The vast majority of high school students aspire to some kind of postsecondary education, yet far too many of them enter college without the basic content knowledge, skills, or habits of mind they need to succeed. Andrea Venezia and Laura Jaeger look at the state of college readiness among high school students, the effectiveness of programs in…

Review of the history of mandatory continuing education shows that it has increased the variety, quality, and number of programs; it increases participant knowledge but has not been proven to ensure competence. Only one-third of states require continuing education for physical therapy relicensing. (SK)

Issues of concern to the reform of preparation programs for kindergarten through twelfth grade educational administrators involve the questions of program control, program substance, and incentives for reform. Control of school administrator preparation lies within state licensing procedures. Substance focuses on subject matter to be taught.…

Despite compelling evidence that qualifications of day care center directors are highly associated with center quality, standards and requirements are at best at a paraprofessional level and are often vague and unevenly enforced. (SK)

As required by Public Law 100-146, states must submit to the Administration on Developmental Disabilities data concerning services to persons with developmental disabilities. This paper reviews relevant literature to establish a theoretical framework, definitions, and suggestions for extent, scope, eligibility requirements, and measures of…

The report examines the impact of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, and other federal laws on the numbers and types of handicapped children who receive special education services. It is explained that the study resulted from analysis of 15 evaluation studies and two databases on the impact of the legislation. Research…

Background: School health education can effectively help reduce the prevalence of health-risk behaviors among students and have a positive influence on students' academic performance. This article describes the characteristics of school health education policies and programs in the United States at the state, district, school, and classroom…

Assesses the design and potential outcomes of alternate route teacher certification programs, noting their perspectives and assumptions about teaching knowledge, teacher preparation, and the relationship to student learning. Alternate routes will be considered successful to the extent that they improve teacher preparation while working in concert…

This report provides analysis and preliminary recommendations on a mandate that requires and contributes to the development of physical education components in Illinois public schools. The report is presented in sections dealing with: (1) five areas of analysis and sources of information; (2) legal requirements and statutory authority for…

Background: Schools are in a unique position to promote healthy dietary behaviors and help ensure appropriate nutrient intake. This article describes the characteristics of both school nutrition services and the foods and beverages sold outside of the school meals program in the United States, including state- and district-level policies and…

Background: As society continues to focus on the importance of academic achievement, the physical environment of schools should be addressed as 1 of the critical factors that influence academic outcomes. The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) 2006 provides, for the first time, a comprehensive look at the extent to which schools have…

The California Master Plan for Higher Education charges the state's community colleges with providing general education for transfer, vocational training, and basic skills instruction to state residents. In response to concerns over low transfer rates, particularly for students from historically underrepresented groups, the Academic Senate for the…

This monograph on proprietary vocational education provides an overview of proprietary education which is intended for vocational educators who may not be familiar with proprietary schools. The author begins with a description of numbers and types of proprietary schools and includes information on population characteristics, chartering, licensing,…

Test-based accountability systems are now a central feature of U.S. education policy. Accountability systems are implemented as a way of improving student outcomes through new, highly visible incentives. This paper characterizes the incentives of different state accountability systems and reviews the existing evidence about outcomes. The question…

Many states give individual schools the authority to make decisions in response to local conditions while still meeting state and district goals. Providing flexibility to local decision-makers is also a potential means for improving student achievement. This report provides a snapshot of several states' recent experiences with flexibility and…