Based on a survey of 158 educational leaders situated in public schools, the level of educational leadership, whether a school superintendent or a principal in a secondary, middle-school, or elementary school, was not a significant factor in operational online strategies utilized or benchmarks relied upon for determining the credibility of…

This policy research document is intended for Oklahoma policymakers to use when examining possible changes to the state assessment's alignment with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The 2009 NAEP test is not yet in existence, so the purpose of this report is to give policymakers a head start in determining where they might,…

This policy research document is intended for New Mexico policymakers to use when examining possible changes to the state assessment's alignment with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The 2009 NAEP test is not yet in existence, so the purpose of this report is to give policymakers a head start in determining where they might,…

In a survey of 30 Mid-Atlantic Region education leaders, improving the achievement of No Child Left Behind subgroups (low-income students, students with limited English proficiency, students with disabilities, and students in major racial and ethnic groups) was the top priority in Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey, despite concerns about the…

Many districts and schools across the U. S. have begun to develop and administer assessments to complement state testing systems and provide additional information to monitor curriculum, instruction and schools. In advance of this trend, the Jackson Public Schools (JPS) district has had a district benchmark testing system in place for many years.…

In this paper we show that poor student performance in a rural school is influenced by the classifications used for student learning and behaviour. We propose that the institution's organisation is conveyed via a classification schema that permeates and informs judgments about student progress and holds sway over teacher cognition. Category…

With current considerations for reauthorization of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, national attention remains focused upon public education student outcomes. The purpose of this manuscript was threefold: to review the historical background of the standards reform movement; to discuss a research project to redesign program content and align…

Traditionally, education in Scotland has been viewed as a national service that is locally administered. This research casts new light on that relationship between the Scottish Executive and local authorities by drawing on evidence from an evaluation of the implementation of the additional support staff element of the Teachers' Agreement which…

Drawing on interview data derived from two case studies of teachers in their first year in the profession, this article examines the difficulties that confront new teachers as they move from a Postgraduate Certificate in Education course into their first teaching post. It questions the value of those discursive practices, promulgated by the…

This report is the result of a survey conducted in late 2005 of higher education institution chief financial officers throughout the U.S. Midwest region concerning their plans to manage what was expected to be a substantial increase in the price of energy in advance of the 2005-06 heating season. Although the winter turned out to be one of the…

In this article, the author discusses the assessment of children's year-end profiles. The key to creating a profile that will benefit parents as well as other teachers is to make sure it includes the most critical areas of development. It should also reveal the child's true range of functioning, including those areas in which he is strongest, even…

The LibQUAL+[TM] survey was conducted to determine user satisfaction and expectations concerning library service quality. The results of the "22 items and a box" constituted a rich source of information for the University of Idaho (UI) Library's strategic planning process. Focusing on graduate students, this study used three…

Volume 3 contains supporting appendixes of a three-volume study designed to evaluate the need for new labor market information. The study also sought to improve methods for making better use of currently collected statistical and administrative data. The appendixes support Volume 1's chapter 2 "A Flexible Data Retrieval System" and chapter 3 "Data…

This four-year study investigated factors associated with stage of concern and change in stage of concern of teachers and principals when implementing a benchmark testing program in a large school district. Findings are presented and discussed. (Author/MT)

The Minneapolis Public Schools are at a critical juncture and its leadership needs to make an important choice about which way the district intends to go. It could slide into further decline or it could take charge of its own future and make sure that it does not suffer the same fate as other urban public school systems across the country that are…