Purpose: This study describes the preliminary experiences of 10 states in providing support services to family or informal caregivers of elderly adults and adults with disabilities; it focuses on the newly created National Family Caregiver Support Program, state general funds, Medicaid-waiver programs, and other state-funding streams. Design and…

Tying teachers' pay to their classroom performance should, says Victor Lavy, improve the current educational system both by clarifying teaching goals and by attracting and retaining the most productive teachers. But implementing pay for performance poses many practical challenges, because measuring individual teachers' performance is difficult.…

A recent report published by the National Center on Performance Incentives (NCPI) presents findings from the second-year of a multi-year evaluation of the Texas Educator Excellence Grant (TEEG) program, a statewide educator incentive program that operated in Texas. As part of this larger study, evaluators examined how participation in the TEEG…

This report addresses the issue of whether Federal regulations and certain state and local office practices and procedures may discourage or prevent eligible persons from participating in the Food Stamp Program. The report focuses on only those procedures and practices that affect households once they have contacted the local food stamp office for…

Describes organizational structures and multi-institutional relationships developed to implement a Regional Plan for continuing education in nursing. Modifications of the Regional Plan according to local needs and benefits derived are included. (WL)

The report outlines the basic administration and program of the special education early childhood project for children aged 2-5 years whose behavior suggests potential learning problems. The rationale of the program is presented, including a special education model. Objectives listed include identification of such children, instructional program…

Pay for performance is a popular public education reform, and millions of dollars are currently being targeted for pay for performance programs. These reforms are popular because economic and management theories suggest that well-designed incentive pay programs could improve teacher effectiveness. There is little evidence about the characteristics…

This report provides an overview of selected state strategies for addressing personnel shortages in the area of visual impairments. Innovative or alternative routes to certification in six states (Texas, Hawaii, Iowa, North Carolina, Utah, and West Virginia) are profiled to give specific examples of state approaches to personnel preparation and…

A case study is presented of a Texas educational facilities program that was developed to provide long-term state assistance to school districts for the construction or renovation of their facilities by providing equal access to revenue for the specific purpose of repaying debt issued to finance instructional facilities. This report presents a…

This report presents findings stemming from the first-year evaluation of the Texas Educator Excellence Grant (TEEG) program, one of several statewide performance incentive programs in Texas. In June 2006, Governor Perry and the 79th Texas Legislature created the Governor's Educator Excellence Award Program, one component of which is the TEEG…

The goals of this study were to: 1) design a web-based course using WebCT for future secondary school teachers at the University of Texas Pan American, 2) evaluate the effectiveness of the course, and 3) provide a set of guidelines for designing web-based courses for other teacher educators. The participants in this study consisted of junior- and…

The Governor's Educator Excellence Grant (GEEG) program was federally- and state-funded and provided three-year grants to schools to design and implement performance pay plans from the 2005-06 to 2007-08 school years. GEEG was implemented in 99 high poverty, high performing Texas public schools. This report builds on the previous GEEG evaluation…

The Tiguas of El Paso, Texas; the Coushattas of Louisiana; and the Tortugas of Las Cruces, New Mexico share a common background in that they represent American Indian tribes who, having lost their land base, have been abandoned by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and have experienced recent circumstances of poverty. Since Indian rights stem from…

The 20 Regional Education Service Centers in Texas were established in 1967 at the request of the State Board of Education. Governance is vested in locally elected boards of directors in the participating school districts, and each center is managed by an executive director. Operated by state appropriations, special projects and programs, and…

The Texas Successful Schools Study profiled the contributions of programs, policies, and school personnel to the academic success of limited English proficient (LEP) students in seven successful elementary schools. This guide shares study information with school administrators to assist them in designing, implementing, and enhancing programs for…