Policy research established that it is possible to predict a student will drop out of school based on academic, attendance, behavior indicators. Little is known about the processes that put Early Warning Systems (EWS) in place. This case study of the Montana EWS describes the characteristics of a statewide implementation, the efficiency of the EWS…

A follow-up survey was conducted of the 1978 Educational Quality Assessment (EQA) to ascertain what impact the Pennsylvania Statewide Assessment Program had on schools and school districts. The survey instrument consisted of 20 items tapping: (1) the quality of information and services provided; (2) dissemination activities engaged in by the…

This paper delineates the purposes of a symposium that was based on a major study of the California School Improvement Program (SIP). The problem of increasing the capacity of schools to implement reform efforts is conceptualized. To explore this issue, a conceptual framework was developed, based on the case study and survey data from the first…

A study investigated whether Louisiana school districts and schools involved in the SPUR (Special Plan Upgrading Reading) program were implementing and maintaining essential elements of the project five years after termination of state funding and external support. Subjects were the 66 superintendents or their designee at the district level as…

The Comprehensive Basic Skills Program Review (CBSPR) is an essential part of the New Jersey public school evaluation and improvement process. This group of handbooks describes a process for analyzing existing school programs and practices in relation to those factors which have been identified through research to be associated with successful…

Hawaii's Interscholastic Athletics program involves 38 high schools in a voluntary program designed to develop athletically talented students and to foster student and community identity with the schools. Although the ten-year old program offering sixteen team and individual sports has been successful, several issues remain unresolved in the areas…

Discusses the power that local school districts and schools exert over the eventual success or failure of state government initiatives. Analyzes three major hurdles that reform efforts must surmount at the district and school levels: affecting classroom instruction; eliciting a commitment of local resources; and becoming integrated into other…

This speech discusses the national emerging trend toward state intervention in local educational processes as part of the academic accountability movement. It provides examples of reforms and improvements whereby state intervention furnished local school improvement. The address focuses on state intervention in Jersey City, New Jersey; predicts…

Maryland is one of the states which recently developed new requirements for high school graduation. A preliminary evaluation of these new state standards has raised a number of issues about graduation standards and their assessment. The Maryland State Department of Education examined statewide policies and guidelines for high schools between 1982…

The effectiveness of indirect incentive grants by California on school district spending was investigated by using state data to document the impact of the incentives under Senate Bill 813 (1983). Incentives appeared to be more effective in directing spending toward direct instruction than other grants. (SLD)

This report is an analysis of issues in Alaska's elementary-secondary education system, based on 25 position papers delivered at a Center for Northern Educational Research forum in 1973. The forum arose from the widespread perception of need for educational reorganization and a concern about equal educational opportunities for Native Americans.…

This publication presents the evaluation of the Secondary Special Education Initiative, a 5-year partnership between the New Jersey State Department of Education and nine school districts. The initiative was established in 1983 to enhance the development of high-school programs and services for educationally handicapped pupils. The initiative had…

This seminar, sponsored by the Oregon Council for Continued Professional Development and the Oregon Department of Education, brought together 60 educational leaders from all sectors and from all regions of Oregon to discuss staff development issues. Fostering collaborartion between elementary/secondary and postsecondary institutions was a central…

This study analyzed the special education program evaluation practices of 49 states and the District of Columbia based on states' required reporting under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and on state plans. Comparison of the results with those from a 1984 study suggests the following trends: (1) an increase in the number…

Programs of school improvement based on characteristics of effective schools as identified by school effects researchers have proliferated in recent years. This paper describes major school improvement programs now underway throughout the United States: (1) programs organized and administered within schools and school districts in New York City;…