William Owings

How Principals Can Help Teachers with High-Stakes Testing: One Survey's Findings with National Implications

Surveyed Virginia teachers believe that when instructional best practices occur in their schools, high-stakes tests are taking education in the right direction. Other teachers are not so sure. In times of increasing accountability, students and staff look to principals for direction and inspiration.

How Variations in State Policies and Practices Impact Student Outcomes: What Principals and Professors Need to Know.

American high school graduates’ readiness for higher education or employment in the global economy may depend on the state where they live. Since the 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution makes education a state function, the 50 states and the District of Columbia vary significantly in their policies and practices for (a) preschool access and enrollment, (b) compulsory attendance, (c) instructional standards, (d) school funding, and (e) student outcomes. The variance in state requirements and student outcomes is a high-stakes equity issue. If every child is to be well educated and prepared to live productively in the 21st century, principals, professional associations, and allies can assess their own states’ policies and outcomes on these five criteria and determine where their advocacy may be needed to strengthen them.