NCCSR Benchmark Spring 2004 - The Role of State Departments of Education in Comprehensive School Reform

BenchmarkThe National Clearinghouse forComprehensive School ReformThe Quarterly Newsletter of the National Clearinghouse for Comprehensive School ReformVolume 5, Issue 2 Spring 2004Introduction...........................................................1 The Role of State Departments of Education inComprehensive School Reform*The Case of Maine.................................................2The Case of Puerto Rico.......................................4By Edmund T. Hamann and Brett LaneThe Real World of SEA Practice: Implicationsfor Scale-up, Sustainability, andStates have the legal responsibility and authority to provide publicEffectiveness..........................................................6education for their citizens. How each state fulfills its responsibili-ty varies. Whether state education agencies (SEAs) are supportingConclusion..............................................................7school reform efforts, providing technical assistance, defining andResources...............................................................9 controlling educational content, or assessing the outcomes of edu-cation, it is generally agreed that SEAs are there to assure that dis-tricts and schools are providing quality opportunities to children,and in a manner that meets the standards the state has set forachievement. With that in mind, this article addresses some of theNCCSR specific ways SEAs set out to accomplish these goals. Having2121 K Street NW, ...