This descriptive population study was prepared to provide descriptive analysis of the population of vocational rehabilitation (VR) consumers with HIV/AIDS in the years 2002-2007, with comparisons made to the population estimates for numbers of persons identified as living with HIV/AIDS and comparison to the larger population of VR service…

Food security is especially important for children because their nutrition affects not only their current health, but also their future health and well-being. Previous studies that used various data sources suggest that children in food-insecure households face elevated risks of health and development problems, compared with children in otherwise…

The primary objective of this brief is to explore open enrollment by examining the ways in which it is currently implemented. A second purpose of this brief is to identify the potential strengths and weaknesses of open enrollment in order to develop a more complete understanding of its contribution to education reform. Finally, recent changes to…

Education is people's most powerful tool for social progress and economic recovery. But inadequate access, due to financial constraints and lack of preparation, is hampering the efficacy of the postsecondary sector to advance economic and social progress. There are, however, signs of change. Ramping up investment in education is a pillar of U.S.…

Pamela Moran, superintendent of Albemarle County (Virginia) public schools, sees ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) as a once-in-a-lifetime chance. "I don't think that in the history of public schools--certainly since I entered them in the 1970s--there has been an opportunity such as this," she says. "The last time there…

The use of curriculum-based measures for the purpose of school-wide screening and progress monitoring of reading within school reform processes has been discussed extensively in the literature over the past several years. Little has been done, however, in terms of evaluating the predictive bias of these measures across ethnic groups, particularly…

As the number of large federal programs increases, so, too, does the need for a more complete understanding of how to conduct evaluations of such complex programs. The research literature has documented the benefits of stakeholder participation in smaller-scale program evaluations. However, given the scope and diversity of projects in multi-site…

Effective evidence-based action requires getting the right data into the right hands at the right time to help make decisions. The Data Quality Campaign (2011) has provided suggestions to state education agencies for effectively using data within state longitudinal data systems. One suggestion is to identify "the variety of ways available…

The primary focus of the study was to explore the effect of School Within a School reform on two components in the Adequate Yearly Progress Report by which Texas schools are measured--dropout rates and scores on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test. The demographics of the particular study sample included 11th grade students…

The Maine Department of Education wanted to use longitudinal data from its data system to better understand whether and how student and school characteristics are associated with student performance on the state-mandated Maine High School Assessment (MHSA). It was particularly interested in understanding the factors associated with changes in test…

Many universities grapple with Latino student retention issues. Latinos are the largest and fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, yet they also are the group that has the least amount of formal education. The literature suggests that parental support helps Latinos succeed academically in elementary, middle, and high schools. However,…

Despite initiatives to increase and broaden participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, women remain underrepresented in STEM. While U.S. girls and women perform as well as, if not better, than boys and men in math, research results indicate that there are significant declines in girls' math self-efficacy,…

The first 5 years of life are a critical foundation for children's early learning and lifelong development. This eBulletin highlights school readiness, how early experiences matter, the role of preschool in supporting readiness, and state and local efforts to implement recommendations from the National Governors Association (NGA). The following…

Three studies are described in this article. Each is focused on a different aspect of the long-standing initiative that supports special education doctoral students. This initiative is one of the discretionary programs of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act that is managed by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of…

Purpose: This study examined the extent to which teacher responsivity education affected preschoolers' language and literacy development over an academic year. Additional aims were to determine whether children's initial language abilities and teachers' use of responsivity strategies were associated with language outcomes, in particular. Method:…