Increasing awareness of the vital developmental implications of the care and education of young children has led to efforts in Maryland to advance early childhood care and education (ECCE). To that end, Maryland has consolidated ECCE services into one division of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and developed a number of…

This report is in response to the requirement of RCW 28A.150.550 that the State Board of Education, with assistance from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (WTECB), the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee (EOGOAC), and the Washington…

This brief document profiles Maryland's Early Learning Support Network. The Network includes a group of early childhood centers in public schools in the state. The centers serve as training and observation sites for persons interested in improving the quality of their early learning programs. Two types of centers are involved: observation centers…

A survey of the academic program review and approval activity of state-wide postsecondary coordinating and governing boards was concluded in 2006. This study is the latest in a series of survey/studies of state level program review and approval begun roughly thirty years ago by this author and colleagues. The boards selected for this survey were…

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has initiated bold steps to improve the quality and quantity of occupational programs in the 11 states served by the Association. These steps include: (1) the Southwide Conference on Occupational Education sponsored in cooperation with Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company, (2) the…

This policy brief examines the fundamental principles that undergird the current Total Quality Management (TQM) movement, describes application examples and discusses application problems particular to higher education. An opening section reviews the basic premises of TQM and differentiates between two perspectives on the approach: the first see…

This report, presented in three parts, deals with the adequacy of the vocational education system in Illinois and the effectiveness of the state's initiatives. The first part of the report addresses the adequacy of the Illinois system in meeting the purpose of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984. The system's adequacy is reviewed…

Articles from a conference on nontraditional education and state-level issues are presented. The first article by Frederic Jacobs and George B. Weathersby summarizes some of the major trends and policy issues regarding nontraditional education. Next Samuel B. Gould considers why states should support nontraditional education and what strategies…

The condition of education in Connecticut, especially pertaining to reform efforts initiated from July 1, 1986, to June 30, 1988, is summarized in this biennial report. The document includes indepth discussions of the state's people and economy, teacher and administrator characteristics, student achievements, programs, and school finance. Text,…

Despite the many criticisms that have been made of vocational education teacher preparation, the field has many strengths that can serve as a base on which to build excellent programs. Six examples of excellence are pointed out: (1) important vocational teacher competencies have been identified and verified; (2) high quality performance-based…

Highlighting the fact that a different concept in delivery is required to provide educational programs and services to mobile populations, this paper describes the special educational needs of mobile students, gives the legislative history that has led to creation of an administrative structure to fulfill those needs, and suggests policies and…

This document is a comprehensive plan for higher education in Missouri for fiscal years 2000-2001. The Strategic Plan identifies three strategic issues: Quality, Access, and Efficiency. Twenty-four goals are identified, each accompanied by relevant statistics, facts and figures. Goals for quality include: (1) implementation of the Coordinating…

This report by Wyoming's Blue Ribbon Committee on Quality Education focuses on four basic recommendations through which student preparation could be improved. First, the elementary, secondary, and college curriculum in the state needs to be better defined and integrated. Second, educational processes must make more effective use of available…

This report presents Washington State's Master Plan for building a higher education system that addresses change in four fundamental elements: accessing education in urban areas; developing a new higher education funding process; evaluating institutional performance; and strengthening admissions standards. The Master Plan recommends the following:…

This document shares lessons learned related to states' strategies to improve accountability. Case studies describe promising practices or particular strategies within an accountability system that have operationalized six standards identified by the National Association of State Boards of Education. The introduction discusses accountability and…