All Washington's children and youth grow up safe and healthy--thriving physically, emotionally, and educationally, nurtured by family and community. In this first five-year strategic planning cycle, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) will focus on six Strategic Priorities--one relates to equity, three relate to…

In response to the unique needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing, the New Hampshire Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education has funded the Deaf Education Initiative which supports New Hampshire's schools and families in improving the educational outcomes of the state's children and youth with hearing loss. The initiative…

President Biden is committed to seeking and providing the necessary resources to support the safe operation of institutions of higher education (IHEs) and addressing the ongoing impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education students, adult education students, faculty, and staff. In Volume 3 of this Handbook, a series to support…

Ohio's Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement serves as a guide to promote evidence-based language and literacy teaching and learning for all learners from birth to grade 12. Literacy acquisition affects learners' access to, and interest in, content at all grade levels and in all aspects of their lives. In light of this, literacy is not treated as a…

Most students with disabilities participate in state assessments with or without accommodations [based on each student's Individualized Education Program (IEP)]. A small number of students with the most severe or profound intellectual disabilities participate in an alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). Until…

Students with low-incidence disabilities frequently receive less than optimal psychoeducational services because the specialized tests and instructional materials required to meet their idiosyncratic needs often are unavailable due to budget constraints, inadequate training of school personnel, and the difficulty school personnel have keeping…

As a society, are we investing enough in our youngest children? The BUILD Initiative's latest report, Early Learning Left Out, by CFPC director Charles Bruner, provides a clear answer that current investments fall far short. The report draws upon the most recent federal, state, and public school budget information--and what we know about effective…

As a result of high profile shootings and critical incidents in schools on a national level, combined with the lack of a cohesive, standardized approach to safety and security in Idaho Schools, Superintendent Tom Luna requested an appropriation to address this issue and the Legislature allocated 5150.000 in FY 2008 for the Safe and Secure…

This report contains information detailing a state conference which was held to foster citizen awareness of the value of library services and to translate that awareness into concern and willingness to become involved in programs to improve the quality of information services. Seven sections discuss the following: (1) the conference planning…

Describes the development of a statewide strategy to improve resident outcomes in nursing facilities, and presents some evaluative data from this strategy. Results reveal that the partnership has resulted in state agency staff having information from analyses about resident needs. Suggests that other states should consider building partnerships…

A State Implementation Grant Program (SIG) project coordinated an interagency approach to services for handicapped children, from birth to 3 years of age, in Maryland. A SIG panel was established from representatives of public and private agencies and consumers. The panel first identified existing services for the population (the matrix of…

Lessons for gifted education inservice derived from the Illinois Area Service Centers include: attention to real needs, well planned developmental models, training efforts targeted toward specific outcomes for specific groups, opportunity for followup observation and monitoring, and techniques for continuing personal staff development and renewal.…

This catalog, the fourth edition issued by the U.S. Office of Education, provides current information on the state facilitator projects presently operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. It is designed especially for use by state facilitators and developer/demonstrators in the National Diffusion…

This report describes a one-year project to develop a comprehensive dissemination plan that would (1) provide a network within the state of Washington for two-way communication, (2) utilize the linkage potential of the 12 educational service districts, (3) incorporate existing instructional and informational resources, (4) develop training…

Several community projects of the Centers for Disease Control's Disabilities Prevention Program are described. The projects, which are coordinated at the state level, attempt to stimulate local involvement in disability prevention and to evaluate prevention needs and preventive interventions. (Author/JDD)