted with WestEd, a…

Only when everyone on campus, particularly academic affairs and student affairs staff, shares the responsibility for student learning will significant progress be made. This paper presents insights on learning and the implications for pedagogy, curricula, learning environments, and assessments. Details are given of ten principles that are…

This report discusses the outcomes of a survey that questioned states about their development of alternate assessments for students with disabilities who cannot participate, even with accommodations, in state or district-wide assessment programs. In the survey, states were asked about a variety of developmental features of their alternate…

A statewide effort was conducted in Kentucky to design a longitudinal assessment of tech prep, an educational reform strategy for high schools. Construction of the evaluation design included consideration of quantitative and qualitative data for school programmatic decisions, as well as funding accountability requirements at the district and state…

This brief identifies practices that include students with disabilities in large-scale assessments as required by the reauthorized and amended 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It notes relevant research by the National Center on Educational Outcomes and summarizes major findings of studies funded by the U.S. Office of Special…

In California, ABE 321/326 provides funding for supplemental local assistance grants for Adult Basic Education (ABE), English as a Second Language (ESL), and ESL/Citizenship. This report presents findings and recommendations from the 1997-98 Adult Basic Education (ABE) 321/326 survey questionnaire developed by the Comprehensive Adult Student…

During the 1990s, the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded a number of large-scale initiatives designed to change the way mathematics and science are taught in schools. These efforts, called Systemic Initiatives, shared a common emphasis on aligning all aspects of the educational system in support of a shared vision of effective mathematics…

This publication reports the findings of a 1997 survey of Catholic high schools. It is the first of several reports to be issued as part of a multiyear project. The findings are presented in five chapters: Institutional Characteristics, with emphasis on geography, governance, gender and grade levels, and selectivity; Staff and Student Profiles,…

This report presents the results of a survey of the 1998 graduates of Westchester Community College. The 464 graduates responding to the survey have fared quite well since graduating. The mean salary of those employed full-time is $29,755. Two-thirds reported being employed, which is slightly less than last year's graduating class. Of those…