As Mississippi approaches the 21st century and an increasingly more competitive business climate, the state faces a critical need for work force development and better adult basic education. According to 1990 data, Mississippi contributes only 8.5 percent of funding for adult education (the remaining 91.5 percent comes from federal sources) to…

This paper examines how school restructuring can be promoted by agencies outside the school. The first part posits a framework for designing and analyzing external strategies to promote school restructuring. This framework distinguishes between strategies that are: (1) intended to initiate versus support school restructuring; (2) comprehensive…

This report examines the extent and nature of states' participation in the At-Risk Child Care Program (ARCCP) and describes their problems and successes with it. The ARCCP was enacted in 1990 to provide child care services for children of low-income families who do not receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children and who need child care in…

The New Jersey Council on Adult Education and Literacy was created in response to the literacy crisis. The council reached consensus that learning must be a lifelong process, families were teachers, and the workplace was also an educational arena. It established priorities and recommendations in three areas: family literacy, workplace literacy,…

Six papers discuss the Louisiana School Effectiveness and Assistance Pilot (SEAP) program, an ongoing 3-year research project associated with a legislatively mandated school and district accountability program. In three phases, the project joins school indicators, school effectiveness, and school improvement initiatives. The following papers are…

In 1992, Massachusetts's Department of Education established five regional alliances throughout the state to support middle-school restructuring and reform. The project began with 50 schools and colleges and grew to include 11 alliances comprised of more than 165 schools and colleges. A statewide case study that describes the alliances, the…

This report discusses the findings of a study that attempted to investigate the participation rates of students with disabilities in the Oregon statewide testing program. The study joined individual student data from the Oregon Statewide Assessment Program and the Oregon Special Education Child Count to examine participation rates. The report…

This booklet provides parents, teachers, administrators, and policymakers with information about achievement testing which is relevant to their needs. The first section presents an overview of the current market for standardized achievement tests and provides key definitions, distinctions between ability and achievement testing, comparisons of…

This report takes an in-depth look at the evidence of family well-being since the 1996 federal welfare legislation drawing on new national survey data, a review of studies by states and research institutions, and a compilation of findings from informal community-based monitoring projects. Disturbing findings include: Only a small fraction of…

This book describes a 10-state study of work force development efforts in Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin. The book is organized in eight sections. Section 1 describes the overall visions and practices that states have created, examining the difficulties in implementing these…

This report contains profiles of initiatives in the 50 states and Puerto Rico to connect learning and work. Learning and work initiatives combine education reform, workforce preparation and economic development to prepare individuals for a lifetime of learning, citizenship, and career success. The profiles are drawn from state applications for…

The standards-based educational reform initiatives of the 1990's call for assessment innovations to support high standards. To document state assessment policies and to develop policy recommendations for assessment innovations, the George Washington University Center for Excellence and Equity in Education surveyed state assessment directors in…

An 18-member Collaborative of Michigan educational organizations and agencies was formed in October 1994. The Collaborative was committed to systemic reform that included inclusive relationships, challenging ideas, and changed practice to ensure better teaching and learning for all students. The Collaborative made the assumption that it would take…

This paper presents a five-year plan for the improvement of Pennsylvania's system of services for people with mental retardation and their families. It was developed over an 18-month period by 70 people, including people with disabilities, family members, advocates, providers of service, legislative staff, and county and state government…

The Texas Education Agency has been developing materials to address issues related to the Professional Development Appraisal System (PDAS). The PDAS was developed under a legislative mandate to establish a fair and practical appraisal process that acknowledges and reinforces good teaching practices and quality professional development. An…