This legislative report presents the results of a pilot project conducted in eight suburban California school districts as part of an effort to develop a testing program identifying kindergartners with potential reading problems. The project was also intended to evaluate the program's effectiveness and gauge the feasibility of statewide…

The costs and benefits of recent statewide and nationwide educational assessment programs are examined. The purpose of this paper is to present and substantiate some critical lessons and observations concerning: how the costs and benefits of large-scale assessments (LSAs) can be appraised, and the utility of this type of research to policymakers…

This state education plan is designed to improve the effectiveness and quality of the educational experiences of all students in Minnesota. Across-the-board improvements and major reforms in policies, programs, and practices are needed to restructure the way schools operate, children are taught, and parents and community members are involved in…

Information was collected about the current status of state literacy and basic skills efforts through a comprehensive survey of state literacy initiatives conducted in the summer of 1990. A total of 390 responses were received from the more than 400 surveys sent to governors' offices, state agencies, and Statewide literacy organizations. Results…

Although education has been put on the list of national priorities, the National Coalition for Consumer Education (NCCE) is concerned that consumer education in the school curricula has not been sufficiently emphasized. In April 1990, NCCE conducted a study through its network of coordinators to gather information on consumer education mandates,…

This resource directory lists states and localities with childhood lead poisoning prevention programs, along with the contact person(s) for each program area (such as screening, medical treatment, paint chip testing, home inspection, and abatement.) Information is provided for 47 states (New Mexico, West Virginia, and Wyoming reported no lead…

Results of the 1990-91 product evaluation of the Saginaw, Michigan School District's state-funded prekindergarten program are reported. In 1990-91, the program served 285 pupils enrolled at 8 sites. The purpose of the program is to provide at-risk 4-year-olds with an environment that will enable them to develop school readiness skills. The…

This document was designed to provide school administrators and professional staff of New York State with a model for evaluating the grade 7-8 social studies program. The program evaluation model outlines a step-by-step procedure for identifying questions for study, gathering and analyzing data, and developing a plan for program improvement. An…

The nation's Governors resolved to lead restructuring efforts in their states as part of their commitment to achieve the national education goals by the year 2000. States are experimenting with a range of approaches to restructuring, depending on their resources, demographics, governance structures, and traditions. This report describes states'…

This report evaluates Delaware's progress in providing a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment (LRE) for children with disabilities as required by Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Existing programs and services provide an array of placement alternatives for the delivery of special…

This report describes states' eligibility policies for developmentally delayed and at-risk children, aged birth to 3 years to be served under Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The report is based on policy analysis of 49 states' eligibility policy documents. Results indicated that the wording in states' definitions…

In 1984 the Pennsylvania Department of Education notified school districts that they could not deny pregnant or parenting students an education; could not put them on homebound instruction in the absence of medical conditions; and could not place them involuntarily in segregated alternative programs. The state supplied additional funds to start…

A synthesis of literature on administrator assessment and staff development and a directory of resources are presented in this document. Section 1 discusses several aspects of administrator evaluation--the purposes of performance assessment; the components of evaluation; and the issues, processes, and recommendations for an effective evaluation…

This is a report on the second and final phase of an institute which was designed to provide intensive instruction for the chief administrative officials of state archival agencies on the characteristics of and projected future changes in modern information systems, and to introduce them to management tools needed for operating in this new…

Procedures used in securing the cooperation of states and schools for the 1990 Trial State Assessment Program (TSAP) of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are described. These include procedures for: (1) the 1989 Field Test; (2) the training of local administrators and quality control monitors; and (3) scoring and processing…