Historically, the role of career and technical education (CTE) has been a subject of debate. The various viewpoints regarding the best role for high school CTE can be condensed into the following options: (1) to provide an occupational sequence of courses that is integrated with rigorous academic course work as preparation for postsecondary…

Research examining the impact of arts education on workforce preparation has confirmed that programs incorporating the arts can be educational, developmentally rich, and cost-effective ways of providing students with the skills needed for productive participation in today's economy. Arts education has been shown to help students develop basic,…

This report is the third in a series of annual reports looking at the state of online education across the country. The goal of "Keeping Pace" is to be a useful document for policymakers and practitioners, and as such it takes a journalistic approach to research and writing instead of an academic approach. This report has two goals: first, to add…

This report summarizes AISD's evaluation results of its 2003-2004 state compensatory education programs.

In this paper we examine the research literature on teacher performance pay. Evidence clearly suggests an upsurge of interest in many states and school districts; however, expanded use of performance pay has been controversial. We briefly review the history of teacher pay policy in the U.S. and earlier cycles of interest in merit or…

Independent evaluators examined the progress of the Berrien County Intermediate School District in Berrien County, Michigan, in implementing Michigan's Career Preparation System. The evaluation established that the district has provided the leadership, training, resources, and continued support to implement a systemwide school-to-career reform…

State Compensatory Education (SCE) is a supplemental program in Texas designed to eliminate disparities in (a) student performance on assessment instruments administered under chapter 39 of the Texas Education Code (1995), and (b) the rates of high school completion between students who are at risk of dropping out of school, as defined by Texas…

The goal of "Keeping Pace" is to to serve as a useful document for policymakers and practitioners, and as such, it takes a journalistic approach to research and writing. Most state and program profiles include footnotes that reference state laws, state policies, and websites of programs. However, in some cases, the information is general and was…

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is pleased to release its fourth annual National Trends Report on the use of federal funds to support educational technology. This report documents findings from Round 4 (FY 05) of the No Child Left Behind, Title II Part D, Enhancing Education Through Technology (NCLB II D) program.…

Pennsylvania's family literacy programs were subjected to a statewide evaluation in 1999-2000. Data were collected through focus groups with parents, a survey of staff in community agencies and organizations, and analyses of program data and the findings of selected assessments administered to adults and children involved in the program.…

California's school-to-career (STC) efforts were examined in a statewide evaluation study that was initiated in December 2000 and scheduled for completion by June 2002. The study's first phase was assessed in an interim report that focused on the following major activities: (1) development of a white paper describing the STC's national and state…

A process study was conducted between 2000-2001 in order to gauge the progress of 98 Connecticut institutions that received state school-to-career (STC) grants. Progress was measured against national averages. The following were among the findings: (1) grantees made significant progress in implementing fundamental STC components, such as career…

This document is intended to serve as a resource for the implementation of Wisconsin's Cooperative Education Skill Standards Certificate Program. Following an introduction there is an overview of the program, school district eligibility requirements, local partner responsibilities, and factors that may present barriers to program implementation. A…

The outcomes achieved by Australia's national vocational education and training (VET) system in 2001 were analyzed in terms of the following performance indicators: (1) recognized VET skill outputs; (2) stocks of skills versus desired levels; (3) employer satisfaction with VET; (4) student outcomes from VET; (5) participation, outputs, and…