This annual report of public library services is part of "The Upgrade Process," a tool for Utah's public librarians and library trustees to use as they work to improve the quality and effectiveness of public library service. The process has three major components: public library service standards; a flexible planning process for public…

This study evaluated the relationship between Massachusetts special education expenditures and revenues and the overall allocation of school budgets between special and regular education. An introduction reviews the study's background, census-based funding in Massachusetts, education reform efforts in the state, the Foundation Budget approach…

This report presents the Children's Defense Fund's (CDF) recommendations for spending the fiscal year 1998-1999 Minnesota state budget surplus. The intent of the CDF plan is four-fold: (1) emphasizing long-term investments in children's well-being; (2) address children's immediate health and safety concerns; (3) contribute to the continued…

Michigan lawmakers funded a competitive grant program for school districts to plan and implement extended school year (ESY) programs of 200 days. The primary purpose was to raise academic achievement. In the spring of 1992, 16 diverse school districts were awarded ESY planning grants. Continuation grants funded 2 ESY implementation years, for…

During the last 50 years, American higher education has steadily grown in scale, wealth, and, stature. Despite its current status as the world's education superpower, however, it has begun to encounter public disapproval and consumer resistance. Colleges and universities have been able to ignore productivity concerns because a college education…

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as amended by the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA) requires all schools and districts receiving Title I money to engage in an extensive array of activities to build the capacity of parents and school staff to work together in support of students' learning. Title I also requires schools to…

This report presents the December 1, 1996 special education data collected annually by the State of Maryland as part of the its Special Services Information System. Information is compiled on special education students ages 3-21 in all 24 local education agencies and state operated programs. Definitions of key terms used to classify student…

This report provides an overview of the activities funded in 1994 by states using funds available for quality improvement and supply building in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). Information on the activities was obtained through mail surveys conducted by the National Child Care Information Center with 45 states and territories…

This report presents activities of the Family Connection initiative in Georgia, whose aim is systemic change and improvement in child health, child development, family functioning, school performance, and family economic capacity. Section 1, "The National Context," illustrates how Family Connection efforts reflect a national recognition…

The North Carolina End-of-Course Testing Program is based on the assessment of higher level skills in the context of specific subject-area content. These tests inform students, parents, the community, and educators about the achievement of North Carolina students in given areas. This report describes the development and psychometric properties of…

This report summarizes the activities and achievements of the New York State Assembly's Committee on Higher Education during the 1995 legislative session. The Committee is responsible for the initiation and review of legislation relevant to higher education and the professions in New York State, as well as monitoring the ongoing activities of 39…

Results from the various student testing programs of the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) are summarized for 1991-92. Some 23,000 students in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 took the criterion-referenced Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) in October of 1991. The Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS), required…

A study examined the acceptance of the time-shortened articulation (TSA) approach adopted to implement tech prep programs by Idaho postsecondary trade and industrial instructors. From a sample of 143 instructors, 46 usable responses were received. Hall's (1979) Stages of Concern (SoC) model was used to determine if they had accepted the process,…

The Center for Applied Linguistics and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction conducted a 3-year teacher training project that aimed to improve the training of elementary school foreign language teachers at institutions of higher education. The components of the training model were based on the principle that, in order to be…

This chart is intended to document a student's mastery of competencies identified as necessary in the Missouri Competency Profile for business education. The chart includes space for recording basic student and instructor information and the student's on-the-job training and work experience. Provided next are rating sheets for various…