This article describes the North Carolina Youth Empowerment Study (NCYES), a 3-year participatory evaluation of youth programs addressing tobacco use prevention. The study goals of NCYES were to (1) convene an advisory board comprised of lay youths and adults in a participatory research process, (2) document the characteristics of youth programs…

The "2010 State Preschool Yearbook" is the eighth in a series of annual reports profiling state-funded prekindergarten programs in the United States. This latest Yearbook presents data on state-funded prekindergarten during the 2009-2010 school year. The first report in this series focused on programs for the 2001-2002 school year and…

This booklet is part of a series on state-level family support and education policy published by the Harvard Family Research Project. It is based on a more detailed set of studies collected in "Innovative Models to Guide Family Support and Education Policy in the 1990s." Connecticut's Parent Education Support Centers program offers…

With the support of a grant from the Metropolitan Life Foundation, the Education Commission of the States (ECS) sought to broaden discussion of violence in schools and link it to efforts to restructure schools and coordinate social services. The grant enabled ECS to use the Metropolitan Life Foundation's 1993 survey of violence in the public…

In response to a perceived need to increase the number of students completing associate degree programs and enhance the offering of associate degree programs, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education developed a policy on associate degree programs offered at public institutions. Specifically, the policy is designed to clarify degree…

In 1995, the Education Commission of the States released the first in a series of annual reports examining the progress of education reform. The report concluded that despite many encouraging signs of progress, American schools and students were losing ground. This 1996 report, the second in the series, summarizes data on student performance,…

This paper looks at broad trends in education of the gifted and identifies elements that states should review and reconsider in terms of the current climate for educational reform. The 1972 Marland report is contrasted with the 1993 report of the U.S. Department of Education titled "National Excellence: A Case for Developing America's…

The adult community education (ACE) sector in the state of Victoria provides an example of best practice in regional rural policy in Australia that may serve as a model for other areas of government effort. In 1997, 309,000 Victorians enrolled in adult and community education courses, such as business and technical skills development, literacy and…

Students with disabilities have been excluded to an unreasonable extent from large-scale assessment programs at the national, state, and local levels. One implication of this exclusion practice is that students who are left out of assessments tend not to be considered during reform efforts. Another implication is that estimates of performance are…

The proposed activities of the Office of Research and Evaluation of the Austin (Texas) Independent School District in 1990-91 are outlined. Evaluations and other major projects focus on: (1) externally funded projects; (2) systemwide achievement testing; and (3) systemwide evaluation. Twelve evaluations will assess the impact of programs and…

The purpose of this study was to determine which states have experimental, pilot, or innovative program (EPOIP) clauses in their state licensure documents and how many of the existing clauses are being used by teacher education institutions (TEIs). These special clauses allow teacher education programs, which might significantly differ from…

This paper presents research findings to help policymakers understand and select various options for holding schools accountable for their performance and to help them devise a multistrategy accountability system. However, it does not recommend one system over another, since a given accountability option must be compatible and adapted to…

An executive summary of a study of early intervention policies for young children at risk of academic failure in state education agencies (SEAs) in the North Central United States is provided. The SEAs selected for the study were located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Policies developed before January, 1989…

This document contains the proceedings of a conference on articulation in the allied health care field in Florida. The following presentations are included: "Welcome and Program Overview" (Laurey Stryker); "Health Care Challenges and Choices: Alternate Pathways to the 21st Century" (Robert E. Kinsinger); "Findings and…

A study was designed to investigate ways in which schools are responding to new opportunities to participate more fully in the delivery of high quality, family-responsive early childhood programs. Phase One of the study aims to develop a comprehensive overview of the status of child care and early childhood education for kindergarten and younger…