This report highlights the findings of the sixteenth survey of states conducted by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO). It has been administered for more than three decades to collect information from states about the participation and performance of students with disabilities in the assessments that comprise the comprehensive…

Since the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), there has been a growing focus on improving the quality of programs for children with disabilities and measuring the results/outcomes of those programs. Across the country, IDEA Part C Programs for Infants and Toddlers and IDEA Part B, Section 619 Preschool…

In 2009, families nationwide were surveyed to see how many children are in afterschool programs, how many are unsupervised after school and how these numbers compare to five years ago. "America After 3 PM" provides the most comprehensive and accurate picture to date of what this nation's youth are doing each day after school. Overall,…

This fact book presents findings of the Children's Defense Fund's fourth annual survey on child care funding and priorities, and consists of five sections which provide an overview of states' child care activities, information about specific policies, and contacts in each state who can provide more detailed information. Section 1 presents recent…

This report provides information, in both statistical and narrative form, on the activities and status of the vocational equity program for the state of Arkansas for the 1987-88 school year. (The vocational equity program is designed to eliminate sex bias and stereotyping in vocational activities and to encourage students and instructors to become…

An Iowa project identified curriculum, program standards, and a framework for promoting marketing education programs. The mission for the state action plan for marketing education is to develop a strategy to revitalize Iowa's marketing education for the 21st century. Three goals support this mission: (1) create a community-wide awareness of the…

Development of state leadership in implementing the quality mandate of Chapter 1 supplementary education programs is traced up to the 1988 Hawkins Stafford Act, which added procedural and accountability requirements. Challenges that states now face in the program improvement processes are described. (SLD)

Before a vocational education research and development agenda for the 1980s can be formulated and implemented, a national policy on economic and human resource development should be in place. In its absence, such an agenda must be shared in light of several factors that reflect the current demographic situation and long-range trends, including a…

Because of the rapid changes in the world of work, education is hard-pressed to meet society's needs. If education is to meet the needs of the future, it must not merely update, but radically change its model. Because technology changes the workplace so quickly, specific vocational skills are no longer a valid product of vocational education.…

This report provides general background information on the State of Maryland's Special Education Nonpublic Placements program, which is responsible for approving the placement of Maryland students with disabilities in private schools. The report describes the program, analyzes the trends, and makes several recommendations. Findings of the report…

State and local agencies must work to provide appropriately designed vocational education programs to vocational students in order to help them become self-sufficient in living and working. In view of the employment potential of disabled people and the legal and economic reasons for facilitating their access to employment-related programs, state…

A study was conducted in Wyoming to determine the scope and economic value of supervised occupational experience programs (SOEPs) in vocational agriculture. The study tried to determine the level of participation and success realized by females engaged in SOEP activities, and to find out to what degree males and females engage in balanced SOEPs,…

This monograph provides a status report on issues related to accountability, including standards and assessments, data systems, and the role of incentives for schools, teachers, and students in improving student achievement. Using information gathered from the literature and interviews with state administrators of vocational education, this paper…

This task force report offers specific recommendations to enhance secondary vocational education as an integral component within the total educational spectrum in the state of Maine. The task force identified six major initiatives and made 30 specific recommendations, which are detailed in this report. The six initiatives cover (1) approaches to…

These proceedings of a conference for state directors of vocational education on the topic of charting a course of excellence for vocational education in the 1980s consist of the texts of 13 conference papers, the conference agenda, and a listing of program presentations and participants. Topics of the first group of papers, which all revolve…