This issue provides a detailed overview of the Illinois literacy effort, including committee lists, project proposal forms, rules and regulations, financial support information, and a chronology of events. Several articles focus on the planning and implementation of literacy programs and the role of the library in literacy education. (CLB)

Discusses program designed by the Educational Computer Consortium of Ohio (ECCO) to address the problems of equity in computer technology among minority, female, economically disadvantaged, and handicapped students. Six projects focusing on elementary and secondary school girls, minorities and economically disadvantaged students are described, and…

Describes the Analytic Writing Exchange (AWE) as a cooperative endeavor by teachers who teach students to score writing papers and provide opportunities for students to exchange and grade papers written by their peers in cooperating schools. Claims students in the program become better writers and score better on state tests.(NH)

Reviews the efforts made in Michigan's plan of improvement in mathematics and science education. Assesses the progress attained in preservice and inservice programs, developing partnerships, attracting outstanding students, and increasing the quantity and quality of science and mathematics teachers. Includes a description of the operating…

Describes initiatives being taken in 27 states in support of recommendations made by the National Commission on Excellence and the Task Force on Education for Economic Growth. Focuses particularly on teacher rewards, career ladders, and cooperation between schools and business. (KH)

The Illinois Inventory of Educational Progress (IIEP) writing assessment is designed to assess students' knowledge and skills on curricular benchmarks. The Rating Guide for Functional Writing is criterion-referenced. The IIEP is neither mandated by statute nor connected to graduation requirements. Randomly selected students are tested each year.…

This premier issue of "The Equipped for the Future (EFF) Voice" has been put together to give everyone a snapshot of EFF-related activities across the country. It includes reports on the 12 states that have been participating in the EFF field development process since 1998, and on the many other programs and states that have begun…

The Subcommittee conducted an oversight hearing on Section 529 College Savings Plans, State-sponsored investments that are designed to encourage families to save money for their children's college education. Section 529 refers to the Internal Revenue Code section that authorizes and confers special tax treatment on these entities. Section 529…

As part of the continuing efforts to improve the quality of online learning in the course and program offerings of a state-wide consortium of higher education institutions, the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium has undertaken a 3-year research project to better understand how online students first approach Web-based learning and how that…

This Kids Count issue brief details the strides made in Rhode Island over the last 10 years to improve maternal and child health, focusing on efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities. The brief notes that Rhode Island has made significant progress in several areas of maternal and infant care, most notably in access to insurance and early…

Historically states are seen as more comfortable with narrowly focused rules, regulation, and monitoring responsibilities than with broad change. Currently states face revolutionary new arrangements for financing education, overseeing federal commitments, and providing fair and meaningful standards for educational performance. The major…

This report discusses the findings of a study that investigated state coordination of early intervention services for infants, toddlers, and young children with disabilities. State Part C coordinators participated in a survey that sought their perceptions of values under girding service coordination, approach to service coordination, policies,…

As part of a series of reports designed to support the implementation of Proposition 10: The California Children and Families Act and to provide comprehensive and authoritative information on critical issues concerning young children and families in California, this report summarizes research on the effects of early childhood education and…

A study analyzed the continuing professional education (CPE) requirements, practices, policies, evaluation measures, and perception of impact on practice and participants in the counseling profession. Research was conducted in 22 states with at least 5 years experience with their counselor licensing legislation requiring CPE. Other states were…

The National Postsecondary Education Cooperative has sponsored two working groups on student outcomes, one exploring the issue from a policy perspective and the other, from a data perspective. This report presents the results of the data perspective case studies, discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the "state of the art" in student…