This discussion paper examines the current state of practice of adult literacy education in Washington State as well as initiatives to improve program effectiveness in a number of areas, including staff quality and curriculum. The paper discusses staff and curriculum development being undertaken by the ABLE (Adult Basic and Literacy Educator's)…

"For the Common Good" was designed as a statewide project to facilitate the formation of local interagency linkage teams throughout Ohio to improve services to at-risk youth and adults. The state team conducted three workshops during which 36 local interagency linkage teams were trained. A major portion of each workshop was set aside for…

This case study shares the perspectives of two individuals who worked from within Laconia Developmental Services (a state institution in New Hampshire for people with developmental disabilities) to close it. One individual was institutional superintendent and the other served as a liaison officer among the state government offices, Laconia…

In 1991, educators at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia began developing ideas for integrating telecommunications into the instructional practices of public school teachers using Virginia's Public Education Network. Teachers from across the state were invited to participate in a telecommunications project called the…

A study obtained early information on the effects of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 on states' efforts to develop and implement effective systems of school-to-work transition. Systems in eight states were studied: California, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. State leaders understood the need…

Presenting summarized transcripts of sessions at the Michigan Department of Education's second Curriculum Integration Workshop held in Traverse City, Michigan from July 15-18, 1996, this proceedings describes the state's project to integrate academic curricula into vocational programs at the community college level. Following an overview of the…

A survey was conducted of Colorado postsecondary career and technical programs in 1995 to gauge how the state has responded to mandates of the Carl Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act of 1990. Results were reported for the first three of nine standards developed by a statewide committee in 1992. The three standards require postsecondary…

This report to the Mississippi Legislature presents the findings of a review of the central office of the State Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL). The review committee sought to determine if the accounting practices and external controls over the IHL central office ensured an adequate level of accountability for public…

The Refugee English Language Training (ELT) Task Force, convened by the California State Department of Social Services, collected and reviewed records of refugee ELT programs statewide, conducted site visits and public input meetings, and reviewed literature concerning adult basic education and refugee literacy education. The study and results are…

Families undergo difficulties in trying to negotiate the labyrinth of early childhood services offered in Illinois. Because of the multiplicity of programs and scarce funding, many children and families do not receive the services they need. Coordination among programs and services is also limited. This paper offers background on how the…

This guide outlines strategies to be used by rural school districts when applying for grants in New York State. The first section addresses the impact of recent federal program reductions and restructuring that have significantly reduced overall federal spending on state education programs. Both federal and state governments are moving away from…

A study was conducted to identify and measure theoretical dimensions of teacher empowerment in 307 venture capital schools in Ohio. (The Ohio state legislature established venture capital grants to support school improvement; these grants serve as catalysts for local schools to redesign their internal structures.) Data were gathered from 4,091…

This guide is for teachers, tutors, counselors, and others working with adult learners in programs of literacy, adult basic education, General Educational Development test preparation, and English as a Second Language. It is a compendium of short articles written by 50 adult basic educators in Pennsylvania. The articles provide background…

As part of its academic testing program and the evaluation of academic achievement, the Des Moines (Iowa) Public School System administers two standardized, norm-referenced achievement tests. These are the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED). This document provides information regarding…

In 1994, as part of an ongoing study of the quality and effects of large-scale educational assessments, RAND began a series of studies of Kentucky's assessment, the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS). KIRIS is a cornerstone of Kentucky's education reform program. It exemplifies several key themes of current assessment-based…