Since 1969, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has been the common yardstick for measuring the progress of students' education over time across the country. Teachers, principals, parents, policymakers, and researchers all use NAEP results to assess progress and develop ways to improve education in America. To make the…

This report addresses both why and how charter schools designed for students with disabilities operate their programs and provides information learned about charter schools specifically designed for children with disabilities through a series of questions and answers. First, the legal and policy context in which such schools develop and operate is…

This bimonthly newsletter provides information about the progress of the Honor States Grant Program, a governor-led effort to improve college--and work-ready graduation rates. This issue explores efforts by governors and state policymakers to experiment with alternative compensation policies that can improve teacher quality. Compensation…

The study examines the extent to which elementary education teacher preparation programs in 36 randomly selected colleges and universities in the six Southeast Region states integrate content related to students with disabilities. Findings indicate that a variety of strategies are utilized to integrate disability content into teacher preparation…

Since July 2005, all 50 state governors have signed the National Governors Association's Graduation Counts Compact on State High School Graduation Data. 30 states have now received Honor States grants, for which implementation of the Graduation Counts Compact is a core requirement. This is a significant step forward, but much work remains to be…

This article reports how the stakes are getting higher for the various states as the 2006 state elections are approaching this fall. This article also discusses how the future of education policy will be heavily influenced by the votes cast in the November elections. Even with the heightened federal role under the No Child Left Behind Act, state…

Interviews were conducted with each of the nine speech ghostwriters for Florida's seven statewide elected officials (including the governor) to determine the writer's methods of operation, his background and the extent of his preparation for the position. All of the ghostwriters defended their job as ethical, with the justification that…

States are under pressure to meet NCLB's demands in part because they depend on Title I funding. It represents a small but meaningful percentage of the education budget (about 3% in California). Some state officials object to the strong conditions placed on a relatively modest sum of money. A handful of states have even considered foregoing the…

Effective communication and meaningful dialogue between local and state education agencies and their respective officials has proven to be a persistent problem over the years. Discusses a school in which school administrators learned to heighten understanding and increase their leadership sensitivity. (Author/RK)

A study investigated whether the frequency of a legislator's direct contact with constituents was related negatively to the legislator's evaluation of mass media as sources of information on constituent concerns. The study also explored whether the legislators' evaluations of mass media as sources of information on constituent concerns were more…

Representing the earliest findings in an ongoing national survey examining how black elected officials view the community press, 113 black state senators and legislators (33% response rate) from 50 states were surveyed using five-point Likert-type items with responses ranging from "Strongly Agree" to "Strongly Disagree." Mean…

This compilation of survey results, submitted by institutional library consultants from 42 states between December 1981 and May 1982, is divided into two parts: a narrative section for longer survey responses, and a more extensive section of tables for shorter answers. Correctional and mental health institutions, hospitals, and homes for the…

Describes the functions and responsibilities of the Education Commission of the States as well as their educational contributions. (RK) Aspect of National Assessment (NAEP) dealt with in this document: Program Description.