The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have ardent supporters and strong critics. The actual effect of the CCSS, however, will depend much less on the standards themselves than on how they are used. Two factors are particularly crucial. The first is whether states invest in the necessary curricular and instructional resources and supports, and the…

The demand for family foster care services has increased rapidly during the past decade, as has the number of special needs children requiring foster care. This monograph presents information collected over the past 20 years concerning policies and programs which have been used to retain and recruit foster parents. The ever-increasing need for…

This paper provides an overview of how Massachusetts has successfully integrated use of the federal Medicaid program into a plan for financing Part H of Public Law 99-457, the 1986 Amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act, on a statewide basis. Noted is the lack of a single strategy for accessing Medicaid funds for early intervention…

Intended for policymakers, this brief addresses issues related to computer technology and its contributions to special education. Trends are noted and three types of applications are considered: computer assisted instruction, computer managed instruction, and computer support activities. Descriptions of several computer applications in local and…

A study of the income distribution permitted from patent and copyright policies of major U.S. research institutions revealed wide variation in distribution patterns and policies, within and between patent and copyright incomes, but little information about the impact of recent federal patent legislation. (MSE)

This document is the first volume of a two-volume resource guide to help states and localities take advantage of new Federal initiatives to increase services to youth under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). It summarizes the performance management principles and options available to program administrators identified in discussion papers…

This report focuses on progress in the implementation of Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) through a comparison of states' status on three yearly administrations of the State Progress Scale. The scale was designed to monitor implementation of the required 14 components in the stages of policy development, policy…

This document comprises the second volume of a two-volume resource guide to help states and localities take advantage of new Federal initiatives to increase services to youth under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). This volume comprises the discussion papers that formed the basis for the options summarized in the first volume. The papers…

This monograph presents the plan of the Intra-Agency Council of the New York State Department of Education to increase physical and programmatic accessibility of all Department programs and services. First, the mission and goals of the Council as well as its activities are briefly reviewed. Next, the process for developing the department plan is…

Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) is a public service program administered by the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley. The purpose of the program is to increase the number of minority students who have sound academic preparation, giving them the background to successfully complete a…

A college or university governing board's development committee (or foundation board in a public institution) has both oversight of and broad responsibility for institutional fund-raising activities. Committee members have an additional role that colleagues on other committees do not--active participation in fund-raising. The committee sets goals,…

This research synthesis provides an overview of the issues central to adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs since researchers and policymakers have shown interest in exploring new possibilities for the ESL component. The following topics are discussed of the Adult Education Act (AEA). The following topics are discussed in the report:…

California's approach to developing programmatic and administrative models for the implementation of Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) in providing services to young handicapped children is discussed. The models focus on implementing recognized best practices as well as changing state policy and administrative structure to enhance…

This report examines student financial assistance schemes in Australia in terms of their effectiveness and administration; particular reference is made to the findings of the Auditor-General's report on the administration of the Austudy program. The report discusses topics within the areas of program effectiveness, eligibility criteria, the…

A recently-implemented university technology transfer program is described and discussed, including the context, elements required for technology transfer, federal patent policy, university policies and organization, the operating model, early results, university-industry interactions, and anticipated benefits to the university and industry. A…