This report from the WisKids Count project, instead of being the usual annual data book about an array of issues affecting children, is a collection of essays that take a critical look at the practice of standardized testing and the status of testing in Wisconsin. In the 2002-2001 school year, more than 250,000 Wisconsin children in public schools…

This document is comprised of 9 issues of a newsletter providing information on current child advocacy initiatives and accomplishments. Each issue describes one local or state child advocacy program or initiative and its accomplishments. The issues of this publication represent a series of short information pieces to highlight the National…

Arizona has nearly 25 percent of the charter schools in the nation. These Arizona schools present something new: the first system approaching comprehensive school choice in the real world. This edited volume assembles the perspectives of social scientists and education practitioners and gives the first published account of the Arizona charter…

This collection of essays addresses the issues that have arisen in the development and implementation of national and state standards in science, mathematics, history, economics, and the English language arts. The chapters are: (1) "The 1997 Mathematics Standards War in California" (Hung-Hsi Wu); (2) "Judging State Standards for…

The P-16 initiative of the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), which produced the essays in this collection, began in 2000. This initiative has included case studies of P-16 activities in five states and full-day discussions of P-16 issues involving educators and policymakers. These essays articulate what state educational systems…

The essays in this collection were commissioned to launch an initiative focusing on state policies to respond to the challenges facing higher education in the new century. The initiative will engage governors and their key advisors in three priorities: increasing student access, learning, and degree attainment; building and sustaining seamless…

This report is a compilation of educational policy items from all 50 states, where applicable. The report is organized into 25 sections: Accountability (K-12); Assessment; At Risk; Attendance; Bilingual/ESL; Character/Citizenship Education; Charter Schools; Choice; Dual/Concurrent Enrollment; Early Childhood; Finance; Financial Aid; Governance…

With the decline in morality and values, character education is gaining considerable momentum. Public opinion polls show growing support for teaching it in schools. Evidence indicates that character education programs change the school culture for the better, allowing students to feel safe to concentrate on learning. In Colorado, character…

This volume presents 22 papers that discuss thinking in the context of subjects taught in general education, special and vocational education, educational technology, and special programs. The key note article is: (1) "A Case for Higher Order Thinking" (G. Garcia Jr.). Under the heading "Educational Technology" are: (2)…

"Childhood Programs and Practices in the First Decade of Life" presents research findings on the effects of early childhood programs and practices in the first decade of life and their implications for policy development and reform. Leading scholars in the multidisciplinary field of human development and in early childhood learning…

In 1998 the Colorado State General Assembly passed a bill that revised the schedule for implementation of the Colorado Student Assessment Program of state assessments. During the 1998-99 school year, the state assessment was to include third-grade literacy, fourth-grade reading and writing, and seventh-grade reading and writing. The newsletters in…

Three papers are presented on the benefits and costs of providing supported employment programs in Illinois for persons with disabilities. An introductory section, by Ronald W. Conley, explains the need for and use of cost-benefit analysis, the population in need of supported employment, and some methodological considerations. The three papers…

This collection of informational materials includes brief essays on library services due California children and youth, ways to help children develop thinking skills, and thrusts of parent involvement. Also included are a bibliography of books for use in helping children develop thinking skills, and a listing of resources available from the State…

The selections in this volume explore the debates surrounding issues of affordability, access, and accountability in higher education. The contributors identify these issues as the three key policy issues facing public higher education in the opening years of the new century. Following an introduction, "The Changing Dynamics of Affordability,…

Books in the Opposing Viewpoints series challenge readers to question their own opinions and assumptions. By reading carefully balanced views, readers confront new ideas on the topic of interest. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited job discrimination based on age, race, religion, gender, or national origin, provided the groundwork for…