In recent years, the controversy surrounding testing has grown, and the charge of bias is the most often cited criticism of testing and assessment. A review of the literature indicates that psychometricians and other researchers speak of bias as a property of the test or of items in the test. Conversely, test critics speak of bias as a quality or…

This essay serves as an introduction to a group of papers addressing different issues involved in developing a suitable definition of educational adequacy. After characterizing the congressional mandate underlying this series of reports, identifying the fields represented by the reports' authors, and describing the specific questions these…

This paper proposes a new emphasis on home-based parental involvement, one that takes a realistic approach to the roles accessible to parents of low-achieving children, given potential limitations on their skills and time. This approach is based on encouraging parents to use everyday activities in the home to develop in their children behavior and…

The strategic goals and objectives set forth in the Department of Education's "FY (Fiscal Year) 2002-2007 Strategic Plan" form the context for the broad outcomes that the Department believes should characterize American education. The Department administers more than 150 programs in support of these goals and objectives. This "FY 2007 Program…

While the federal government has always been a junior partner to state and local agencies in financing and operating public schools, the impact of federal policies on schools continues to be a topic of debate by researchers, policymakers, and the public. This paper reviews the rapidly expanding but dispersed literature on federal involvement in…

The transcript of this hearing on the reauthorization of the Bilingual Education Act and the prepared statements of witnesses, are presented here. The Bilingual Education Act, enacted in 1968, is a major federal education authority that provides educational services primarily for school-age, limited-English-proficient students (LEP). A study of…

This congressional report contains testimony given in relation to the passage of the Vocational and Adult Education Consolidation Act (S. 2325). (The Vocational and Adult Education Consolidation Act is legislation designed to consolidate existing federal vocational and adult education programs, to simplify requirements for states and other…

This paper deals with continuities and changes over the period 1963 to 1976 in the organization and goals of the federally supported vocational education program. Summarized first are major pieces of vocational education passed in the years from 1917 to 1963, including the Vocational Education Act of 1917, the Vocational Education Act of 1946, the…

Historically, the role of career and technical education (CTE) has been a subject of debate. The various viewpoints regarding the best role for high school CTE can be condensed into the following options: (1) to provide an occupational sequence of courses that is integrated with rigorous academic course work as preparation for postsecondary…

The first meeting of the National Literacy Summit 2000 convened 150 leaders from adult education and literacy and other related fields for a 2-day intensive working meeting to begin building a national consensus on how to move adult and family literacy forward in the 21st century. Comments and suggestions offered by summit participants were…