Using National Assessment of Educational Progress mathematics data, a predictive model indicated that states could be classified as "No Score Gain" or "Score Gain" states based on median household income and the percentage of students participating in free and reduced-price lunch. Implications associated with the findings suggested that these two…

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…

For nearly a decade, ACT has measured student progress in the context of college readiness. "The Condition of College & Career Readiness" is ACT's annual report on the college readiness of the most recent high school graduating class. The data herein provide insights to catalyze and guide efforts to improve college and career…

Some see the George W. Bush administration's American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) as the perfect complement to the No Child Left Behind Act's (NCLB) equity focus. The authors believe, however, that the prospects for synergy of these two agendas are not bright. In this essay, the authors discuss the history behind NCLB and the ACI, and argue…

The move to electronic forms of communication has changed the way educational research is communicated. In particular it has led to an increased reliance on journals. This change has been more precipitous than one might expect. As journals become a larger proportion of the body of current scholarship, authors and readers seek new methods of…