This report provides six mini-case studies of higher education policy reforms enacted in other states, exploring the important role that state policy leadership played in developing, promoting, and implementing these policies aimed at improving higher education outcomes, and discussing the relevance of each reform effort for California. This…

The human brain develops rapidly in the first five years of life. High-quality early learning experiences can have a profound and lasting positive effect on young children during these years, setting the stage for success in kindergarten and beyond. This is especially true for young children with high needs who are from low-income families; who…

Public Education in Colorado is serving as a demonstration project for the Cooperative Accountability Project, as well as for its own accountability statute. An analysis of accountability progress resulting from data gathered from the second annual accountability report is discussed and summarized. Current Colorado Department of Education…

Eleven goals for public education are set forth by the Colorado State Department of Education: (1) command of the knowledge, skills, habits, and attitudes essential for effective learning throughout life; (2) understanding of man and society and the determination to strive for the welfare of all people; (3) knowledge of self, understanding of…

A profile of achievements and future challenges facing Colorado's public education system is offered in this document. Section 1 describes challenges of the future, focusing on needs assessment and the changes in the state's demography. The second section provides information on educational developments and issues, such as accountability, national…

This report presents data and recommendations for the development of Colorado's system of higher education. It deals primarily with the public institutions. Chapter 1 assesses the needs for higher education in the state with regard to enrollment projections, distribution of the population, availability of extension courses, and the number of…

The performance and goals of the Colorado education system are evaluated in this report, with a focus using progress indicators to establish baseline levels of performance. Colorado 2000's six goals are based on the National Education Goals established in 1989, and are described under the following headings: (1) "Readiness"; (2)…

The purpose of the Colorado Evaluation Project was to field test the Common Status Measures at grades four and eleven in conjunction with a statewide assessment program based on objective-referenced testing instruments developed by the Colorado Department of Education for grades kindergarten, three, six, nine, and twelve. The evaluation was…

The Colorado Education Goals Panel, appointed by Governor Roy Romer in 1995 to meet the challenge of raising student achievement levels, is a 40-member planning group co-chaired by the Governor and Commissioner Bill Randall. The group includes parents, educators, business and civic leaders, policymakers, and administrators from higher education.…

Within the educational reform debate, there is general agreement that the development of high academic standards is an important first step toward improving academic outcomes. This report highlights the standards initiatives being implemented in Colorado, Delaware, Minnesota, and South Carolina. All four states have made substantial progress in…

This report on Colorado's efforts to develop early intervention services for infants and toddlers with special needs and their families begins with a planning matrix displaying the program's philosophical base, methods, and system components. The report points out that the statewide service system should be designed to ensure access for all…

To expand online learning opportunities for K-12 students and educators, the Colorado Department of Education established a task force that evaluated programs in 16 other states. Four principles were identified as necessary to promoting equity, rewarding individual achievement, assuring quality and consistency, and adapting to diverse needs:…

The major purpose of the Title V program, Designing Education for the Future, is to assist educators and lay citizens in the eight participating States in devising a program of educational improvement. This report by the project director presents information on educational changes covered by the program and builds a rationale for effecting these…

This document contains the 1995 report card for Colorado education, which provides information about how Colorado public schools have performed and are moving toward meeting district, state, and national education goals. Section 1 contains a message from Bill Randall, Colorado Commissioner of Education. Section 2 presents Colorado's model for…

This publication reports on the general condition of K-12 education in the state of Colorado. It summarizes current efforts to restructure the educational system based on student and national goals, and provides information on Colorado's educational performance, school district personnel, and major state programs. Section 1 describes the need for…