Designed to further the movement of Minnesota's schools toward an outcome-based system, this publication offers: (1) a definition of outcome-based education (OBE); (2) a brief history of Minnesota's involvement in the development of OBE; and (3) a set of terms and definitions for OBE in Minnesota. In addition, the document describes OBE as…

Eight Minnesota school districts took part in a Statewide career education program involving approximately 570 teachers and 20,000 students from grades 1-12. Alternative models were explored at each site and included orientation and in-service training for teachers, curriculum/instructional materials development, dissemination, and community…

In 1986 Bemidji State University (BSU), located in rural northern Minnesota, began an outreach distance learning program for the preservice education of elementary teachers. This college program delivers junior and senior year education courses to students 100 miles plus from the main campus. Junior and senior year requirements are completed in a…

This report offers a framework and conceptual base for a statewide discussion of public school choice. A review of choice activities in other states and an analysis of typical components in a choice program are provided. Organized into four main chapters, the report starts with an explanation of the concept of choice followed by a review of the…

The University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Department of Education joined forces to design and implement a course to prepare regular educators to work with handicapped children. The purposes of the course were to present a rationale and philosophy for integrating special needs children into mainstream settings and to offer a variety of…

Some states use subsidies, grants, and other public monies to rejuvenate lagging rural economies, but without sound economic analysis to guide these efforts money may go to projects that do not achieve economic development goals. Minnesota's Iron Range programs illustrate what happens when economic analysis is sacrificed in political tugs-of-war.…

The National School-to-Work Office in collaboration with the National Association for Gifted Children, the Council for Exceptional Children, the Association for the Gifted, and the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted have identified 11 gifted education/school-to-work (GT/STW) models that are either best practices or unique…

In rural Minnesota many school districts are limited in their efforts to restructure by low enrollment, rural geographic location, meager tax base, narrow staff experience, extensive job responsibilities for staff, restricted staff development opportunities, and lack of direction in curriculum coordination. Because of actual or perceived…

Learning disabilities is the theme of the latest issue of "Focus on Basics," the World Education publication that brings together research, policy, and practice in adult basic education. Starting with an update on research on neurobiology and dyslexia, this issue also examines how the adult basic education system supports students with…

Since the announcement in 1999 of a plan to tie teachers' salary increases to student achievement by Denver Public Schools, there has been a flood of nationwide policy activity around teacher compensation. This paper examines pay plans in Denver, Toledo, Minneapolis, and New York City, offering a snapshot of the changing landscape of teacher…

This report discusses findings of a study that investigated the resolution of disputes in the field of special education. Information was collected from ten states (Alabama, California, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming) on their current dispute resolution systems and from two additional states…

New threats to the health of American children, often psychosocial in nature due to societal changes, must be addressed. The Minnesota School Health Education Model is based on the integration of four primary components: (1) school health education goals aimed at health promotion, disease prevention, and long-term positive health effects on…

The experience described by Kay Hoag, Advocacy Chair of the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL), exemplifies the threat of program elimination and/or cutbacks that elementary school foreign language programs across the nation experienced with increased frequency during the 2002-2003 academic year. Reports of these threats…

Bemidji State University and 24 schools in northwestern Minnesota have established a demonstration teacher center. Major goals of the center include: (1) improving the quality of the teaching and learning process; (2) assessing staff development needs and plans; (3) facilitating application of the latest educational research; (4) assisting…

The 61 cooperative vocational centers in Minnesota are joint efforts of 2 or more neighboring school districts to provide secondary vocational education and to strengthen, extend and expand existing vocational programs. Begun as pilot projects in 1968, the centers focus on introducing students to a variety of occupations, providing career…