The statewide teaching performance assessment instruments being used in Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida were examined. Forty-one reliability and validity studies regarding the instruments in use in each state were collected from state departments and universities. Georgia uses the Georgia Teacher Performance Assessment Instrument. North…

This paper presents research findings to help policymakers understand and select various options for holding schools accountable for their performance and to help them devise a multistrategy accountability system. However, it does not recommend one system over another, since a given accountability option must be compatible and adapted to…

The purpose of this programming guide is to assist local and intermediate Michigan school districts in planning, developing, and implementing programs and services for secondary special education. The first chapter, "Delivery of Secondary Programs and Services," outlines the program's philosophy, effective program development, a program…

This report summarizes the activities of the South Carolina Office of Instructional Technology during the 1988-89 school year. Objectives relating to planning, fiscal management, administration, computers, evaluation, dissemination, and reporting for the office's Annual Management Plan are outlined. An advisory system designed to facilitate…

The first phase of a study of state welfare-to work programs in 1988 consisted of a survey mailed to the states. Results provide practical information on the operational experience of state welfare-to-work programs, and at the national level, enhance both policy development and implementation activities, especially in conjunction with the Job…

Wisconsin has a local options competency-testing policy for public schools: participating districts receive state assistance, but are subject to regulations on test development and use. This paper examines influences on school district program adoption, focusing on local support for any testing program and superintendents' attitudes toward state…

This survey gathered data from 36 state directors of special education as well as the Bureau of Indian Affairs and American-controlled principalities regarding their area's regulations (or lack thereof) for reduction of class sizes in regular education classes when disabled students are mainstreamed into those classes. Only Massachusetts and…

In response to the U.S. Department of Education requirement for a state status report on homeless children and youth, the Colorado Department of Education conducted a 1-day telephone survey of homeless service providers and school districts, to determine the numbers and educational needs of the state's homeless children and youth. The survey…

A science laboratory skills performance assessment for elementary and secondary school science teachers in California, using a multi-methods approach, is described. Seven domains of teacher performance identified included: pedagogy, content, materials and equipment, management, knowledge of students, climate, and communication. Within each domain,…

This paper presents data collected from rehabilitation centers serving individuals with developmental disabilities in Minnesota, called Developmental Achievement Centers (DACs). The data focus on finances, programs, and clients, and are compared with data from previous years. All 97 providers of adult services in Minnesota completed the survey,…

This report summarizes the findings and recommendations of a Minnesota panel commissioned to find ways to: increase awareness of appropriate technology for persons with disabilities; provide access to appropriate technology-based products and services; and fund research and development in this field. The executive summary provides a definition of…

As a result of the Educational Reform Act in 1982, the Mississippi State Board of Education adopted accreditation levels from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest level. In 1988, 17 school districts were assigned to the Level 1 status by the Commission on School Accreditation, based on results of the following performance standards: Basic Skills…

This document reports the trends in participation in adult basic education and secondary education programs from 1968 through 1985 in 11 charts and 8 tables. It also summarizes trends for the 18 years of that period and for program year 1985. According to the summaries, during fiscal years 1968 through 1985, more than 27 million persons received…

This guide is intended to help state legislators enact legislation and create programs of job training within the provisions of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). The guide's five sections cover the following: job training policy (an introduction); establishing oversight of a state's job training resources; the state legislature and the…

Designed to provide assistance to school district personnel who seek to develop a plan for information management and related applications of technology, this guide presents the School District Information Study (SDIS) model for the review of management policies, procedures, and activities related to information processing done by school district…