In November 1996, forty-five higher education technology leaders convened in Washington, D.C., to discuss the virtual university (VU). The Western Governors Association had announced establishment of the Western Governors University (WGU). As a result, VU initiatives were emerging from, or being contemplated by, almost every state-level higher…

This report summarizes the essential elements of state-funded prekindergarten programs across the United States. To be included in the report, a program had to be supported primarily by state funds, have early education as a goal, focus on children younger than kindergarten entry age, and provide direct service to children rather than concentrate…

This report provides an overview and description of social and emotional learning (SEL) and service-learning (S-L) as tools to improve the lives and academic performance of students. It describes how the two practices are interrelated, and cites research evidence that supports the expanded use of both practices in the classroom. Also provided are…

Since the announcement in 1999 of a plan to tie teachers' salary increases to student achievement by Denver Public Schools, there has been a flood of nationwide policy activity around teacher compensation. This paper examines pay plans in Denver, Toledo, Minneapolis, and New York City, offering a snapshot of the changing landscape of teacher…

A growing phenomenon in the United States is state-funded pre-kindergarten. This article deals with the status of pre-K programs in the United States. In this article, the authors discuss a major study of 240 state-funded pre-K programs in six states initiated by the National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL) to provide a base of…

Outgrowths of Mississippi's Education Reform Act of 1982 include the development of more stringent standards for both school accreditation and teacher certification. Successful completion of staff development has become the basis for recertification of Mississippi teachers and administrators, and, beginning in the 1984-85 school year, districts…

In the first phase of a study of factors affecting knowledge dissemination and knowledge use in staff development programs, a conceptual model was developed, and from it a 15 page questionnaire was derived to collect data on workshop participants' background and personal characteristics, school characteristics, and workshop characteristics. This…

The Access and Equity Program vision is to achieve educational equity for all students and faculty in higher education. Success in college should not be affected by a student's race. Minority enrollment should be at least proportional to the minority population in South Carolina and minority graduation rates should be comparable to the graduation…

The extension of the professional base for public education is an important recent trend. There has developed an increased use of professional personnel for noninstructional services. The range of professions or services involved includes attendance, guidance, health programs, psychology, and social work. This publication deals primarily with…

The quality of education provided by the public sector in Pakistan has been poor due to low levels of teacher competence, lack of classroom-based support for teachers, poor quality of textbooks and learning materials, lack of systems to assess student learning outcomes, uneven supervision, insufficient resources for critical teaching and learning…