This survey of 51 state directors of special education and 50 state certification officers found that, although states offering categorical certification alone outnumber those offering only noncategorical certification, there is wide variation among states and a trend toward noncategorical models. Recommendations emphasizing interagency…

Discusses the teaching of history and social studies in Connecticut. Addresses curricular and teacher certification requirements, continuing education units (CEUs), and mastery testing. Identifies problems and suggests possible alternatives for evaluating tenth grade students' social studies knowledge. Briefly describes the role of the Connecticut…

Discusses the impact of the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) on state prison libraries. Evaluations of the LSCA are reviewed; the effectiveness of the LSCA in the areas of library budgets, staff, and book collection size is considered; and recommendations for further research are suggested. (22 references) (LRW)

Examines the need for and uses of statistical data about school library media centers; describes data currently collected by the states; discusses national data collection efforts, including an increasing emphasis on output measures; recommends further actions that should be taken; and suggests future possibilities. (six references) (LRW)

Discusses the importance of databases and information systems in efforts to examine the interinstitutional transfer of credits, courses, curricula, and students. Highlights the achievements of selected states and institutions in developing systems to monitor student flow and academic performance and to evaluate and enhance transfer/articulation…

Tennessee's one-room, drop-in school (ORDIS) concept provides educational opportunities in housing projects with high concentrations of poverty and illiteracy. In cooperation with residents' associations, ORDIS offers services for preschoolers to the elderly, including adult basic education, English as a Second Language, literacy tutoring, and…

Supportive and rehabilitative programs for the deaf are listed, along with contact data, in sections for (1) governmental programs and services (81 offices listed); (2) regional and local programs (282 listed with codes for services provided); (3) national professional organizations and centers (71 listed); and (4) key figures in deaf and deaf…

The Joint Action Committee of Organizations of and Serving the Visually Handicapped is a coalition of 24 California consumer, parent, and professional organizations; agencies; and product distributors. This article highlights coalition accomplishments in the areas of information dissemination, public policy influence, and public education and…

Discusses a possible national education computer network that would include elementary, secondary, and higher education institutions. Topics addressed include Internet; common standards; distributed computing; open access; equity concerns; and examples of two successful public school networks in Virginia and Texas that are linked through the…

Four approaches to adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) staff development are described: transmission of key teaching skills; state initiatives for reflective teaching; regional staff development through mentoring and partnership; and academic preparation programs. (Contains three references.) (LB)

Twenty case studies of state educational decision making from 1971 to 1991 are analyzed to portray the changing nature of Minnesota's education policy system and to consider whether the often cited "structural linkage" typology remains explanatory. The reformist tradition continues in Minnesota in spite of revenue problems and societal…

Respondents from 49 state education agencies completed a survey describing state-level implementation of transition services for youth with disabilities. All states used technical assistance and cross-disciplinary training as their primary systems-change strategies and the majority of states viewed these strategies as effective. Relatively few…

Describes the development of Project EASIER, a collaborative electronic-data interchange for networking Iowa local school districts, education agencies, community colleges, universities, and the Department of Education. The primary goal of this project is to develop and implement a system for collection of student information for state and federal…

Synthesizes discussions that occurred among a consortium of professionals responsible for the evaluation of early-intervention programs and highlights issues emerging from state-level evaluations of early-intervention programs in the context of six different areas: measures, outcomes, service integration, eligibility, funding models, and cost…

Describes a personnel-preparation program for unendorsed teachers of students with severe disabilities in Virginia. The program was designed to be inexpensive, to allow supervised application of content schools, and to meet state endorsement requirements for teaching those with severe disabilities. Evaluation results indicate participants were…