Summarizes recent developments in the use of technology in schools and state-level testing programs. Presents results of two studies, one with 114 students and one with about 200 students, that indicate that written tests administered on paper underestimate the achievement of students accustomed to working with computers. (SLD)

Offers a multiperspective description of what happened to elementary and secondary education in British Columbia in the wake of the 1988 Sullivan Royal Commission on Education Report. Requests separation of politics and educational reform. (VWC)

An analytic framework is presented for examining the properties and objectives of assessments and scoring systems piloted in a number of state and district testing programs. The article explores the application of this framework, which considers the cognitive components of competence described in studies of expertise, to the analysis of science…

Discusses factors affecting the ability of states and local programs to seek and secure reimbursement for occupational and physical therapy services in early childhood programs. Cost concerns in early childhood are addressed, and strategies for ensuring programmatic success in securing reimbursement for such services are presented. (Author/CR)

Describes the DTL (Distance Teaching and Learning) Academy that was developed to help South Dakota's teachers use technology more effectively, including two-way videoconferencing equipment. Topics include goals; influence of the TTL (Teaching and Learning Academy); developing distance education courses; professional development opportunities for…

Visually impaired persons (n=871) with developmental disabilities, in 42 states, were surveyed to determine effects of separate state blindness-specific vocational rehabilitation agencies on the receipt of services. Results suggest that clients in states with specialized agencies were less likely to receive services, except when the agency in…

The superintendency in Connecticut was examined as part of the development of preliminary standards for future school superintendents. Future superintendents will need high-level skills in conceptualization to give perspective and vision across a range of functions. Six crucial roles of the superintendent are outlined. (SLD)

Outlines the scope of planning and activities with which Montana libraries have undertaken connections to the information superhighway, the hurdles the libraries have overcome, and future outlooks. Topics include university libraries, public library collaboration, Internet training and access, and state-sponsored connectivity projects. (Author/LRW)

Defines four essential elements of a system of educational standards: (1) common, rigorous student achievement standards; (2) state-administered assessments; (3) explicit rewards for achievement; and (4) opportunity to reach the standards. Practices to ensure these conditions and enact a system based on these elements are discussed. (SLD)

Describes California's Educational Development Network (ED>Net), an experimental effort to use the existing community college infrastructure to enhance the state's economic development activities. Highlights ED>Net's focus on developing organization, process, and individual skills in the current workforce. Indicates that ED>Net is…

This article reviews development and use of a statewide (Texas) space model for long-term planning, regulating new construction, and formula appropriations for general academic and, more recently, health-related institutions. Considers the work and recommendation of a 1998 study committee on space needs of health facilities, the Commissioner's…

Explains that society is not organized around the practice of citizenship. Discusses how civic renewal can occur within institutions and for individuals by focusing on people as civic leaders, the practice of citizenship, and emphasizing democratic citizenship. Describes civic organizing initiatives in California and Minnesota. (CMK)

Provides a chronological summary of the evolution of statewide achievement tests in Texas to facilitate understanding of the issues behind the "GI Forum v. Texas Education Agency" litigation (1999), which challenged the curricular links of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills and other "opportunity to learn" issues. (SLD)

Introduces three white papers, prepared for Governor William Janklow's Capital City Conclave on Distance Education, an event intended to generate information to help South Dakota incorporate distance education into its educational systems. The papers, incorporating the themes "Start with the Children,""Empower the Workforce,"…

A study of 1,878 persons with developmental disabilities who had been transferred from California state institutions into community care found the mortality rates for movers exceeded institutional rates by 51%. The effect was largest shortly after the move and in subjects who had moved most recently. (Author/CR)