This guide is designed to give the student helpful information about Arizona's Instrument To Measure the Standards (AIMS) for grade 3. The guide provides examples of the type of questions students see on AIMS and explains how items are scored. It does not teach what the student needs to know to do well on AIMS, but it will help the student know…

This guide is designed to give the student helpful information about Arizona's Instrument To Measure the Standards (AIMS) for grade 5. The guide provides examples of the type of questions students see on AIMS and explains how items are scored. It does not teach what the student needs to know to do well on AIMS, but it will help the student know…

This paper discusses diverse approaches to be used in assessing student achievement in geography. Criterion-referenced tests (CRT) are generally developed at the state level, and 48 of the 50 states have some form of CRT. As a result, objectives for teachers to use in teaching geography have been written at the state level, and the CRT is aligned…

This annual report describes the activities and accomplishments of the Colorado Part C statewide system of early intervention for fiscal year 1999-2000. It begins by discussing the agencies involved in the provision of services and other supports in early intervention. The innovative service delivery models that are used and the program's sources…

This guide is designed to help Minnesota high school students in their educational planning and to encourage colleges and universities to state clearly their policies in granting college credit for successful completion of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations in high school. The guide also represents certification…

This issue of WIN (Welfare Information Network) Issue Notes focuses on helping low-income mothers with criminal records achieve self-sufficiency. Section 1 offers background. Section 2 answers these policy questions: why states might want to focus on serving low-income mothers with criminal records; how states can encourage employers to hire…

This report discusses the outcomes of a June 11-12, 1999, forum that addressed alternative assessments and gray areas in large-scale assessments for students with disabilities. The forum included 161 representatives from 42 state departments of education, 3 large school districts, 1 territory, and the Department of Defense Dependent Schools. Five…

Currently available information makes a compelling case for investing in efforts to help families overcome child care, early education, and school-age care challenges and obtain the quality early learning and after-school experiences needed for children to succeed. This book presents a series of fact sheets concerning child care, early education,…

This guide is a tool to assist educators in the development of high-quality work-based learning sites in New Hampshire as part of the state's school-to-work program. The guide is divided into two sections. The first section, Common Elements of Work-Based Learning, provides information and guidelines for addressing program design issues for all…

A review of the annual report of Jobs for America's Graduates, Inc., regarding the activities of the Jobs for Florida's Graduates Program, concluded that the program had not met its goals. It does not appear that the program will meet its statutory outcome goals of an 82 percent student graduation rate and a 70-75 percent employment rate, and the…

This document describes customized, employer-specific training programs for incumbent workers and new hires operated in 45 states. Unlike federal programs, state programs are economic tools to attract and retain jobs; are employer-, not worker-centered; have few requirements for targeting individuals; and train incumbent workers for new jobs or…

Part of a series on contemporary school reform and special education, this report discusses how states are building capacity for standards-based reform. An introduction describes seven key areas in which states must build classroom and organizational level capacities, including: (1) teachers' knowledge, skills, and dispositions; (2) students'…

This report summarizes research supports addressing three areas as targets for educational improvement in Alabama: beginning reading, expansion of reading power, and intensive intervention for those who are reading below grade level. The paper also describes Alabama's statewide initiative to implement best practices in these areas and summarizes…

This manual contains information regarding the administration of the Oregon Statewide Assessment Program's tests in writing and mathematics problem-solving. Parts of the manual address (1) background and preparation for testing; (2) administering the writing assessment; (3) administering the mathematics problem-solving assessment; (4) local rater…

This manual contains information regarding the administration of the Oregon Statewide Assessment Program's tests in reading and literature, mathematics, science, and the social sciences. Parts of the manual address (1) background and preparation for testing; (2) general administration; (3) administering the mathematics test; (4) administering the…