This study addressed statistical techniques that might ameliorate some of the sampling problems currently facing states with small populations participating in State National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessments. The study explored how the application of finite population correction factors to the between-school component of…

On October 26, the House Ways and Means Committee approved a budget reconciliation bill that includes provisions to reauthorize the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. This bill provides only $500 million in new child care funding over five years, despite estimates by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) staff that keeping…

In response to a request from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) conducted a study to examine the feasibility of developing functional status measures for planning and implementing services to consumers in the State-Federal Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Program. To investigate this…

During the 2002-2003 academic year, six roundtables were held to explore uses of the data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) for improvement of student learning. This paper describes the roundtable discussion held in Kentucky in December 2002. This roundtable focused on ways the NSSE can contribute to state-level efforts on…

This document is the annual report of factual information about New Mexico's public colleges and universities and their student customers. It contains demographic information about the students, their completion of degree programs, the tuition and fees paid, and financial aid received by students, and the revenues and institutional expenditures…

California, the most populous and diverse state in the United States, must maintain its commitment to civic education. The curricular goal of democratic understanding and civic values is centered on an essential understanding of the nation's identity and constitutional heritage. This scope and sequence for civic education describes ways in which…

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the institution of content standards-driven curriculum in secondary English language arts and mathematics has led to student success on the California High School Exit Exam. The study tested the hypothesis that the increased focus on the alignment of English language arts and…

This report presents information about higher education in Arkansas. Arkansas is 49th in the United States in the number of citizens over the age of 25 with a baccalaureate or higher degree. Arkansas faces shortages of qualified teachers and nurses in regions of the state at a time when the number of graduates in these professions is declining…

This document comprises four issues of a quarterly newsletter about the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and efforts to enroll eligible children in the program. Each issue provides information on related national news events, future events and publications of the Children's Defense Fund, and outreach initiatives in various states. Some…

This document contains a brief summary of research on the Success for All comprehensive school reform program and the alignment document that outlines the correlation between Success for All and the objectives and outcomes described in the Stanford Achievement Test: Ninth Edition (SAT-9) as designed by Harcourt, Inc. Research has found Success for…

In 1997, New York State passed legislation implementing Universal Prekindergarten (UPK), a new educational program with the goal of providing a voluntary, high-quality preschool experience to all 4-year-olds and improving school readiness. One of the program requirements is that school districts contract out at least 10 percent of UPK funds to…

This document is designed to show the connection between the required state-written curriculum (courses of study) and the state-tested curriculum (the Alabama High School Graduation Examination and the Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition [Stanford 9]) in English Language Arts. The document illustrates that courses of study content standards…

This report examines the overlap between student test results on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The two tests were compared and contrasted in terms of content and measurement philosophy, and analyses studied the statistical relationship between the ITBS and the WASL. The ITBS assesses…

This manual is designed to assist educators in using the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) Alternate Assessment, an assessment intended to allow students with the most significant disabilities to participate in MCAS. The manual provides guidelines, materials, and procedures necessary for the preparation of student portfolios for…

The relationship between higher education and government has been described as an ongoing series of social contracts, the expectation that higher education should provide a return to society for the public investment given. This study focused on whether state planners for higher education in five states are expecting institutions to demonstrate…