With the growing demand for improving college completion rates has come a need for more thorough information about just how well or poorly colleges and their students are performing on a variety of measures. In a growing number of states, that data is being used to improve the number of students who finish their degrees. Some states and…

This project assesses the feasibility of creating a voluntary, nationwide data dictionary that can be used to standardize the reporting of postsecondary accountability reporting requirements for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (otherwise known as Perkins IV). Variables, field codes, and programming instructions,…

This Quick Reference Document has been prepared by the Regional Resource Center Program ARRA/Fiscal Priority Team to aid RRCP State Liaisons and other (Technical Assistance) TA providers in understanding the general context of state questions surrounding excess cost. As a "first-stop" for TA providers in investigating excess cost…

The purpose of the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) program is to improve the quality of early learning and development and close the achievement gap for children with high needs. The RTT-ELC grant competition focuses on improving early learning and development for young children by supporting States' efforts to increase the…

Since the passage of the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, inclusion of all students with disabilities in accountability systems has been mandatory. By 2001, school personnel began to understand that alternate assessment needed to focus on students' performance on state standards, and nearly all states had created…

This report presents the findings of the New York State Comptroller's audit of the Education Department's management and oversight of the Preschool Handicapped Education Program. The audit notes a 68 percent increase (to $298 million) in costs during 1990-91 over the previous year, most of which is attributed to the 55 percent increase in the…

Reported is California's master plan for providing a quality educational program to all of the state's handicapped children. Topics covered include a definition of special education, interaction between special education and general education, and a look at California's programs including new directions and current weaknesses. Presented are a…

This report is a summary of responses to a national survey on the state-level governance of K-12 gifted and talented education in all 50 states and was conducted between June and August of 2002. The Tennessee Initiative for Gifted Education Reform conducted the survey to gather information in preparation for state policy and legislative…

This paper provides an overview of the use of "opportunity to learn" (OTL) standards, in relation to its implications for students with disabilities. It reviews "opportunity to learn" standards in the Goals 2000: Educate America Act and in Congressional report language on Goals 2000. The paper offers five different definitions…

"Keeping Pace" has several goals. First, it strives to add to the body of knowledge about online education policy and make recommendations for advances. Second, it serves as a reference source for information about programs and policies across the country, for both policymakers and practitioners who are new to online education as well as those who…

State governors have an immense stake in building a workforce training and education system capable of producing the skilled workers needed to secure the country's economic future. In doing so, states must face the following challenges: (1) many state workforce systems do not reflect market needs; (2) public education is falling short in preparing…

This document discusses and presents Pennsylvania's family literacy indicators of program quality (IPQs). The booklet begins with an overview of the IPQs development and integration with Pennsylvania's system for educational accountability. Next, 18 key terms are defined. The remainder of the booklet lists the five categories of standards, key…