K-3 Plus was established in 2007 as a six-year pilot project that permitted schools with high numbers of at-risk students to begin the school year 25 days earlier for kindergarten through third grade. The purpose of the K-3 Plus program is to demonstrate that increased instructional time in kindergarten and the early grades narrows the achievement…

In today's uncertain economy, states and regions are experiencing myriad workforce challenges. In the short run, layoffs and unemployment resulting from the current economic downturn dictate an immediate need for education and training to prepare workers for key occupations. In the long run, states and regions continue to exist in a global economy…

Career education was officially established in Arizona during the 1971 legislative sessions. Three goals of career education, as stated by the state advisory council, are to help students: (1) learn to live, (2) learn to learn, and (3) learn to make a living. The program is available for students at all levels of education, from kindergarten…

Children with disabilities enter school with unique educational needs. Federal and State laws provide special assurances that guarantee these unique needs are met and an appropriate education is provided. Among these assurances are rights making it possible for parents to act as advocates for their children and to work as partners with the school…

In U.S. K-12 public education, incentive pay for educators remains firmly fixed as a high-interest policy topic and has recently become a popular reform initiative in many school systems. The Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF), created in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Education, is at the forefront of this policy movement and has provided hundreds of…

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…

The history of adult and community education in Michigan since 1862 can be divided into five major periods. In the first period, 1862-1930, adult and evening education was instituted by Henri A. Hobart in the Upper Peninsula and was extended by Frank Cody in Detroit. During the second period, the 1930s, Charles Stewart Mott and Frank J. Manly laid…

Different approaches for expanding quality early childhood education in the United States are investigated in this report. After a summary and an introduction, section 2 discusses the values and benefits associated with early childhood education programs. Section 3 provides a description of the workings of a public school-based system for 3- and…

The 1969-70 report on Indian education in the public schools of Minnesota presents data on finances; enrollment; attendance; dropouts; graduates; taxes; and costs of schooling, hot lunches, and transportation. Included in the report are discussions of such problems as the high dropout rate and low attendance rate of Indian children, especially at…

In January 1990, the National Conference of State Legislatures surveyed the curriculum directors at each state department of education regarding efforts to improve science education. Those surveyed were asked to list and describe statewide science education programs in the public schools and the involvement of state legislatures in creating and…

The initiation of the educational records and reports study by the Office of Education in 1951 marked a turning point in the Federal State teamwork approach toward providing a basis for complete, accurate, and comparable educational information. In cooperation with State education agencies and professional groups, three major handbooks of standard…

In this paper we examine the research literature on teacher performance pay. Evidence clearly suggests an upsurge of interest in many states and school districts; however, expanded use of performance pay has been controversial. We briefly review the history of teacher pay policy in the U.S. and earlier cycles of interest in merit or…