The requirement that home schooled students score at or above the 40th percentile on a nationally standardized test runs counter to several widely accepted principles of measurement. A single score should not be used alone in decision making, and there is no evidence that this is a valid use of the test. In addition, the 40th percentile is not an…

This document evaluates the present needs and future shape of the Oregon workforce and recommends strategies for both public and private sectors and for communication. The first section provides a background to the issues of the state's changing economy by describing global and national economic changes and recent state legislative responses, and…

This report claims that the special education system in the New York City public schools is by nature segregated and second rate. It offers recommendations for achieving a more inclusive, effective education for all children. Data are presented to support the charge that special education students are educated in restrictive and racially…

This document is intended to assist local school districts in complying with the Wisconsin Department of Industry, Labor and Human Relations (DILHR) Health and Safety Standard. Following an overview of the plan, the guide is organized into six chapters: (1) "Exposure Determination" discusses job classifications, tasks, and procedures;…

Distance learning in Connecticut has begun to develop in the wake of telecommunications (TELCO) infrastructure modernization. Progress in this area is reviewed and discussed. The state has not yet adopted a standardized statewide policy governing the delivery of educational telecommunications programing, and various private producers currently…

The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is the new Massachusetts state assessment program that is being implemented in response to state education reform legislation. The paper describes the early efforts of the state Department of Education (MDOE), its prime contractor for development of the MCAS (Advanced Systems in Measurement…

This paper reports the perspectives of county-level supervisors who have been important in advancing state-mandated school reforms in West Virginia. A chronological background on West Virginia school reform from 1982 through 1997 covers legislation related to the "Recht Decision," state reform initiatives, creation of the School Building…

Shortcomings in the current student assessment program in Georgia are identified, proposed revisions are described, and additional changes are recommended. Georgia educators have complained that curricula place too much emphasis on basic skills, to the detriment of subjects like science and social studies. Reform legislation in Georgia has…

This manual was designed to assist Texas school districts in their efforts to implement Senate Bill (SB) 913 and to serve as a guide for organizing child care programs in the schools. Chapter 1 provides a summary of SB 913, a bill that requires school districts with more than 5,000 students to hold annual public hearings on out-of-school care for…

This resource guide is intended to assist local Texas school districts in the implementation of site-based decision-making and in the development of district and campus plans that will result in improved student performance. This document includes information on site-based decision-making and suggestions for developing district and campus plans.…

This report analyzes the progress made in implementing the Illinois Board of Higher Education's policies on undergraduate education, with particular attention to the status of policy implementation concerning student achievement, scholarship, and general education. The report examines recent trends in the number of Illinois high school graduating…

The Video Instructional Development and Educational Opportunity Program (VIDEO), enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri through Senate Bill 709, encourages all educational institutions in the state to supplement educational opportunities through the use of telecommunications technology, including instructional television…

State law requires that all certified professional personnel employed in Georgia school systems have their performance evaluated annually by trained evaluators. The Georgia School Counselor Evaluation Program (GSCEP) was designed to be used across all systems and schools for annual formative and summative evaluation purposes. The process used to…

The Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) Committee of the Mississippi Legislature is authorized to review any public entity at the request of the legislature. In response to numerous allegations by agency employees and citizens and to anonymous complaints, the PEER Committee reviewed the Mississippi…

This report discusses the 1992 educational efforts of Maryland's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene relating to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The state agency's strategy is coordinated by the AIDS Administration and is designed to educate key people--including designated trainers, health care providers, and peer leaders--who can…