This publication represents a basic analysis of state correctional education data collected in 1992. It presents six summary tables that capture key data collected in 1992-1993 for adult and juvenile facilities as well as profiles of the states that responded to the survey. Forty-three states responded to the survey and one was eliminated because…

This report provides a comprehensive listing of state and federal investments in Illinois' efforts to improve the quality of life for expecting parents and children under age three and their families. The inventory profiles a wide range of initiatives and is designed to serve as a resource for local program directors, community members,…

The studies reported here focus on the effects of mode of administration of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) in grades 4, 8, and 10. These studies, which draw on earlier studies, also examine the mode of administration effect at different levels of keyboarding speed and for students who received special education (SPED)…

Identifying risk and protective factors that serve as predictors of substance use is essential for developing effective prevention programs. Inconsistency in the data about the role of religion and spirituality as a protective factor for African Americans continues to exist. In this study, data were collected from 511 African American youth, ages…

The primary objective of this study was to examine the construct validity of two multiple-content testing programs, the multiple-choice Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS/5) and the performance-based Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP), by evaluating the true-score longitudinal associations among multiple-content scores…

This paper makes the case that the high-stakes testing and accountability program currently in place in Massachusetts misuses scores from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) to select particular schools as exemplary. School awards and recognition programs in Massachusetts imply that score gains are equivalent to school…

Reading Recovery is an early intervention program that helps low-achieving first-grade children to become independent readers who need no further remediation. Reading Recovery was introduced by Marie M. Clay who, in the mid 1970s, developed procedures with teachers and tested the program in New Zealand. In 1984, the success of the program in New…

The purpose of this report is to identify the attitudes of parents, administrators, and teachers about the Reading Recovery[R] program in Maine. The report provides samples of comments and quality ratings as assessed by the standard annual survey forms and supplements the full State of Maine Reading Recovery[R] 1997-1998 Report and Evaluation. It…

This KIDS COUNT pamphlet is part of a 3-year campaign to bring business and child care together to increase the quality and availability of child care for at-risk children in West Virginia. The pamphlet reports on the components of quality child care and on West Virginia's early childhood initiative, Educare. Emphasizing the positive effects of…

The effects of Washington state education reforms on schools and classrooms were studied through surveys completed by about 150 elementary and middle school principals and about 400 writing and mathematics teachers in grades 4 and 7, the grades in which students take the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) tests. The surveys asked…

Using secondary sources and interviews, this study collected data from the 50 states on how they assess student and school performance and implement accountability. Detailed findings revealed an array of practices by states. The findings answer: (1) "How are states measuring student performance?" (2) "How are states reporting performance on these…

The progress school districts throughout New Jersey made in implementing a system of portfolio assessment and the factors that promoted or prohibited the implementation of this system were studied. In all, 262 teachers and 109 administrators completed and returned questionnaires on portfolio assessment. Findings indicate that teachers and…

This paper discusses students with disabilities who do not fit into large-scale traditional assessment systems, seeks to clarify what is meant by "gray areas of assessment," delineates the primary issues that surround and contribute to gray areas, and provides suggestions for developing fully inclusive systems. It provides brief case studies of…

The 1988 Higher Education Reorganization Act established an accountability process for public colleges and universities in Maryland. The law requires the governing boards of these institutions to submit annual performance accountability reports to the Maryland Higher Education Commission. In 1996, the Commission approved a new accountability…

The 1988 Higher Education Reorganization Act established an accountability process for public colleges and universities in Maryland. The law requires the governing boards of these institutions to submit annual performance accountability reports to the Maryland Higher Education Commission. In 1996, the Commission approved a new accountability…