This document reports the results of the Kansas Assessment Program for reading and mathematics for 1999. The mathematics assessment is given in grades 4, 7, and 10. Over 30% of the 4th graders met the individual student standard for excellence in mathematics, with 8% of 7th graders and only 4% of 10th graders meeting the standard. Five-year trend…

This report provides highlights and updates regarding state actions on child care and early education issues during 1999. It is intended to serve as a supplement to "State Child Care and Early Education Development: Highlights and Updates for 1998" and "State Developments in Child Care and Early Education 1997." The information…

Under the auspices of the Instructional Programs Branch of the U.S. Office of Education, a 3-day conference was held May 21-23, 1962, on "Teaching Children and Youth Who Are Educationally Disadvantaged." The conference brought together from all over the Nation acknowledged leaders of public school programs expressly designed to realize…

The Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program (created under the Comprehensive Health Manpower Act of 1971) is briefly described followed by a discussion of the University of North Carolina's regional planning efforts for continuing education. Major planning problems--aggregate numbers, continuing education suppliers, geographic distribution,…

The development, school district implementation, and initial validation of the Wicat Skills Assessment Test--a computerized testing system for state assessment objectives--are described. Testing with 10,000 students in grades 3, 5, 7, and 9 began in Texas in 1986-87 and 1987-88. Results support the feasibility for districtwide computerized…

Asserts that new student assessment methods incorporate more direct assessment of student knowledge and performance. Describes changes in student assessment in California as a result of state and federal reform efforts. Discusses classroom implications and the role of teachers using the new assessment techniques. (CFR)

Analysis of comparative case studies in four high- and low-wealth school districts in Kentucky indicates that, following recent school finance reform initiatives, expenditures increased in all districts but that spending patterns changed only incrementally. Nonprogramatic financial reporting masks the extent to which reform dollars are supporting…

Presents evaluation of state-certified asbestos abatement training program to evaluate appropriateness and effectiveness of training against actual work experiences. Survey administered to trainees (n=114) indicates most (78 percent) passed retest on course content, the course received an average effectiveness rating of 92 percent, and actual work…

Examines Zimbabwe's 1980-87 teacher education reform designed to change its educational system. The paper appraises dilemmas encountered by the Ministries of Education and teachers' colleges responsible for implementation, noting that struggles in Zimbabwe's political economy are dialectically related to contestations in the teacher education…

Includes nine articles that discuss cooperative library networking in Illinois. Highlights include library systems as cooperative agencies; PALI (Private Academic Libraries of Illinois); rural school and public library development; systemwide users; regional medical libraries; virtual libraries and the Coalition for Networked Information; a…

The nine articles of this special section focus on the role of evaluation in the reform of the mental health system in Washington. The reform process is described from its inception through its design to the dissemination and utilization of evaluation results. The final article considers implications for statewide evaluations. (SLD)

The Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications (MCET), a quasi-public agency, plays a leadership role in distance education and the integration of telecommunications and education locally and nationally. Operator of the Mass LearnPike satellite network and the Mass Ed OnLine LearnNet computer network, MCET provides expanded…

Describes findings from a symposium sponsored by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University focusing on the following policy issues: What are the most recent trends in state merit aid programs? What are the relevant legal issues involved? Do merit aid programs adversely affect college access for low-income and racial/ethnic minority students?…

Legislative and programmatic efforts to improve teacher quality have become a major focus of state policymaking in recent years. States have employed numerous strategies in response to concerns about the preparation, quantity, and capacity of the teacher workforce. In this chapter, the authors introduce conceptual frameworks for understanding…

Since Mueller vs. Allen (1983), several legal decisions have attempted to clarify what is the appropriate relationship between religion and public education in a democratic society. During this time, the United States legal system has shifted, moving the historic "establishment clause" away from a strict "separationist" view…