Education Policy Commons^™

Dominant Leadership Frames Of Reference For Active Indiana Public School Superintendents, Denis E. Ward

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the researcher examined the leadership orientation of Indiana public school superintendents, utilizing the Leadership Orientations (Self) survey developed by Bolman and Deal (1997). This study sought to identify if a significant difference existed between a superintendent's choice of a dominant leadership frame of reference, and independent variables: gender, years of experience as a superintendent, school district setting, and initial educational level of training. Surveys were sent to 294 public school superintendents, a total of 162 or 55% of the superintendents participated in this study. This study, conducted in 2006, presented several findings. Over 72% of the superintendent …

Results Of Early Implementation Of Governmental Acounting Standards Board Statement No. 34 In 15 Ohio Public School Districts, Michael Bennett Amspaugh

Dissertations

The study researched the experience of treasurers in 15 Ohio public school districts in implementing Governmental Accounting Board Statement No. 34 in the districts' annual financial reports prior to the required implementation date. Statement No. 34 is intended to make government annual financial reports more useful for and comprehensible to members of three user groups---the financial community, legislative and oversight officials, and citizens. In the study, treasurers of the 15 school districts were interviewed regarding their experience in implementing Statement No. 34, the changes in school operations resulting from implementation, and changes in questions from the three user groups about …

Funding Michigan K-12 Educational Adequacy Without Rewarding Inefficiency, James J. Walters

Dissertations

Resource equalization represents the historical and theoretical basis for American school finance and its ideals continue to dominate discussion and practice. During the last decade and a half, the national aspiration for equitable distribution of school finance resources has started a transformation into a derivative notion of adequacy. This equity policy derivative embraces the idea of sufficiency, which in turn implies a standard. The concept of educational adequacy has grown to mean the achievement of high absolute standards. Equity (equalization) theorists measure resource level on a relative basis; each student relative to all others. Adequacy adherents measure student achievement against …

How The No Child Left Behind Act Punishes Schools With Disadvantaged Students, John Yinger

Center for Policy Research

It’s Elementary is a series of essays on topics in education and education policy. The main focus is on education finance in New York State, but general research findings in education and education policy issues in several other states are also discussed. John Yinger, Professor of Economics and Public Administration at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University is the author of most of these essays, although a few are written by or co-authored with other scholars.

Early Childhood Education : Pathways To Quality And Equity For All Children, Alison Elliott

Australian Education Review

AER 50 calls for a coherent, long-term national action plan and timeline to develop and implement an integrated, well-funded, regulated and managed system of early childhood education and care with clear goals, priorities and outcomes. The review describes the current provision of early childhood services in Australia and examines relevant policy. It also provides an overview of the early childhood education research, in Australia and internationally, and uses this body of work to identify and illuminate the central issues.

Nebraska Network 21: Summary Of Visionary Food Systems Curricula Action Team, Governor’S Task Force On Agriculture And Natural Resources Education, Dick Fleming

Nebraska Network 21: Publications

Nebraska Network 21 was established as a result of a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources to creatively meet the learning needs of Nebraskans in the 21st century. One outcome was establishment of the Visionary Food Systems Curricula Action Team. The Action Team held Summit I on Reinventing Agriculture and Natural Resources Education on Feb. 10, 1998 and Summit II on Nov. 19, 1998. Both Summits attracted more than 100 Nebraskans from across the state. Following Summit II, the Legislative Committee proposed establishing a group that would maintain …

Money Matters In Education, John Yinger

Center for Policy Research

It’s Elementary is a series of essays on topics in education and education policy. The main focus is on education finance in New York State, but general research findings in education and education policy issues in several other states are also discussed. John Yinger, Professor of Economics and Public Administration at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University is the author of most of these essays, although a few are written by or co-authored with other scholars.

Education Policy Should Not Be Based On Programs That Cannot Be Replicated, John Yinger

Center for Policy Research

It’s Elementary is a series of essays on topics in education and education policy. The main focus is on education finance in New York State, but general research findings in education and education policy issues in several other states are also discussed. John Yinger, Professor of Economics and Public Administration at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University is the author of most of these essays, although a few are written by or co-authored with other scholars.

Small Education Experiments Do Not Shed Much Light On Large Education Reforms, John Yinger

Center for Policy Research

It’s Elementary is a series of essays on topics in education and education policy. The main focus is on education finance in New York State, but general research findings in education and education policy issues in several other states are also discussed. John Yinger, Professor of Economics and Public Administration at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University is the author of most of these essays, although a few are written by or co-authored with other scholars.

Who Chooses, Who Uses? Initial Evidence From The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, Patrick J. Wolf, Nada Eissa, Babette Gutmann

School Choice Demonstration Project

The federal government recently enacted its first school voucher program as a pilot project in the District of Columbia. To be eligible, students need to be entering grades K-12 and have a family income at or below 185 percent of the poverty level. Although a rigorous analysis of the Opportunity Scholarship Program’s impact on student achievement and other outcomes remains a prospect for the future, at this early point initial data exists regarding the families that are applying for the program and the students that are using and not using the voucher when offered. Here we present a preliminary analysis …

Rejecting The 65-Percent Solution, John Yinger

Center for Policy Research

It’s Elementary is a series of essays on topics in education and education policy. The main focus is on education finance in New York State, but general research findings in education and education policy issues in several other states are also discussed. John Yinger, Professor of Economics and Public Administration at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University is the author of most of these essays, although a few are written by or co-authored with other scholars.

Saving Legal Education, Daniel J. Morrissey

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Ayp In Arkansas: Who’S On Track?, Virginia H. Blankenship, Joshua H. Barnett

Arkansas Education Reports

How “good” are the schools in Arkansas? Under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, the current measure of a school’s success in Arkansas and around the country is based on whether its students meet the adequate yearly progress (AYP) benchmark on annual standardized tests. Those schools not making AYP are placed on the list of schools “in need of improvement” and therefore must give expanded educational choice (including school transfers and/or free tutoring) to eligible students. In contrast, schools that do not appear on the list are typically regarded as “successful” schools. This paper provides an …

Making Things Worse, John Yinger

Center for Policy Research

It’s Elementary is a series of essays on topics in education and education policy. The main focus is on education finance in New York State, but general research findings in education and education policy issues in several other states are also discussed. John Yinger, Professor of Economics and Public Administration at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University is the author of most of these essays, although a few are written by or co-authored with other scholars.

A Qualitative Study Of Stakeholders' Beliefs About The Use Of A Standards-Based Academic Reporting System, Gina Gail Berridge

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As school districts across our nation are making changes in curriculum and instruction to comply with the mandates of No Child Left Behind (No Child Left Behind, 2002), new reports to parents about student achievement are emerging. These reports are standards-based and clearly communicate to stakeholders what the student knows and is able to do based on the state standards. This qualitative case study, analyzing data collected in the 2005-2006 school year, describes principals', teachers', and parents' beliefs about the use of a standards-based report card. Through the use of individual interviews, insight was gained about the views and opinions …

Perceptions Of Ethical Public School Leadership Among K-12 Indiana School Principals, Philip V. Bender

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research attempted to determine the ethical perceptions of Indiana K-12 public school principals through their ratings of selected ethical preparedness statements. The goal was to determine if significant differences exist among public school principals in the state of Indiana based on level and locale of school, gender, ethnicity, source of ethical development, and years of service related to ethical areas of knowledge, disposition, and performance as derived from the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium: Standards for School Leaders (ISLLC) Standard 5. The population for this study consisted of 1,900 public school principals in the state of Indiana. A survey …

Moving A Middle School Toward Inclusion: The Principal's Role In Leading The Change Process To Ensure Program Success, Sherri L. Mitchell

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A school's transition to include more special education students in regular classrooms is a fundamental change that impacts all faculty, staff, and students. The purpose of this study was to consider inclusion of middle school special education students in regular classrooms from the perspective of principals, special education teachers and regular education teachers. From these three perspectives, best practices for inclusion, barriers and supports to inclusion, and the principal's role as change agent when moving a middle school towards inclusion were investigated. One-hundred Indiana middle schools were randomly selected. Surveys were sent to the principal, one special education and one …

Regional Institutions, Scalar Shifts, And Emerging Networks: The Spatial Practices And Transitional Politics Of Rural And Urban Community Colleges, Mike Rudibaugh

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years community colleges have faced both internal and external challenges in maintaining the college mission. Primarily these challenges connect with funding challenges and the evolving nature of community college funding patterns. This comparative case study assesses two community colleges in contrasting settings within the same state. These colleges were identified by their contrasting service areas that were primarily either rural or urban in nature. Institutional data with combined interview data served as the primary data sources for constructing narratives of how each college's rural or urban location impacts strategic planning processes. Previous research on economic development suggests that …

Indiana School Districts' Capacity To Use Student-Data Information Systems For Analysis And Decision Making, Rodney A. King

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study investigated if student data is readily accessible and utilized to determine the academic abilities of the student. This study also investigated the current capabilities of the district and school to perform multiple tasks pertinent to data collection, assessment, and to what extent the system could be utilized to predict the principles of instructional change, staff training, communication and feedback. A review of the literature was conducted to design a survey instrument to measure the capacity of school districts student data-information systems. The population of this study consisted of all superintendents, assistant superintendents, business managers, or technology directors in …

Supporting Alternate Routes To Teacher Certification: Principals' Perceptions, Joy L. Russell

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine principals' perceptions regarding the importance of six dimensions of support for Traditional and Alternative Route to Teacher Certification (AR TC) graduates. Additionally, this study compares principals' perceived importance of these support dimensions for ARTC graduates to the perceived importance of these support dimensions for Traditionally Certified graduates. Information was also collected regarding the relationship between the support dimensions for AR TC graduates and building grade levels and areas of teaching specialization. A sample population of principals employing one or more graduates from two Eastern Illinois University ARTC programs was used for …

Student Discipline: Analyses And Comparisons Of Behaviors Which Incur Suspension Or Expulsion For Minority And Non-Minority Students In The State Of Indiana, A. Sue Girvin Ward

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study was undertaken on the premise that the public had concerns regarding a11egations that minority-students were suspended or expelled more frequently than non-minority students. The implication of excessive disciplinary action on minority students emerged when the Zero-Tolerance Act was adopted in l 994. The Act was an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Critics state disciplinary action under zero-tolerance policies has unduly affected all students but has primarily affected children from families oflowcr socioeconomic status and ethnic minority groups. This study, using the chi-square goodness of fit test, examined the 2002-2003 disciplinary statistics of …

Differences In Perception Of Indiana Public School Superintendents As To The Reason For Adoption Of A Particular School Improvement Model, Earl G. Williams

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School accountability is of paramount importance today in education. The pressure for accountability comes from both state and national levels. Improving student performance has become a top p1io1ity for the school superintendent who searches for the most productive model with the most effective strategics for improving student achievement. The purpose of this study was to detennine the differences in perception of Indiana public school superintendents as to the reason for their school districts adoption of a particular school improvement model. The Indiana Department of Education recognizes four improvement models. Indiana schools districts have the choice to choose which model they …

Education Finance Reform And Property Tax Relief, John Yinger

Center for Policy Research

It’s Elementary is a series of essays on topics in education and education policy. The main focus is on education finance in New York State, but general research findings in education and education policy issues in several other states are also discussed. John Yinger, Professor of Economics and Public Administration at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University is the author of most of these essays, although a few are written by or co-authored with other scholars.

Evaluation Of The Dc Opportunity Scholarship Program: Second Year Report On Participation, Patrick J. Wolf, Babette Gutmann, Michael Puma, Marsha Silverberg

School Choice Demonstration Project

By fall 2005, the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP), the first federally funded voucher program in the United States, was in its second year serving low-income students in the nation’s capital. More than 5,800 students have applied to the Program over the 2 years, and about 2,300 of them—eligible public school students who participated in a lottery to determine scholarship award—are the subject of a rigorous impact evaluation mandated by the Program statute. While the most important questions for the evaluation are about the Program’s effectiveness in improving student outcomes, data are still being collected for that analysis and will …

Superintendents Speak Out: A Survey Of Superintendents’ Opinions Regarding Recent School Reforms In Arkansas, Virginia H. Blankenship, Joshua H. Barnett

Arkansas Education Reports

In an effort to improve educational opportunities for all students, Arkansas policymakers have made education reforms in many areas since 2003, such as increasing school funding by nearly 30 percent, consolidating both districts with enrollments below 350 students and inefficient schools, and strengthening accountability measures designed to raise academic achievement. However, there is little empirical evidence about how any of these reforms have impacted districts, schools, and students across the state, so policymakers have no way of knowing whether such reforms have the potential to improve student achievement and help close the achievement gap between disadvantaged students and their more …

A Study On Perceptions Of Civil Engineers Regarding Mandatory Continuing Education, Alee A. Sleymann

Dissertations

This study explored the perceptions of civil engineers regarding continuing professional competency requirements for license renewal. In this study,continuing professional competency is assumed to have a direct relationship to public welfare and safety. The policy of mandatory continuing education was adopted primarily for this reason. Currently, mandatory continuing education is adopted by 29 states as the method of assuring continued professional competency.

Many professionals, however, have not welcomed this mandatory continuing education (MCE) policy. The reason for this opposition is the claimed ineffectiveness of this policy in fostering continued competency. In addition, the regulatory boards and policy advocates have not …

Eliminating Star’S Unintended Consequences, John Yinger

Center for Policy Research

It’s Elementary is a series of essays on topics in education and education policy. The main focus is on education finance in New York State, but general research findings in education and education policy issues in several other states are also discussed. John Yinger, Professor of Economics and Public Administration at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University is the author of most of these essays, although a few are written by or co-authored with other scholars.

School Tax Credits, John Yinger

Center for Policy Research

It’s Elementary is a series of essays on topics in education and education policy. The main focus is on education finance in New York State, but general research findings in education and education policy issues in several other states are also discussed. John Yinger, Professor of Economics and Public Administration at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University is the author of most of these essays, although a few are written by or co-authored with other scholars.

An Evaluation Of The Effects Of Dc's Voucher Program On Public School Achievement And Racial Integration After One Year, Jay P. Greene, Marcus A. Winters

School Choice Demonstration Project

This study evaluates the initial effect Washington D.C.'s Opportunity Scholarship Program (OPS) on the academic performance of public schools and its effects on the opportunities District students have to attend integrated schools. OPS is a federally sponsored school voucher program that provides vouchers worth up to $7,500 for an estimated 1,800 to 2,000 students in the District of Columbia. Students can use the scholarships to pay tuition at participating private schools in the District. The pilot program is designed to last for 5 years.

Education Week’S 2006 Report On Arkansas, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

In an attempt to gauge the educational progress of the nation and each state, Education Week has published state report cards since 1997 in its annual Quality Counts series. Released in early 2006, the 10th annual report, Quality Counts at 10: A Decade of Standards-Based Education, examines the progress that states have made on a core set of policy indicators related to standards-based education over the past decade: student achievement, standards and accountability, efforts to improve teacher quality, school climate, and resource equity. This policy brief summarizes Arkansas’ ratings on the 2006 report, compares Arkansas to its border states on …