Some states are taking a greater role in general education reform, with some moving to rationalize general education requirements. Establishing transfer policies to promote educational coherence is bringing some order to the chaos of general education. (SLD)

Of the 423 Ohio fourth-grade teachers responding, 66% used AgVenture Magazine, a state publication, primarily in social studies classes. They had positive views of it as an instructional aid; overall, they used a limited number of external resources to teach about agriculture. (SK)

Discusses the role and activities of the national Center for the Book and describes the activities of some of the 23 affiliated state centers that are now operating. Reading promotion projects are described, the all-private funding is discussed, and the locations and contacts for the state centers are listed. (LRW)

Reports results of a survey of National Repository Projects, Completed State Projects, and State Projects currently in progress under the aegis of the National Endowment for the Humanities' U.S. Newspaper Program. Data on preservation microfilming and comments on individual projects are included. Lists of projects and funding amounts are appended.…

Discusses a project to determine the extent of family planning education in cooperative extension programs. The purposes of the study were to determine the types and extent of family planning included, to ascertain the most common delivery methods, and to identify target audiences. Includes a description of the programs identified in 39 states.…

Criticizes attempts by states to institute statewide testing programs as a means of improving school accountability. Discusses various examples of how this is being carried out. Presents four recommendations for testing programs. (HB)

Criticizes the efforts by some states to evaluate teaching on a statewide level and reward or punish schools and teachers according to mandated criteria. Argues that such state-mandated appraisal systems do not improve education or the learning of students. Proposes ways that states might improve the quality of schooling. (HB)

Considers the impact of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act and Virginia's initiative for welfare reform on poor families with disabilities. Suggests accommodations are necessary for fair implementation of the reforms. (SK)

Because of the importance of developing highly skilled urban school leaders, statewide assessments of 248 urban Texas public school administrators were analyzed to determine principal confidence levels in leadership skill domains identified by the National Policy Board of Educational Administration (NPBEA). Important findings indicate differences…

Because of the importance of developing highly skilled rural school leaders, statewide assessments of 259 rural Texas public school administrators were analyzed to determine principal confidence levels in leadership skill domains identified by the National Policy Board of Educational Administration (NPBEA). Important findings indicate differences…

This report describes Maryland's latest approaches to dealing with restructuring schools and other schools in NCLB improvement. Information for this report was obtained between September 2008 and January 2009 from interviews with Maryland State Department of Education officials and with administrators in three Maryland districts: Anne Arundel…

In the absence of continuous legislative and institutional intervention, the demand for services provided by vocational and registered nurses in California over the next ten years will greatly outpace the supply of nurses anticipated to flow from postsecondary degree programs. Nursing education and supply issues can be better understood and…

In April 2007, Federal No Child Left Behind regulations were finalized that provided states with additional flexibility for assessing some students with disabilities. The regulations allowed states to offer another assessment option, alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). States are not required to have…

Implementation of science curriculum materials has been a fundamental challenge in science education for decades. Policy researchers have argued that alignment of standards, curriculum, and assessment are the key to supporting implementation. This paper focuses on teachers' perceptions of curricular alignment and on curriculum implementation using…

In response to the high attrition rate of new teachers, more and more induction programs are being implemented across the country. Current financial constraints, coupled with no systematic way to coordinate resources across schools and state organizations, present a challenge to many small or poorly funded schools and districts. In this article,…