Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Fern Aefsky
Committee Member
Donald D. Gainey
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
accountability, achievement results, administrative areas, applied dissertations, data analysis, Department of Educational Accountability, educational accountability, evaluation, Fairfax County Public Schools, funded programs, k-12 schools, organizational change, organizational development, procedural changes, program evaluation, reporting systems, school improvement planning, school systems, strategic planning, student achievement, student testing, students, system-wide reporting
Abstract
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has undergone a number of organizational and procedural changes within the last 3 years. These changes have included moving from three large and distinct administrative areas to an eight-cluster alignment of 25 to 35 schools (K-12). This organization is designed to improve the school system’s capability to monitor and support schools in their efforts to increase student achievement. The changes in procedures have occurred in the areas of school improvement planning, reporting system-wide and school achievement results, and accounting for the progress and impact of funded programs. The school system met the demands of being accountable for the various programs being funded, school improvement planning, and the dissemination of achievement results through processes that were fragmented throughout various departments and offices.
This applied dissertation examines and outlines my attempts to create and streamline a Department of Educational Accountability that would assume responsibility for the areas mentioned above. The offices and areas currently responsible for such tasks as student testing, strategic planning, and program evaluation are now organized into one unit that can guide and structure the accountability efforts of the school system. Therefore, the strategy of this applied dissertation was to consolidate the offices and units that encompass the areas dealing with issues of accountability into one department. This Department of Educational Accountability supports student achievement by creating a framework for the analysis and evaluation of data and outcomes to improve the achievement levels of all students.