The American Community Survey (ACS), a nationwide study collected continuously every year in every county in the United States, is designed to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, social, economic, and housing data each year. These ACS estimates are not averages of monthly or annual values, but rather an aggregation of data…

Prior research shows that rural students' education expectations and aspirations, as well as their postsecondary enrollment and persistence rates, tend to be lower than those of nonrural students. However, much of that prior research may not apply to today's students because it uses old data or focuses on individual states or purposive samples.…

At the heart of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is the call for all students to be "proficient" in reading and mathematics by 2014. Yet the law expects each state to define proficiency as it sees fit and design its own tests. This study investigated three research questions related to this policy: (1) How consistent are various…

Opponents of school choice argue that private schools are not "accountable" because they are not subject to detailed oversight by a regulatory bureaucracy. They claim private school employees can be expected to engage in abusive and criminal behavior more frequently. School choice supporters respond that parents hold private schools…

Suspension, although it temporarily alleviates a difficult situation, does little to change behavior or solve the underlying causes of misbehavior. Furthermore, suspension has been found to be used disproportionately against Black students, thus depriving them of access to education. Schools should evaluate their own practices and seek new…

Many view central-city schools as bloated, inefficient institutions that pass students through the system regardless of performance. A least-squares analysis of 602 Ohio schools upholds this view. Although inner-city schools depress standardized test scores, more students graduate than expected. Social promotion may be responsible. (27 references)…

Describes impact of familial variables on alcohol use among rural youth. Examines Ohio data regarding family structure, parental drinking problems, and youth drinking. Data suggest student perceptions of parental drinking problems are related to family structure. Recommends health education and counseling program development. (Author/TES)

The Great Lakes Resource Access Project (Region V RAP) serves Head Start programs in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The Region V RAP conducts an annual needs assessment to determine the training and technical assistance needs of the Head Start Disability Services Coordinators. A survey for assessing needs for the…

During the farm crisis of the 1980s, many midwestern farm families suffered financial distress, but by 1989 an uneven financial recovery was under way. This report summarizes data collected from 388 Ohio farm operators (a 38.8% response rate) and 353 spouses as part of a large survey conducted in 12 North Central states. The purpose of the survey…

In 1990, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) included a Trial State Assessment (TSA); for the first time in the NAEP's history, voluntary state-by-state assessments (37 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands) were made. The sample was designed to represent the 8th grade public school population in a state…

In 1990, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) included a Trial State Assessment which, for the first time in the NAEP's history, made voluntary state-by-state assessments. This 1992 mathematics report marks the first attempt of the National Center for Education Statistics to shift to standards-based reporting of National…

This Kids Count report highlights state and countywide findings on key indicators affecting the educational and life success of Ohio's children. The statistical portrait is based on five indicators: (1) fourth graders' performance on the Ohio fourth grade reading proficiency test; (2) number of children receiving child care assistance or…

Having low literacy skills could impact everything from reading a newspaper and balancing a checkbook to wise consumer decisions and job advancement. This study estimates adult literacy measures for Cuyahoga County, Ohio and its municipalities. It is also important to have a sense of how many children are at risk for developing literacy problems…