This report contains profiles of initiatives in the 50 states and Puerto Rico to connect learning and work. Learning and work initiatives combine education reform, workforce preparation and economic development to prepare individuals for a lifetime of learning, citizenship, and career success. The profiles are drawn from state applications for…

The standards-based educational reform initiatives of the 1990's call for assessment innovations to support high standards. To document state assessment policies and to develop policy recommendations for assessment innovations, the George Washington University Center for Excellence and Equity in Education surveyed state assessment directors in…

An 18-member Collaborative of Michigan educational organizations and agencies was formed in October 1994. The Collaborative was committed to systemic reform that included inclusive relationships, challenging ideas, and changed practice to ensure better teaching and learning for all students. The Collaborative made the assumption that it would take…

This paper presents a five-year plan for the improvement of Pennsylvania's system of services for people with mental retardation and their families. It was developed over an 18-month period by 70 people, including people with disabilities, family members, advocates, providers of service, legislative staff, and county and state government…

The Texas Education Agency has been developing materials to address issues related to the Professional Development Appraisal System (PDAS). The PDAS was developed under a legislative mandate to establish a fair and practical appraisal process that acknowledges and reinforces good teaching practices and quality professional development. An…

The purposes of this five-year Oregon State Library plan are: (1) to establish goals, priorities, objectives, and strategies for the development of library services within the state of Oregon; (2) to set forth methodologies to evaluate the success of the strategies in meeting the goals, priorities, and objectives; (3) to set policies and…

In 1994, the state of Georgia adopted a model of education reform that defined new education goals and formalized a structure that involved state policymakers and local communities. The system operates on the premise that regular assessments of progress should drive innovations or strategies for achieving results. This guide presents an…

The Maine Department of Education has encouraged all the state's school districts to develop a comprehensive assessment system to comply with legislative requirements and to create an integrated system of curriculum, instruction, and assessment that provides all children with the best possible education. The resource guide uses the…

A study evaluated the performance of 253 welfare recipients who listed Aid to Families with Dependent Children as an income source and graduated from Eastern Washington University (EWU) between September 1994 and August 1996. Graduates' wages were obtained from the state Employment Securities Division; current welfare status was established…

This report presents an analysis of the results of a survey of State Directors of Special Education on their state mediation systems. It notes requirements under the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that a mediation process must be available to parents desiring its use in conflict resolution. This report…

This document is comprised of the 12 monthly issues of the 1998 "Child Support Report," which explores problems related to child support enforcement, reports on federal and state government child support enforcement initiatives, and summarizes research related to child support. Editorials and information on events and conferences of…

This document consists of 12 consecutive issues of the monthly "Centennial State Libraries" newsletter, of the Colorado Department of Education, State Library and Adult Education Office. The issues cover the year 1998. Each issue of the newsletter--except the August issue which is an Annual Report--includes some or all of the following…

The handbook provides parents of children with disabilities guidance on planning for the child's future needs with special attention to resources and laws of Iowa. Section 1 gives a Future Planning Checklist and definitions of common legal terms. Section 2 addresses estates, trusts, and wills and provides common estate planning questions and…

This training manual and statewide plan begins by describing the role of the Oklahoma State Department of Education, Library Resources/Technology Section as one of providing leadership, consultation, communication, and coordination in the systematic development of technology in Oklahoma school library media centers. Information about the Oklahoma…

This technical assistance guide was developed to help state policy makers develop performance-standard incentive policies that are effective tools in accomplishing state and federal goals for Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs. The guide is organized in three sections. The first section introduces incentive policies as tools to further…