The work of the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education (ACPE) is guided by a 5-year strategic plan. The purpose of the plan is to provide focus for the activity of this small agency and its eight staff members in order to increase productivity and impact in the areas of its statutory authority. The mission and goals were accepted by…

At the heart of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is the call for all students to be "proficient" in reading and mathematics by 2014. Yet the law expects each state to define proficiency as it sees fit and design its own tests. This study investigated three research questions related to this policy: (1) How consistent are various…

This publication updates information from prior surveys of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the areas of: teacher licensure standards, standards boards, emergency or shortage-driven licensure, alternative preparation, minority teacher recruitment, state response to violence in classrooms, and linkages between efforts towards K-12…

This monograph on vocational rehabilitation programs and future directions contains papers from the 1994 Switzer Seminar. Contents are as follows: "State/Federal Program Issues and Trends" (Nell C. Carney); "Consumerism and Choice: Basic Standards for Judging Efforts and Expectations in the Vocational Rehabilitation Process" (Patricia A.…

Adult education in the United States is again beginning to emerge as a potentially important dimension of national policy as a way to retrain the work force to be internationally competitive. Skepticism has been expressed about what "retraining" actually means. Federal government initiatives for adult and continuing education have been few and far…

For the past five years, Vermont has been developing an innovative statewide assessment system in which portfolios of student work in mathematics and writing are a key element. The use of mathematics portfolios, particularly in elementary school, is a novel aspect of the assessment system. This study examines the elementary school mathematics…

This report, mandated by Ohio's 119th General Assembly, examines the fairness and appropriateness of the state's ninth-grade proficiency test. Under the assumption that it is indeed fair and appropriate to have a single, statewide graduation standard for all students, the study focuses on the issue of whether the test, as developed and…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a 3-year federal grant to Michigan that provided technical assistance to parents of children who are deaf-blind and to the Michigan agencies who provide educational, vocational, transitional, early intervention, and related services to children who are deaf-blind. The project involved…

This paper documents student, teacher, and administrator attitudes toward the initiation of performance-based tests on a statewide level in Mississippi. The initial study surveyed approximately 620 test participants in grades 1 through 10 during the period between the fall test administration and the receipt of the test results in January. The…

This paper describes how the University of Northern Iowa constructed formal networks that increased communications with public school practitioners and infused new ideas into the teacher training program. Faculty in the Office of Student Field Experience decided all regional campuses of the university should provide some common experiences for…

This report, based on employment data for 1994 Minnesota technical college graduates, is intended to provide information that will enable prospective students make informed educational and career decisions. The report, organized into six sections, includes: (1) An introduction, with definitions of terms and a list of technical college programs in…

This handbook is designed to help educators at the secondary and postsecondary level implement strategies to serve students with special needs in tech prep programs. Chapter 1 suggests how it can be used. Chapter 2 defines tech prep and addresses its funding, students, and mission and goal in Virginia. Chapter 3 focuses on what the Perkins Act…

The Idaho allocation plan for funds from the Library Service and Construction Act (LSCA) continues the emphasis on priorities described in the statewide plan for years 1994-1998. These priorities are: (1) advocate for the creation of library districts with adequate tax support to serve the state's entire population; (2) strengthen cooperation and…

The Ohio Sixth-grade Proficiency Tests are designed to measure a sixth-grade level of literacy and basic competence. Beginning in March 1996, Ohio sixth graders will take proficiency tests in writing, reading, mathematics, citizenship, and science. Both teachers and administrators have been involved in the test development process, establishing…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) is conducted through questionnaires mailed to teachers, principals, and district administrators in a sample of the nation's public and private schools. First conducted in 1987-88, the SASS is now planned for every 5 years, with a teacher followup 1 year after each SASS. The SASS provides data on the country's…