Web-based Databases Compare High School Accountability
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Joan Oleck -- School Library Journal, 12/18/2007 2:10:00 PM
Two new free databases from the Education Commission of the States (ECS) will allow policy makers to learn what all 50 states are doing when it comes to high school accountability and virtual high schools.
ECS is a Denver-based nonprofit organization that aims to improve public education by promoting the exchange of information between policy makers and educational leaders.
The High School Policy Center of ECS has launched the High School Accountability database to let users assess how individual states judge their schools on subjects such as what sanctions are imposed on low-performing schools and what kinds of rewards are offered to high-performing schools.
"It allows people to make 50-state comparisons," explains ECS policy analyst Jennifer Dounay.
ECS's second new database, on Virtual High Schools, examines factors like student curriculum, teacher preparation and professional development, funding, and program evaluation.
Dounay says that about half of the states have virtual high schools. The virtual high schools database answers questions such as whether a student can complete an entire diploma online and lets users know whether teachers of online courses have special training.
The database, Dounay says, "allows users to obtain a national perspective on what the states are doing, and best practices."
