In 1984, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania passed the Information Technology Education Act, which created 14 Information Technology Education for the Commonwealth (ITEC) centers. The purpose of the ITEC centers was to assist teachers in using and improving their use of microcomputers in their own classrooms by training them in instructional uses of…

This technical report provides a detailed presentation of the status of Minnesota postsecondary education, summarizes policy issues studied by the Minnesota Higher Education Coordinating Board, and reviews programs administered by the Board. Section 1 reviews enrollment trends and projections, student characteristics, and Minnesota's investment in…

The 1986 scores from the Statewide Student Assessment Test-II, a minimum-competency test required for high school graduation in Florida, were placed on the scale of the 1984 scores from that test using five different equating procedures: (1) linear method; (2) Rasch model; (3) three-parameter item response theory (IRT)--concurrent method; (4)…

Three projects have been undertaken in Minnesota to define standards for student outcomes in postsecondary institutions. The Minnesota Higher Education Coordinating Board has focused on outcomes, standards, and criteria which may be used as templates for student assessment. The first project followed the publication of the State Department of…

This long-range program, prepared as required by and in support of the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA), is intended to meet federal funding priorities and support the continuation of programs that have operated successfully in Massachusetts over the last decade. The purpose and background of the program are summarized, and the…

The Interagency Plan for Children with Special Needs for Maryland residents has three major purposes: (1) to set priorities for developing or expanding services required by special needs children and their families; (2) to ensure that resources targeted for special needs children are administered effectively by increasing interagency coordination…

The first of the two reports presented here begins by listing the members and alternate members of the Michigan State Legislature; members of the Library of Michigan Board of Trustees; and Library of Michigan officials. A directory of the state's 16 public library cooperatives is also provided, together with maps showing their geographic…

This report provides information about the major issues affecting Maryland's children and youth. Pertinent data, trends, and directions are presented. The report focuses on 10 major issues and presents each issue through relevant statistics, current state involvement, and directions for the future. The 10 issues covered in the report are: (1)…

Designed to assist students in understanding solid waste resource recovery, this teaching aid package aims to get students involved in practical activities that require participation, observation, and interpretation. Provided in this package are definitions, methods, causes and effects, costs, and benefits of resource recovery presented in the…

A variety of issues and problems in family day care are surveyed in two brief papers. The first paper notes that the majority of children under the age of 2 years, who are currently being cared for outside the home, are being cared for in family day care settings. One of the attractions of this kind of care is its relatively low cost compared to…

One of the exciting and sometimes frustrating elements of participating in the field of outdoor wilderness education and recreation involves not only the issue of ensuring that practicing professionals function with competence, safety and prudence, but that they have knowledge and skills gained from many disciplines and a variety of life…

This volume of the "Teacher Handbook," a product of the extensive audit and revision of curriculum carried out by the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction in 1984 in order to develop a basic education program for the state's public schools presents a competency-based curriculum in library/media and computer skills.…

The papers in this volume were commissioned to provide information useful for planning, implementing, and assessing the impact of new teacher programs, such as the Illinois Initial Year of Teaching Program. These papers were presented at a conference held at the University of Chicago in September 1987 on the initial year of teaching to provide a…

The Connecticut Special Education Network for Software Evaluation is intended to help special educators learn about effective software. The network has developed a software evaluation model and instrument which solicits both descriptive and evaluative information on special education courseware. A needs assessment performed in the state in 1983…

Key aspects of P.L. 99-457, the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986, affecting handicapped infants, toddlers, and preschoolers from birth to age 5 are summarized. Presented in a question answer format the information digest addresses the following questions: What children are eligible for early intervention services? Are these…