This report analyzes the first year of the Federal Alternative Financing Program (AFP), a program designed to help individuals with disabilities who need to purchase assistive technology (AT) find a way to pay for the equipment. The program receives funding under Title III of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 and provides low-cost financing for…

This report describes a study of the dynamic between selected reform support organizations (RSOs) and the school districts they have partnered with to promote educational reform. The report is directed toward the needs and interests of district leaders and was designed to help them understand district/RSO relationships so they can make informed…

This collection of articles discusses the realities of Professional Development Schools (PDS) from the perspectives of school teachers, college faculty, college administrators, and other educational administrators. The articles focus on the five dimensions of PDS work (institutionalization, equity, standards and quality, inquiry, and financing).…

This report discusses home visiting, identifies six key elements common to programs for infants and toddlers that make effective use of home visiting strategies, and profiles successful home visiting programs. It begins by discussing home visiting services and outcomes of home visiting programs. The six key elements of effective home visiting are…

This report discusses the outcomes of a project that investigated the computer, information, and learning and adaptive technology needs and concerns of Canadian postsecondary students with disabilities. A series of four bilingual focus groups involving 31 individuals was held. Focus groups included postsecondary students with various disabilities;…

This study examined the use of private education loans at high-cost private colleges and universities. Responses were received from 100 of the 381 institutions who reported undergraduate tuition and fees, or professional school tuition and fees, of $14,000 or higher in 1996-1997. It was found that on most campuses private student loans play a…

The General Accounting Office (GAO) examined worksite-based activities currently in place to help recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) develop the skills required for successful transition to unsubsidized employment. Data were collected from the following sources: (1) data reported by states to the Department of Health and…

This document contains volume 10 (2000-2001) of St. Petersburg College's (formerly St. Petersburg Junior College) (Florida) Research Brief. Issue 1 addresses performance-based program funding, stating that programs have been established to reward high performing colleges, rather than simply funding according to FTE (full-time equivalent)…

In April 1998, Missouri's Coordinating Board for Higher Education established basic indicators against which outcomes of the state's investments in postsecondary technical education are measured. One year later, the Coordinating Board approved a set of performance measures to be used to guide research on the results of Missouri's postsecondary…

Professional school counselors are required by law and/or regulation in every state to obtain a state-issued credential in order to be employed in public schools. In some states, this credential is called "certification"; others term it "licensure" or "endorsement." This guide provides a chart summarizing the…

This document is comprised of the single 2001 issue of a newsletter devoted to identifying and promoting strategies to reduce the poverty rate of young children and to improve the life chances of children still living in poverty. This summer issue features the following articles: (1) "Federal Resources Can Help States Invest in Young Children and…

This White Paper on child care is the second of four to be published by the Action Alliance for Virginia's Children, and focuses on the affordability and availability of quality child care in Virginia. The paper states that despite federal attempts to simplify funding, funding remains complicated due to differences in the federal and state fiscal…

School-age children between the ages of 5 and 14 spend up to 80% of their time out of school. These hours represent an opportunity to help children grow and acquire important social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills and to help them develop lifelong interests. This time can also be used to provide support for the academic challenges faced…

The federal Class-Size Reduction (CSR) Program, P.L. 105-277, begun in Fiscal Year 1999, represented a major federal commitment to help school districts hire additional qualified teachers, especially in the early elementary grades, so children would learn in smaller classes. The CSR program also allowed funds to be spent as professional…

Technology is now considered by most educators and parents to be an integral part of providing a high-quality education. There is concern, however, that not all students, particularly students in rural schools or schools with a high percentage of minority or poor students, have equal access to educational technology, both in terms of the…