SWP SARC Research

The following articles and research papers are designed to help educators better understand accountability issues, report results more effectively, and comprehend school data.

UCLA gives California's SARC template a failing grade.
Faculty and students at the UCLA School of Law investigated how well California's School Accountability Report Card template informs the public about the state of public schools. After putting the SARC template in front of 45 Rotary Club members, as well as parent focus groups, the UCLA research found that few average citizens could understand the data reported in the SARC template. To learn more about their findings, read the full report or the summary report.

What do parents really want to know about public schools?
This survey of parents and educators by KSA-Plus Communications is the single best starting point for researching what parents want to know about schools. Sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trust and published in Education Week, this 1999 survey features ten recommendations. The results are well worth noting. Anyone responsible for reporting results to their public will be well served by these findings.

While "Reporting Results" and "Ten Recommendations" provide excellent summaries, the full report (Accountability for Public Schools) publishes the findings of seven focus groups consisting of parents, citizens, and educators in five states. The researchers asked participants not just what they want to know about schools, but how much information they desire, where they expect to find it, when they want the facts, and what format they prefer (print or online).

For more background information on accountability report cards, see the School Wise Press Virtual Library.

For more information, call us at (800) 247-8443 and we'll answer your questions personally. Or e-mail us at: steve.rees@schoolwisepress.com , and ask us to quote a SARC program for your district.

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