The transition to kindergarten is an important time in the young life of a preschooler. Research has shown that the quality of children's kindergarten transition processes has implications for their future academic and social outcomes, and the level of family engagement in kindergarten. Research further indicates that children living in families…

The civic education policy framework and gap analysis tool are intended to guide state leaders as they address the complexities of preparing students for college, career and civic life. They allow for adaptation to state- and site-specific circumstances and may be adopted in whole or in piecemeal fashion, according to states' individual…

President Obama is calling for an increase in educational attainment among citizens of the United States (Obama, 2009). Prior to this national call, Washington State recognized the need to increase the educational attainment of its residents to maintain a globally competitive economy. By 2018, 67 percent of jobs in Washington will require a…

In November 1996, forty-five higher education technology leaders convened in Washington, D.C., to discuss the virtual university (VU). The Western Governors Association had announced establishment of the Western Governors University (WGU). As a result, VU initiatives were emerging from, or being contemplated by, almost every state-level higher…

Written as a guide as administrators in Washington state considering a home based preschool for handicapped children, the manual provides information on program planning and development. An initial section reviews the prototype model that served handicapped children 3 to 8 years old in a rural area. Also addressed in separate chapters are the…

Response to intervention (RTI) can be both a system for providing early interventions to struggling students and a special education diagnostic tool for evaluating and identifying students with specific learning disabilities. Contributing to the very limited literature on state-level approaches, this report describes how nine states define and…

Response to intervention (RTI) is a framework for providing interventions and services at increasing levels of intensity until students succeed. The framework helps teachers and schools provide instruction and interventions matched to student needs, monitor progress frequently to guide decisions about changes in instruction or goals, and apply…

This booklet, based on school and community experiences in the state of Washington, was written to provide practical strategies to enable teachers and administrators to enrich instruction through service and service learning. Filled with vignettes and examples of service learning that is taking place in Washington schools, the booklet includes…

New Jersey and Washington have developed novel and different approaches to supporting faculty development by bringing faculty members, including many senior members, together to work on revitalizing the teaching experience. The program models are described, and the reasons they have been effective are explored. (Author/MSE)

Many barriers exist in the transition of disabled students from the educational system to postsecondary life. Transition systems have been developed to overcome these barriers, focusing on the needs of the individual, the role of parents, and the role of the state education agency. Several cooperative interagency models have been created by states…

The state of Washington implemented the Readiness to Learn program as part of the state's Family Policy Initiative. The primary goal of the program is to serve as a formal link between education and human services by authorizing grants to local school-linked, community-based consortia to develop and implement strategies that ensure children arrive…

The state of Washington implemented the Readiness to Learn program as part of the state's Family Policy Initiative. The primary goal of the program is to serve as a formal link between education and human services by authorizing grants to local school-linked, community-based consortia to develop and implement strategies that ensure children arrive…

This book is a compilation of information about youth service in the State of Washington, a summary of the benefits and challenges to increasing youth service, and a summary of strategic options for supporting and enhancing youth service statewide. The report is divided into five sections. The first part describes many examples of youth…

Migrant Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction in the state of Washington have brought several agencies together to provide low cost dental services to migrant children. The program, initiated in 1980 and serving 138 children that year, has focused on the provision of preventative and emergency services. Migrant Education has…