Since the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015, state teams have been preparing their state plans aligned with ESSA for submission in April or September 2017 to the U.S. Department of Education. Because ESSA lands much of the decision-making and responsibility in education at the state and local levels, state education leaders…

This test administration plan sets forth the terms and conditions which govern the administration of the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST), an instrument designed to measure the achievement of the communication and computation skills expected of all students by the time they complete their sophomore year. CLAST scores are required of all…

New York's Action Plan, a comprehensive program outlining school reforms to be phased in over the next decade, stresses the partnership of local and state governments. It sets expectations for student performance, increases accountability, addresses quality of instruction, provides extra help where needed, and allows local flexibility. (DCS)

This 1995 report presents information on the progress that Tennessee has made toward its 26 educational objectives for preschool through graduate education. It examines the following four areas: (1) the extent of duplication in elementary-secondary and postsecondary education; (2) the extent to which high-school graduation requirements are…

The Virginia Standards of Learning Program establishes a framework for instruction in the public schools and includes objectives that will help students acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes believed necessary for further education and employment. The Standards of Learning (SOL) Objectives for Library/Information Use are the result of a…

The concern of educators and the general public over the decline in basic skills achievement of students nationwide has led to a national push for results-oriented instruction and educational accountability. Many states are developing tests for life-related competencies which students should master during the schooling process. States moving…

The experiences of 10 states described in this paper illustrate how higher education can be a constructive force for change in the schools, and how the changes taking place in school-based curriculum and assessment provide valuable lessons for collegiate reform. The 10 states profiled are California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, New…

The more commonly cited uses of state and local district assessment programs are addressed. The implications of seven proposed uses of state assessment data are reviewed point-by-point: (1) allocating state grants-in-aid to alleviate weaknesses in instructional programs; (2) designing instructional support programs for teachers; (3) developing…

This document identifies the three components that frame overall career and life role education that helps students prepare to integrate the demands of six life roles (individual, learner, producer, consumer, family member, citizen) into family, community, and work settings. The three components that help prepare students to meet the grade 12…

Summaries are presented of the problems and issues of minimum competency testing which were discussed at four regional conferences for political and educational practitioners. The Education Commission of the States sponsored the conferences, but took no official position of support or opposition. Section 1 compares the legislative, practitioner,…

A project was conducted to develop and pilot test a process for vertically articulating curriculum between the secondary and postsecondary levels of vocational-technical education in Minnesota. Subgoals were to develop and validate a procedure for developing statewide task lists and competency records and to develop a process for teacher and…

The fourth annual report on Florida's progress toward excellence in the State University System is presented. A total of 20 "indicators" of quality were used; they include the following seven national measures of efforts toward reaching the upper quartile of state university systems: (1) average full-time faculty salaries, (2) number of…

The fifth annual report on Florida's progress toward excellence in education within its state university system describes the status of the system according to 20 indicators of quality. They include the following seven national measures of efforts toward reaching the upper quartile of state university systems: (1) average full-time faculty…

This publication is a compilation of the presentations given at a symposium held to explore where California is in respect to credit for prior and experiential learning, and whether the State should be moving toward a more comprehensive mechanism for assessing, awarding, and recording such credit. The keynote address provides an overview focusing…

This document summarizes program operations in adult education and literacy in 14 U.S. states and territories: Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the Virgin Islands. Special attention is paid to efforts in six…