Transforming schools through mastery learning may solve education's existential crisis, offering today's learners the relevance and individualization they need while returning to the most ancient form of assessment, proving that learning has occurred. Mastery learning requires significant change to all the norms and practices of school, altering…

Since the passage of No Child Left Behind, large-scale assessments have come to play a central role in federal and state education accountability systems. Teachers and parents have expressed a number of concerns about their state testing programs, such as too much time devoted to testing and the high-stakes use of testing for teacher evaluation.…

Compares the results of the first and second years of testing in the Florida minimum competency program to show that the program is working. (IRT)

Act 101 funds provide special classes, counseling, and tutorial support for participating academically, economically, and culturally deprived college students. (Author/IRT)

Describes the essential characteristics, development, implementation, and anticipated benefits of an innovative New Jersey program that will allow local districts to hire and train for certification prospective teachers who have college degrees and subject area expertise. (PGD)

To the extent to which Connecticut is representative of other states, it can be concluded that the discrepancy between legislative enactment of Public Law 94-142 and organizational implementation may not be of extended duration. (Author/IRT)

A response to criticism by researchers House, Rivers, and Stufflebeam published in the June Kappan. (Editors)

Michigan's superintendent of public instruction is convinced that a state testing program can provide the kind of information educators need to improve instructional planning. (Author)

Describes the operation of the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, which coordinates planning for educational computing in Minnesota and delivers certain computing services to the institutions that lack the means to provide these services on their own. (Author/IRT)

Examines the statewide testing programs of North Carolina and Alaska, showing how the legislative goals, objectives, and expectations for these tests are seldom met. Such testing programs cannot realistically serve both accountability and achievement monitoring functions. (12 references) (MLH)

After recognizing the failures of the educational system to meet student needs, the Utah State Board of Education mandated annually reviewed individual education plans, modeled on those required under the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, for all students. This article reviews this program, its implementation, and its accomplishments.…

Just five years ago the National Diffusion Network seemed moribund, but it has survived to become the most important force in staff development of teachers nationwide. (Author)

Reviews the accomplishments, goals, and problems of the commission during its first ten years. (IRT)

Discusses Michigan's state-supported programs for the gifted. (IRT)

Describes seven features of effective summer schools from recent Southern Regional Education Board report with examples of state legislation in support of each of these features. For example, summer school should be an integral part of a year-round program of extra time and extra help. Includes description of relevant Kentucky, California,…