The Arizona Student Assessment Program (ASAP) epitomizes the principle on which measurement-driven reform is based, "You get what you assess." This policy study examines the ideologies and intentions of groups instrumental in the creation and implementation of a performance-based assessment reform. The study was conducted by interviewing…

This paper examines the politics of special education finance reform in three states (Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Vermont) that have enacted substantial legislative change within the past 5 years. These case studies were extracted from presentations made by the three state directors of special education at a 1994 conference. Each case study includes…

This report describes the process and outcomes of implementing Oregon state legislation (Senate Bill 814 in 1991), which restructured the state's special education funding system. The new system provides districts with grants that are twice the regular per student allocation for every identified special education student up to 11 percent of the…

In 1991, the Kansas Association of School Boards began a program called Quest for Quality. The program is based on the belief that public schools must adjust to changes in children, families, communities, and economic and political conditions in the nation and the world. Quest for Quality also reaffirms the American school system's responsiveness…

This paper explores the evolution of multiculturalism in the Canadian context. Some opponents of multiculturalism in Canada detect in the ideology an undermining of a unique Canadian identity in favor of hyphenated Canadians, while proponents see the hyphenation as adding richness and color to the Canadian character. This controversy is nothing…

A task force on private-public sector education in Virginia concluded that transfer and award of credit between public and private sector education providers should be facilitated. Based on the task force recommendations, the Virginia Council on Vocational Education made three recommendations to the State Board for Community Colleges and…

This study examined states' policies toward families in the context of requirements of Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to provide early intervention services to all families with infants and toddlers with special needs. The study reviewed 13 "Year 4" applications for Part H funds from states in all geographical…

This brief paper summarizes survey materials gathered by the Multi-Agency Collaborative Initiative on Inclusive School Reform. The agencies involved are the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, the Council for Exceptional Children, the National Education Association, and the American Federation of Teachers and other…

Accountability is high on the education reform agenda as taxpayers, business leaders, and elected officials demand proof of results. Although several states show promising improvements in their accountability arrangements, none has in place a comprehensive system. Such a system includes three fundamental accountability elements: (1) clear and…

This report presents a plan for an Educational Assessment and Accountability System for Hawaii. The purpose of this plan is to provide an analytical as well as a descriptive account of the condition of public education in Hawaii. It is meant to be a vehicle to provide the means by which educational outcomes can be examined in light of contextual…

This study assesses progress made by the states, as of 1990, in the implementation of the 14 components of Part H of Public Law 99-457, the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments, 1986. Fifty out of 51 jurisdictions completed the State Progress Scale, which contains items for each of the 14 components and determines the stages of policy…

This pamphlet is a statement of the National Hispanic Educational Platform, which is based on the premise that Hispanic ideals, history, culture, and the Spanish language have a legitimate and important place in the social and governmental structure of the United States. It identifies four rights that are the cornerstone of education for Hispanic…

The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) conducted a national survey to determine the status of local campus initiatives in student outcomes assessment. Its goal was to determine whether assessment programs have been or are being developed, the objectives and source of initiation, and assessment techniques. Of…

This proposal is for an additional New York State secondary certification to be called the Regents External High School Diploma. The new diploma program has been designed to provide a flexible and credible alternative to the four-year high school diploma and to the New York State Equivalency Diploma. The external diploma ordinarily would be…

This monograph is directed toward policy makers, parents, students, educational leaders, teachers, taxpayers and society as a whole, aiming at their involvement and the attainment of excellence in education. People living in a rapidly changing society have many expectations for education, among which are the teaching of moral and ethical values,…