High-quality state assessment systems are the cornerstone of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), making it possible for school systems to collect data on student achievement to diagnose where students are doing well and where they are doing poorly. This provides information that teachers, administrators, and policymakers can use to customize and improve…

This document reports on three focus groups comprised of state officials, local practitioners and supporters, and researchers who were convened to provide input on strategies for assessing and validating the effects of tech prep. Part I provides a brief summary of the groups' discussions, including major points and broad themes in these four topic…