This guide defines a methodology for program monitoring and discusses positive results achieved in Pennsylvania by implementing Instrument-based Program Monitoring (IPM) in the field of child day care services. IPM uses checklists or special questionnaires to structure monitoring interviews and site visits. This method differs substantially from…

Through programs aimed at enhancing educational effectiveness, states can play important and substantive roles in helping local schools, students, teachers, and principals improve, according to the study "State Strategies to Support Local School Improvement: Cross Site Analysis." The study identifies the key elements of the local change…

Pennsylvania's school districts and area vocational-technical schools are required to submit long range plans to the Pennsylvania Department of Education every 5 years. These plans are intended to direct resources toward improvement of educational programs and services, school management, and student achievement. The planning process is to include…

The 1983 Federal fiscal year is a year of transition from the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) to the Job Training Partnership Act of 1982 (JTPA). Unlike CETA, which included public service employment provisions, the entire thrust of JTPA is on training for unsubsidized employment. The purpose of the new law is to prepare youth and…

Designed to support the formation of a New York State Office of Communications Management, this document contains official recommendations, cost justifications, public hearing testimonies, and government documents which address the need for a statewide control of telecommunications. A year-long, 12-step plan for implementation of a State Office of…

The study compared the life outcomes of four groups of graudates (N=844) from the Maryland high school class of 1981: regular education/nonvocational, regular education/vocational, special education/nonvocational, and special education/vocational. Data were analyzed to determine how special education graduates differed from regular education…

Washington State has implemented a policy requiring school administrators to give their subordinates the opportunity to appraise their performance. Based on survey research and mailed interviews, this study collected data on activities at the state level that served to implement this policy. Other research questions sought information on the…

This overview of the current status of teacher incentive programs includes information on: (1) support for the programs and leadership for program development; (2) funding patterns; (3) evaluations of specific programs; (4) program objectives and participant attitudes; and (5) commitment to program development. Brief summaries are presented of the…

State-mandated practices for evaluation of principals are described. Most such programs draw on three bodies of literature concerning management and organizational theory, personnel evaluation, and effective principalship. In most evaluations, four concerns are constant: (1) supervision and staff development; (2) school and community relations;…

States' policies vary widely on paying friends and family rather than home care agencies to care for the elderly. This analysis explored two state programs which exemplify different payment options: Michigan, which pays clients' informal caregivers, and Illinois, which generally pays agencies to provide services. It asked how different payment…

The benefits, costs, and risks of prepaid tuition and state saving incentive plans to help families pay the cost of a postsecondary education are examined. After discussing why plans have been proposed, financing strategies and savings instruments currently available to families are reviewed. Three types of state plans have emerged: prepaid…

The National Apprenticeship Program is the term used to describe the coalition of management, labor, and government that supports the apprenticeship program in the United States and the aggregate nationwide of such programs and enrolled apprentices. Apprenticeship programs are operated by employers, employer associations, or jointly by management…

A study reviewed the curriculum and program development for vocational-technical education in Massachusetts. Data for analysis were gathered by the Division of Occupational Education, Massachusetts Department of Education, from division research, third-party evaluations of vocational-technical education, and reports from other state agencies, as…

These four annual reports detail Indiana's efforts to enhance computer literacy for teachers and assist in computer instruction in the schools. The consortium was given the responsibility by 1983 legislation to establish regional clearinghouses for computer instruction information, coordinate teacher training in computer instruction skills, and…

Examined are recent legislative initiatives related to the problem of adolescent pregnancy and parenting. A 50-state survey was conducted by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and each state's legislative research agency provided information on bills and acts from the 1986 and 1987 legislative sessions, as well as programs and…