In fall 1998, the Maryland State Department of Education and six schools began a pilot program to evaluate the impact of serving breakfast to students in the classroom as part of the school day. Students in participating schools have an opportunity to eat breakfast in their classroom each day at no charge, regardless of family income. The program,…

This Action Plan has been developed to ensure the success of the Arkansas Smart Start Initiative, the part of the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment and Accountability Program (ACTAAP) that focuses on grades K through 4. As do other aspects of the ACTAAP, the Smart Start Initiative has four components, each of which is described here: (1)…

This report describes progress made on Connecticut's strategic plan to ensure racial and ethnic diversity. Connecticut's public colleges and universities are becoming more diverse every year, and 2001 was no exception. The overall numbers of students, graduates, and professional employees from minority groups are higher than ever, although…

This document presents questions and answers to some frequently asked questions concerning student fees and financial aid at California's public colleges and universities. The answers provide an overview of costs and aid at public institutions of higher education in California. In the 2003-2004 year, California residents enrolled as full-time…

The settlement between the states and the tobacco manufacturers reached in November 1998 is expected to infuse $206 billion in new revenues into state treasuries over the next 25 years. This study examined state decisions concerning the tobacco settlement revenues in order to highlight opportunities for using the funds to support children's…

This report contains state and school district student testing results for the Oklahoma Testing Program for the 1998-99 school year. Several benchmarks are reported, including the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests (OCCT), and American College Test Assessment (ACT) results. The National Assessment of Educational…

This paper is designed to initiate discussion about new educational accountability systems and the implications of these systems for educator preparation. Accountability systems are often developed with little regard to a clear definition of accountability, but once the systems are in place, and states are showing (realistic or political)…

This project provided a year-long skill development Workforce Education Institute for 100 work force literacy providers and instructors in Pennsylvania. The institute included an intensive, 3-day summer workshop, 2 follow-up workshops, and a 2-day spring workshop designed to meet the individual needs of the participants. In evaluations submitted…

This annual report details the accomplishments of the Alaska Head Start Program for fiscal year 1998. The report begins with a graphic presentation of the locations of Alaska Head Start programs and a table delineating the administrative and program partners of Head Start, its service population, eligibility requirements, funding sources, service…

This document describes the North Carolina Open-Ended Assessment for grades 4 and 8 and presents results for the 1999-2000 administration. The assessment emphasizes higher level thinking skills and requires students to apply or demonstrate skills and knowledge beyond the recall level on challenging subject matter. The open-ended assessment has…

This annual report is the first to detail the services and achievements of Alaska's Division of Early Development. The report begins with a letter from the state's Department of Education Commissioner and a description of the Division, formed in 1999 to strengthen the ring of services for young children and their families in Alaska. The remainder…

This issue of "Changing Schools" focuses on character education. The lead article, "Character Education: Finding Ways To Foster Ethical Behavior in Youth" by Diane McIntyre Wilber discusses the character education programs that have spread to nearly every type of school, whether public, private, charter, or faith-based. Since…

The 1997 Utah Legislature mandated the development and administration of assessment of students' early reading and numeric skills so that these students' instructional needs might be better met. This document provides answers to several questions regarding Utah's pre-kindergarten and end-of-level kindergarten assessments. The questions include the…

In 1996, North Carolina established its "ABC" plan for educational improvement, based on accountability (A), testing of basic subjects (B), and more local control (C). Each year student test results in reading, mathematics, writing, and selected middle school and high school courses are analyzed to determine whether or not schools have…

Based on the premise that the earliest years of a child's life are key to predicting ultimate success in school and life, this Texas Kids Count Project report examines early childhood education in the state, focusing on children from low-income families. The report discusses the importance of the early years of life for neurological development…