This report presents an analysis and synthesis of student performance data collected through state-mandated testing programs. The common performance areas assessed were basic skills achievement. The unique performance areas assessed were content skills within a particular state. Achievement data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress…

This report discusses the availability and use of instructional time in relation to the requirements contained in the Hughes Hart Educational Reform and Finance Act of 1983. The study draws on information from the California Assessment Program, which supplies achievement test scores, time and coursetaking information; verbal and mathematics…

This report describes the North Carolina Department of Education's 5-year plan for establishing a statewide management information system. The system is intended to improve fiscal management, personnel administration, and administrative operations, and to ensure efficient resource use. Initial sections present highlights of the plan; background…

The document describes New Jersey's plan to provide services to persons with developmental disabilities (DD). Section I defines developmental disabilities, provides population statistics by age group for 21 counties, and briefly outlines the DD State Grant Program. Section II outlines the organization (including appointment of 12 members who…

A long-range school improvement program, under the direction of the Pennsylvania State Department of Education, was developed to coordinate and articulate the curriculum, as well as to structure school management and other district operations. Featured in the plan are: (1) a statewide testing program called "Educational Quality…

A description is given of the structure and operation of 29 intermediate administrative units which provide consulting, advisory, administrative, or statistical services to local school districts in Pennsylvania. The basic services rendered by the units are in the areas of: (1) curriculum development and instructional improvement; (2) management;…

Maryland's decade of experience in providing programs for gifted and talented students indicates that response to the needs of such students has been strongest when federal, state, and local policy and financial commitments were complementary. The notion that federal financial support is not necessary and may even be counterproductive is…

This report highlights the involvement of Illinois public community colleges in preparing individuals for employment, including instruction and services offered to students and businesses. After providing an overview of the state's community college system, the report describes the following components and aspects of employment preparation: (1)…

The concept of transition of an individual with a disability from school to adult environments is presented from the perspective of the educator's role. The educator's role is perceived as: (1) an "expert" on the needs of individuals with mental disabilities and the barriers they face when they move from the educational environment to…

This report summarizes the activities and accomplishments of the Montana Faxnet Project, which was created to design and demonstrate a statewide document delivery network utilizing telefacsimile equipment that would create equitable access for all Montanans accessing and retrieving information, and reduce the waiting time for requested materials…

This report presents the 1988-1989 annual Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) program for the South Carolina State Library. This program includes fiscal information and project descriptions for the following LSCA projects under Title I Library Services: (1) I-A, General Administration; (2) I-B, Library Interpretation; (3) II-A, General…

A study examined the role of the state in providing adult literacy services. Questionnaires were sent to state adult education directors, state library directors, and state literacy commission directors in the 50 states and five territories, with a varying rate of return approximating 75 percent. Each questionnaire sought information about…

This document examines the chronological history of financing the Alaskan public school system. The first section traces the influence of the Greco-Russian Church and the Russian-American Company on education in Russian Alaska. The second section focuses on early United States education efforts, including the Sheldon Jackson era, the Organic Act…

Large percentages of preschool children in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia live in poverty and receive no benefits from society's "safety nets." County estimates for unemployment and per capita income (1985-1987) indicate that economic conditions are most severe in central West Virginia, eastern Kentucky,…

The process of developing a state education indicators system using the model proposed by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is described. The CCSSO model has three components--indicators of educational outcomes; indicators of school policies and practices; and indicators of contextual factors, or state characteristics. The goal is…