Four West Virginia programs provided scholarships and student-loan repayment to physicians practicing in underserved rural areas. Among 151 obligated and nonobligated physicians surveyed, obligated physicians had greater debt burdens and were more likely to have attended a state medical school or residency. The groups had similar rural retention…

Summarizes recent ERIC documents and journal articles and highlights some World Wide Web resources that discuss the efforts of states to fund prekindergarten programs. Highlights resources including information on delivery systems, coordination among various programs, analyses of policy trends, program descriptions, and models of family-school…

This listing provides directory information on U.S. schools and programs for preschool, elementary, and secondary children who are deaf blind. A list of three national programs is followed by a list of state schools, local programs, and other types of resources. (Author/CR)

A method to investigate consequential evidence of validity for a state assessment developed to change teacher instructional practices is presented. Survey responses from over 1,000 Kansas teachers were used to construct a path model that allowed effects of the state assessment to be studied at building and teacher levels. (SLD)

Developed a zero-to-five index of the strength of accountability in 50 states based on the use of high stakes testing to sanction and reward schools and analyzed whether that index is related to student gains on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics test in 1996-2000. Findings show that students in high accountability…

Presents national data on elementary and secondary schools and degree-granting institutions, including projections to the year 2012. Also includes state-level projections of public school enrollment and public high school graduates. (SLD)

This article discusses the continuing trend of downsizing and closure of large state institutions for persons with mental retardation. Between 1987 and 2001, nine states closed all of their large state residential facilities, reducing the total national population of such facilities by 2,414 residents. A chart illustrates state reductions. (CR)

Studied a policy requiring students to obtain a specified level of performance on a state's reading proficiency test. Analyses of the scores of 5,611 students show a high degree of agreement among educators' judgments and students' performance, but they also show that educators' operational definitions of adequate preparation in reading vary in…

Discussed are practices used in Nevada to differentiate students who are conduct disordered or socially maladjusted from those who are seriously emotionally handicapped. Programs for students with conduct disorders are described, and implications of Nevada's approach to serving the behaviorally disordered are considered. (DB)

Means of interpreting norm-referenced tests to lead to more accurate reporting results are discussed, with particular emphasis on state-level and district-level data. Suggestions fall into the categories of documentation, frequency norming, and multiple form use. (TJH)

Describes the appointment and charge of a statewide marketing committee to study trends and issues related to declining enrollments in North Carolina's community college system. Reports on the committee's recommendations, the initiation of a statewide promotional campaign to implement them, and the campaign's impact on enrollments. (DMM)

Summarizes themes of welfare reform in America and policy shifts that have resulted in the introduction of state-focused workfare programs. (MW)

Discusses the rationale for the use of school incentives in public education and reviews the use of incentives in the public sector. Provides a topological overview of incentive programs and case descriptions. (JOW)

The article reports on a survey of 27 states that received major systems change grants from the Rehabilitation Services Administration to convert traditional day activity programs to supported employment for developmentally and other severely disabled persons. Results indicate states are taking a cautious approach toward converting existing…

Describes the procedures followed by Louisiana public libraries in establishing and operating that state's award winning summer reading program. The cooperative efforts of the state library, state library association, and committees of public librarians are discussed, as is the incorporation of performing artists funded by grants from the state's…