High school dropouts have been the focus of unprecedented attention, and rightly so if our education system is to meet the needs of an increasingly demanding workplace. But for all the attention dropouts receive, the results are, at best, ambiguous and, at worst, inadequate.
The United States Department of Education requires state departments of education to report graduation rates. These rates help to determine whether schools are meeting the federal mandate for “adequate yearly progress” in educating the youth of America. Read the rest of this story »
Tags: Accountability, High School Dropouts, South Carolina Dropout Rate, South Carolina Dropouts
The approach we take to the mounting dilemma of high school dropouts may well set the course for South Carolinas’ future prosperity. So, where do we go from here?
The incidence of low graduation rates and high dropout rates are only symptoms of more pervasive, underlying problems. The long term, permanent solution to high school dropouts lies in our efforts to institute multi-faceted reforms in order to meet the rigorous demands of a global economy. Read the rest of this story »
Tags: Educational Accountability, High School Dropouts, School Reform, South Carolina Dropouts
Despite education laws that had been in place nationwide since 1918, many children with disabilities were regularly excluded from public schools due to the inability of public facilities and personnel to meet the unique needs of disabled children. Their options to obtain a public education were severely limited: remain at home or be institutionalized. Even children with mild or moderate disabilities who eventually did enroll in public school were likely to drop out long before graduating from high school*. Read the rest of this story »
Tags: Education Law, Special Education
1. Utility
The utility standards are intended to ensure that an evaluation will serve the information needs of intended users.
Stakeholder Identification. Persons involved in or affected by the evaluation should be identified, so that their needs can be addressed.
Evaluator Credibility. The persons conducting the evaluation should be both trustworthy and competent to perform the evaluation, so that the evaluation findings achieve maximum credibility and acceptance.
Information Scope and Selection. Information collected should be broadly selected to address pertinent questions about the program and be responsive to the needs and interests of clients and other specified stakeholders. Read the rest of this story »
Tags: Accountability, Evaluation, Research, Standards
