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…

Each week, nearly 11 million children under age 5 are in some type of child care setting for an average of 35 hours. Parents, as consumers of child care, equate a child care license with state approval--a gold seal for those businesses to which a state grants a license. Child Care Aware® of America reviews state licensing policies, which include…

The state plan outlines aspects of special education in Kansas. The initial section provides background information and outlines the needs in teaching positions (both professional and paraprofessional) and in the numbers of students receiving special education. The second section addresses the following state department operations: administration…

Trends described in the planning and management of block grant programs are based on 13 states' implementation of seven block grants: (1) alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health services; (2) community services; (3) education; (4) low-income home energy assistance; (5) maternal and child health services; (6) preventive health and health services;…

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 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…

The guide provides analysis and guidance on issues that arise in serving limited-English-proficient (LEP) students through Title I of the Improving America's Schools Act. It is intended for Title I coordinators at state and local levels and administrators of related programs serving LEP students. The guide presents the issues in the order in which…