For months, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been debated throughout the media, legislatures, education organizations, and households across the country. Education groups have released statements both in favor of the standards and opposed. As these arguments are being tossed around, 44 states and D.C. are implementing CCSS and other…

This guide attempts to address an aspect of secondary CTE (Career and Technical Education) that has received little attention; the assessment literacy of educators. School leaders need to go beyond ensuring routine compliance with external and internal regulatory forces to identify ways in which CTE program teachers might better understand…

This handbook serves as a guide for administrators and lead teachers in a staff development program for improving the quality of instruction in high schools in Oregon. The staff development program is divided into a 2-day basic training program and a 3-day advanced training program. In the first session, participants learn to establish learning…

A persistent dilemma of school leadership is whether principals should concentrate efforts on building cohesion and good working relationships among staff or on specific curriculum aimed toward specific learning outcomes for students. Interviews with three principals who worked through both strengthening collegiality and improving curriculum show…

This document presents minimum standards for approval of gifted and talented programs that meet the requirements of the Standards of Accreditation adopted by the Arkansas State Board of Education February 22, 1984, which have been effective since June 1, 1987. Included are guidelines enabling school districts to: (1) establish equitable criteria…

A survey of state directors of special education found that states vary greatly in the ways they define autism, assess autism, and provide training and technical assistance for those working with pupils with autism. Tables provide survey data by state. Recommendations focus on professional training needs, assessment practices, and eligibility…

This document presents the Oregon state guidelines for provision of educational interpreting services for students who are deaf. An introduction defines an educational interpreter and considers how to determine the need for an educational interpreter and the student-interpreter relationship. The next section details the roles and responsibilities…

The manual outlines procedures for Florida school districts in serving students with speech and language impairments. State and federal regulations are cited at the beginning of each section with recommended best practices for their implementation in the following 15 areas: definition, eligibility criteria, screening, referral, evaluation,…

This paper is designed to provide local adult education administrators and teachers in Florida with information to help them to implement adult high school programs more effectively, in compliance with the State of Florida Adult High School Course Curriculum Framework. The paper addresses the following five areas: (1) purpose and terminology; (2)…

The union of thought and feeling, the basis of the concept of "thoughtfulness," is one of the major themes of this book, which is designed to help teachers, administrators, teacher educators, and parents empower students to take more control of their own education and lives. It presents strategies for teaching students about the nature…

An in-progress staff development program in a small, rural school district in South Carolina strives to make teaching and supervising more rewarding to the staff member while at the same time improving instruction for students in the schools. The program is the result of attempts by the school district to survive through staff development. With…

This "Guide" is intended for staff developers and assessment planners already familiar with current educational assessment reform. Performance assessment means measuring the growth or achievement of one student's performance against an established set of standards for quality, the "performance standards." Students usually…

In June 1984, the State Board of Education adopted the Oregon Action Plan for Excellence which established the direction for school improvement in the state for the next decade. A central concept of the Action Plan is that while the state will determine what must be taught in public schools, the schools will determine how it will be taught. This…

Adult basic education practitioners in Florida are being faced with new work force development program requirements as a result of recent legislation. This technical assistance paper is designed to provide local adult education administrators and teachers with information to help them to implement Adult Basic Education (ABE) and Workplace…

This guide provides materials related to the management of the Maryland Adult Performance Program (Project MAPP). The Project MAPP model is comprised of assessment, instruction, management/guidance, and staff development components. Section I provides the rationale for this competency-based educational delivery system for adult learners enrolled…