In May 2016 an Invitational Symposium on the Reading for Understanding (RfU) Initiative was held in Alexandria, Virginia. Co-hosted by ETS and the Council of Chief State School Officers, the symposium brought together 160 state and local education leaders to examine the results of the RfU initiative. The goal of the U.S. Department of…

Objectives: A team of education researchers is leading a three-year project to develop and implement an online system for reporting and research on state student assessment policies across all states (Indicator 12). Theoretical Framework In the past five years as more rigorous standards have been adopted by many states, a key issue for state…

Language education policy has been a controversial and ongoing issue throughout the U.S., particularly in the state of Texas. This paper reports on a frame analysis of the five bills that amended the Texas Education Code to implement or expand bilingual education and English as a second language programs. Analysis focused on problems and solutions…

This paper describes a major initiative in the Commonwealth of Kentucky to develop a statewide, standards-based, student report card for reporting the learning progress of individual students at all grade levels (K-12). Led by a team of researchers with expertise in grading and reporting, 36 educators from three diverse school districts created…

This paper, in discussing the implementation of middle schools, makes six recommendations: (1) the program should reflect the needs of individual students; (2) the curriculum and schedules should accommodate an appropriate amount of independent study time paralleling the maturity of the individual; (3) the program should incorporate a non-graded…

The conference paper examines West Virginia's process-product model used to develop educational programs for exceptional students (behavior disordered learners and intellectually gifted learners). The background of the program is discussed, and requirements of the state's master plan are outlined. Noted are findings and recommendations of task…

The paper discusses the steps a teacher should follow in organizing a learning center. Considered are the two types of learning centers (curriculum and skill area centers), skill objectives, and criteria for selecting materials and equipment. (SBH)

Described is the use of the goal attainment scale in evaluating and monitoring programs for the handicapped in local Texas school districts. It is explained that current and anticipated functioning levels are plotted for 11 weighted components, including assessment, diagnosis, placement, teacher planning, phyiscal arrangement, and quality and…

The paper focuses on the planning of an individualized education program as required by the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, with particular emphasis on the education of deaf children. (SBH)

A dozen suggestions to improve school district inservice programs are made. (1) Bring a university program to the district; the teachers and administrators who participate will pay for it and earn college credits on their own time. (2) Be sure to provide some time for people to meet by grade level or subject area. (3) Use teachers as presenters…

The public school system of Houston County, Georgia, has instituted an inservice staff development program planned by the teachers themselves. Following assessment of the needs of students and parents as well as teachers, the planning group designed a program offering college credit to participants. Houston County teachers now find it possible to…

This presentation describes the development process behind the Boston Schoolyard Initiative: a 5-year, inner city, community-driven initiative to transform neglected and unwelcome schoolyards into active centers of school and community use. Each phase of the initiative is discussed from community organizing through design, construction, and…

This paper describes the development and validation of a school-accountability model. The model is based on the assumption that schools represent dynamic systems in which a change in one element will affect all other elements. The model's primary elements are educational input, processes, and outcomes. The paper examines various accountability…

Offered in this paper are guidelines and procedures to follow for introducing a newspaper-in-education program in the schools. Included are outlines and activities for idea presentation and staff development, suggestions for use of the newspaper in a scavenger hunt, and newspaper workshop ideas. Also included are activity sheets for use in…

An overview is presented of the beginning teacher program in the Frederick County (Maryland) schools. The focus of the program is on three concerns: (1) the problems of beginning teachers as perceived by themselves and others; (2) the kinds of support efforts that presently exist; and (3) implications for the future development of support programs…