Presented in a question-and-answer format, this guide is designed to answer the questions of persons who have agreed to become mentors for students in school-to-work programs. The guide answers the following 12 questions: (1) Why am I here? (2) What is mentoring all about? (3) What does mentoring have to do with School-to-Work? (4) Where do I fit…

This policy brief examines states' experiences and data regarding implementation of the transition planning mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It reports on a study which investigated whether implementation of transition planning was associated with decreased dropout rates for youth with disabilities and whether the format…

This report profiles programs conducted in 19 cities during the summer of 1996 to employ youth in the private sector. In most of the programs, the youth served were disadvantaged; the programs were created or enhanced in order to replace funds that were cut under Title IIB of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). The report contains 20…

This plan provides information on the efforts of Arizona's Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) to evaluate its effectiveness in achieving organizational mission and purpose. The plan contains the following information: (1) a discussion of EMCC's institutional effectiveness efforts to date, indicating that the college's Plan for…

Based on interviews with state administrators and local educators in four states that are actively implementing skills standards in secondary and postsecondary education, this report describes strategies for using industry skill standards to improve education. Following introductory materials, strategies are reviewed for overcoming obstacles to…

Four years after passage of Public Law 99-457, a survey was conducted of 30 state Part H Coordinators regarding the financing of Part H services. Coordinators were asked to estimate the percentage of the state's total funding that came from each of 44 potential sources for financing the implementation of Part H. Every one of the 44 sources was…

Because the disadvantages of technology implementation are not foreseen, they are often referred to as "unanticipated outcomes." Identifying side-effects is important because their negative effects are amplified when they arise without warning. This paper communicates the importance of unanticipated outcomes in educational technology settings,…

In February 1994 the San Diego (California) Board of Education adopted a policy to bring about a phased reduction in class size in all district schools. Resources were allocated to initiate Phase I of this plan, which called for limited class size in grades 1 and 2 at all elementary sites to 25.5 students. A formative review was undertaken to…

This paper reports on a study that examined skill standards pilot programs to identify lessons learned in the selection and involvement of representatives from the various stakeholder communities and the potential for sustaining the efforts of the pilot programs. Data were gathered through structured conversations with staff and committee members…

This book weaves together original essays with several that have been published earlier to address establishing the context for multicultural education, implementing multicultural perspectives in the classroom, and assessing the impact of multicultural education. The book also presents two annotated bibliographies. Following a foreword by J. Q.…

This handbook (prepared to assist charter school operators, state department of education personnel, and policymakers) reviews special education case law and legislation as well as pertinent issues that can guide charter school personnel, host or sponsoring districts, and state agency personnel in the implementation of special education in charter…

This guide, designed for principals, on-site leaders or administrators, describes the implementation of the "Actions for Health" series, a comprehensive elementary school (Grades K-6) instructional program for health education. The guide is organized into four sections. The first section, "The Principal's Role," describes the steps a principal is…

This manual is intended to help regular and special educators and related professionals to better serve special learners in inclusive settings through identifying practical strategies for the classroom and school, and techniques for overcoming barriers to inclusion. The manual is written in a question-and-answer format. The first chapter addresses…

In the 1995-96 school year, the Memphis (Tennessee) City Schools released standards for student performance in seven content areas and began laying the foundation for a standards-based curriculum and assessment system. The steps taken to develop and implement this project are outlined as follows: (1) defining the objectives and the project scope;…

In 1993-94, the Board of Education of the City of New York distributed more than $1 million to augment existing multicultural initiatives in professional or curriculum development. Districts and superintendencies in the city also designed a 3-year program to facilitate the planning and scope of these initiatives. The 1995-96 school year was the…