This publication, part of the Professional Development series, provides an overview of the setting, background, values, and assumptions of state education agencies and their role in inservice teacher education. Ways in which these agencies can facilitate and coordinate program development, activities, financial support, and human resources are…

Communities of Practice offer state agency personnel a promising approach for engaging stakeholder groups in collaboratively solving complex and, often, persistent problems in special education. Communities of Practice can help state agency personnel drive strategy, solve problems, promote the spread of best practices, develop members'…

This report is one of six to be released by as many task forces on educational improvement and reform. The eight sections of this report include: (a) an introduction, which discusses the work of the task force; (b) an overview of the development and current operation of state education agencies (SEAs); (c) a view of the SEA as an effective change…

This document looks at educational reform related to teacher incentives policy through legislative and state education agency perspectives. It includes an overview of national issues pertaining to teacher incentives, a narrative report on the status of teacher incentive policies in the seven state region serviced by the North Central Regional…

The purpose of this planning guide is to assist state, local, and university personnel involved in the design, development, and evaluation of staff development or other areas of school improvement. It represents a compilation of the learnings from the National Inservice Network's project work in Colorado, Indiana, and Maine from 1978-1981. Each…

The level of basic education skills among Nevada's adult work force and the effects of workers' basic skill levels on Nevada businesses were examined in a 1994 survey of 2,021 Nevada businesses employing 10 or more workers. Of the 1,163 businesses responding, 696 reported having 1 or more unskilled employees during May 1994. Of those 696…

A total of 135 state directors representing 53 state vocational education units attended a 4-day seminar which focused on the foundations of the career education concept, systems for implementing programs, and conceptualizing the role of state vocational education divisions in bringing about the necessary changes. Some major presentations were:…

The National Institute for Literacy's Equipped for the Future initiative was undertaken to achieve customer-driven, standards-based reform of adult literacy and lifelong learning through a broad, national consensus-building process. The initiative's six stages are as follows: (1) build consensus on the knowledge and skills adults need to fulfill…

This report summarizes the activities conducted in 1994 in relation to the 23 recommendations included in Ohio's Action Agenda for Adult Literacy. The recommendations are grouped into the following categories: coordination/collaboration, public awareness, research, program resources and support, advocacy/funding, and accountability. Some of the…

The New York State Board of Regents conducted a formal review of the long-range goals and policy directions for vocational rehabilitative services to disabled youth and adults in New York. The first phase of the review consisted of an examination of major pieces of vocational and special education legislation, current federal and state economic…