Many principals feel they lack the personnel necessary to raise student achievement to mandated levels. Yet, as school leaders seek to improve educational outcomes, one of the most underutilized groups remains student support professionals-the counselors, social workers, and nurses already on site. The authors offer a practical approach to…

This report summarizes the tenth survey of state directors of special education by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) at the University of Minnesota. Results include all 50 states and six of the eleven federally funded entities (unique states). The purpose of this report is to provide a snapshot of the new initiatives, trends,…

This paper summarizes a panel discussion that addressed exit-exam policies and dropout issues. It presents the panel members' conclusions about existing research and their recommendations on what kinds of further work are needed. Research on how exit exams affect dropout rates is limited and inconclusive, so policies continue to be made in the…

Sixteen papers, developed as part of a 10-year study of substantive and methodological aspects of teacher education in special education at the University of South Florida, address professional issues in special education. The papers are: (1) "To Improve or Reconstruct Special Education: Issues Facing the Field" (James L. Paul and Ann…

This document is a report on the self-assessment of the 2000-2001 Partnership for Excellence (PFE) program conducted by Cabrillo College (California). The PFE program addresses the community college's goals, with direct emphasis on transfer programs, degrees and certificates awarded, student course completion, workforce development, and basic…

In pursuing the priority of offering all students an equitable and excellent education, the Clinton administration has focused the nation on an urgent imperative: High standards for all students must be set and achieved. This imperative presents a difficult challenge and an enormous opportunity for chronically disadvantaged students, particularly…

New Mexicans of Native American and Hispanic ancestry participate less often and less successfully in the higher education system than do other groups. This fact has been demonstrated repeatedly in various studies and is exacerbated by a cycle of poverty, inadequate academic and financial preparation for college, and other issues related to…

Indiana was selected to participate in a new initiative--"Moving Forward: High Standards and High Graduation Rates"--jointly sponsored by Achieve, Inc. and Jobs for the Future and funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York. This effort is designed to spotlight the importance of pursuing a dual agenda of high standards and high…

This EdSource report summarizes the Initial Findings issued in October 2005 from a two-year study conducted by EdSource, Stanford University, University of California-Berkeley, and American Institutes for Research (AIR). In addition, this report includes information collected during the study but not previously reported (from superintendent…

The purpose of this report is to provide a "snapshot" of the status of technology use in United States schools. The report focuses on the following: school access to technology; student use of computers; evaluating the impact of educational technology; connecting teachers and technology; assessing the content and quality of courseware;…

This report presents the results of a survey of state directors of special education from the 50 regular states and 6 unique states, which examined several aspects of state-level educational accountability systems and their inclusion of students with disabilities. Specific sections address: students with disabilities and standards-based reform;…

This book is a practical guide for assessing the intended learning outcomes of classroom instruction. It is based on the premise that assessment of student achievement plays a vital role in instruction and that the main goal of assessment is to improve learning. The new title of this sixth edition reflects a shift from major concern with classroom…

This report identifies provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997 that relate to 10 recommendations proposed by a 1996 conference of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education on the Individualized Education Program (IEP). The conference used an accountability model that views…

The National Reporting System (NRS) is a project to develop an accountability system for the federally funded adult education program. The system includes a set of student measures to allow assessment of the impact of adult education instruction, methodologies for collecting the measures, reporting forms and procedures, and training and technical…

The National Reporting System project was designed to establish an outcome-based accountability system for the state-administered, federally funded adult education program. In the pilot test, volunteer states and their local programs compared the feasibility and costs of these three data collection models: (1) local programs collect all the…