A project was conducted to develop a model vocational agriculture curriculum for high schools in north central Washington. During the project, units of instruction were developed that addressed the job skills needed by entry-level workers to fill jobs existing in agricultural occupations in the north central region of Washington. A pilot test of…

The "achievement gap" is a matter of race and class. Across the U.S., a gap in academic achievement persists between minority and disadvantaged students and their white counterparts. This is one of the most pressing education-policy challenges that states currently face. For decades, policymakers, researchers, and school reformers have…

This article features case studies of two elementary schools, identified as exemplary by Washington educators, as they worked to enact Washington's Essential Academic Learning Requirements and help students achieve proficiency on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. We describe school- and classroom-level practices and analyze the…

The three case studies in this report describe state-level efforts to address diversity and equity in postsecondary institutions in California, Maryland, and Washington. A preface provides some background on affirmative action programs, litigation history, and the roles of state coordinating agencies and institutional governing boards. The…

The second phase of a curricular articulation project conducted as a coordinated effort among school districts, vocational-technical institutes, and community colleges involved in the Northeast Vocational Advisory Council (NEVAC) developed career ladders in three vocational program areas and a model useful to others developing similar ladders. The…

This study examined the use of education tax credits at four community colleges using data from the Federal Quality Assurance Program in 1998, the first year of the HOPE Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Tax Credit (LLTC). Preliminary estimates indicated that the two tax credits were expected to primarily benefit middle-income tax filers with…

An exemplary $20,000 study, funded by the Washington state legislature in 1985, permitted nine small rural farm-oriented school districts in Whitman County to determine the need for and possible options of collaboration and cooperation. The study embodied major components that could serve as a model for similar planning efforts. The study was…

"Chronicle of Higher Education" presents an abundant source of news and information for college and university faculty members and administrators. This November 5, 2004 issue of "Chronicle for Higher Education" includes the following articles: (1) "Measure Professor's Real Service, Not Lip Service" (Furman, Andrew);…

This handbook is designed for use by Tacoma Community House volunteer tutors of English as a Second Language (ESL) as a supplement to basic volunteer training. The handbook includes detailed information in areas briefly covered during training and specific instructional ideas and class activities. A section on getting started discusses the…

In Washington, the demand for well-educated employees will only increase over the next several years. In the decade leading up to 2012, healthcare occupations will see growth of 20 percent. Teachers will be in demand: nearly 9,000 new elementary and middle-school educators will need to be hired. Computer fields will undergo growth of 24 percent,…

This study examined barriers to utilizing services for children, birth to age 3, through in-depth individual and group interviews with 70 parents and direct service personnel of provider agencies in seven Washington counties. Part 1 of this report offers examples and discussion of the difficulties parents have accessing services and how localities…

A curricular articulation project was developed and conducted as a coordinated effort among ten school districts, two vocational-technical institutes, and three community colleges, comprising a regional area north and east of the city of Seattle. The purpose of the project was to test the feasibility of developing and conducting an articulation…

This report contains the Higher Education Coordinating Board's (HECB) assessment of the higher education needs in Snohomish, Skagit, and Island (SIS) Counties, and its recommendations to the legislature regarding those needs. The report contains two sections. Section I provides: (1) Primary conclusions and related considerations derived from the…

A work group consisting of representatives of public agencies, education, the health care industry, and unions and professional associations was formed to examine education and training issues related to the shortage of health care workers in Washington state. The group concluded that the shortage of available workers in many health care…

This third annual Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of Washington's children. The statistical portrait is based on five general areas of children's well-being: family and community, economic well-being, health, education, and safety and security. The 19 key indicators of child well-being are: (1) single parent families;…