Despite the popularity of outcome-based education, research documenting its effects is rare. As an umbrella concept embracing various reform efforts, OBE defies easy definition. This article explains two OBE models (Mastery Learning and the Outcomes-Driven Developmental Model used in Johnson City, New York, Schools) and summarizes recent state OBE…

In 1988, the Mississippi Legislature established a public school rating system, ranging from 1 (probation) to 5 (exceptional). The new superintendent of Oxford Public Schools took only three years to make the level-3 district 1 of only 12 Mississippi school systems to achieve level 5 status. Reading Recovery helped. (MLH)

The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, influential in middle-grades policy, advocates a three tiered approach envisioning high-performing schools as academically rigorous, developmentally responsive, and socially equitable. This report discusses pioneering programs, critics' concerns, exemplary Michigan programs, and urban schools'…

Many states are creating new curriculum frameworks as a strategy for improving science education. This article shows how these frameworks are organizing and presenting recommendations on science content. A recent Council of Chief State School Officers report analyzes related aspects, such as content/policy linkages on assessment, teacher…

Reports on ongoing efforts in Mississippi and Maryland to integrate public colleges 47 years after "separate but equal" was declared unconstitutional. Notes controversy over the role of historically black colleges. In 10 states continuing college desegregation cases are in the courts. A graphic summarizes the status of these cases by…

Seeking to grasp what she called a "golden opportunity for rebirth" out of the wreckage of Hurricane Katrina, Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco asked the Louisiana legislature last week to embrace a plan that would give the state control of most New Orleans public schools. This article talks about the governor's plan to let the state…

In 2005, Jobs for the Future and the National Council for Workforce Education launched "Breaking Through: Helping Low-Skilled Adults Enter and Succeed in College and Careers," with funding from the C.S. Mott Foundation. The goal of the multi-year, college-based initiative is to increase the number of low-skill adults who enter and succeed in…

After the political upheavals of the early 1990s, Russian higher education was thrown into turmoil as federal spending for higher education was cut drastically and payments to institutions were delayed. Since all sectors of the economy were affected by these changes, political leaders were focusing first on more volatile sectors, leaving higher…

Key elements of selected educational choice programs in 11 states are summarized in this report. Information is provided on the type and level of program, number and age of students served, program costs and revenue sources, staffing, evaluation methods, and length of time in existence. Educational trends, barriers to program expansion, the…

A master plan to transform Tennessee public education is described in this report, with a focus on three key result areas: (1) establishing a 21st century classroom; (2) creating a rational, workable, accountable governance system; and (3) providing adequate, sustained school funding. Following descriptions of the plan's mission, vision, and 17…

Indiana's progess toward meeting each of the six national goals proposed at the Education Summit in 1989 is described in this report. For each of the six goals, the progress made and the work remaining to meet future needs are provided. Information for each goal includes: (1) statement of the goal; (2) key questions (e.g., for goal 1--readiness,…

Parent enabling policies that have been initiated in five states are described in this report. In addition to the strong link between parental involvement and improvements in their children's educational performance, further evidence suggests that differences in child-rearing styles also affect child development and academic achievement. Policy…

This report analyzes the experiences of 27 states selected to participate in Carnegie Corporation of New York's Middle Grade School State Policy Initiative (MGSSPI), a 3-year grant program to states to stimulate fundamental reform in schools serving 10- to 15-year old students. MGSSPI states are working to radically transform the education…

In October 1992, Maryland Governor William Donald Schaefer established a 21-member task force to conduct an in-depth study and review 8 specific areas of the state's public school construction program. This report summarizes the committee's activities, findings, and recommendations. The first recommendation, to review project requests from the 24…

In creating the Texas Task Force on High School Education, the State Board of Education directed the task force to review the status of public high school education in Texas and develop a policy to prepare the state's high schools for the 21st century. This report is the task force's response to that charge. The first section analyzes the need for…