The number of students attending afterschool programs has skyrocketed in recent years, currently serving an estimated 8.4 million children (Afterschool Alliance, 2009). Consequently, the demand for high quality afterschool programs, and to learn from successful ones, has never been greater. This "Making Afterschool Programs Better"…

All students, including students with disabilities, must be included in state accountability systems as required by law. In April 2007, federal regulations provided states the flexibility to offer another assessment option--an Alternate Assessment based on Modified Achievement Standards (AA-MAS) for some students with disabilities. The AA-MAS is…

California's School Improvement Program for grades K-12 requires all participating districts to establish a master plan. This plan is intended to enhance intradistrict communication, provide a context for planning, help establish accountability, allow for the assessment of school and district programs and personnel, and generally clarify the…

Federal regulations (U.S. Department of Education, 2007a) provide states with the flexibility to offer an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). This assessment option is for a small group of students with disabilities who can make significant progress, but may not reach grade-level achievement within the…

Prepared at the direction of the State Board of Education with the guidance of the Advisory Compensatory Education Commission, these guidelines are intended to assist school districts in California in developing programs under the Migrant Amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 to meet the special educational needs of children of…

The California Migrant Services Program is a comprehensive attempt to provide resources to meet the unique problems of migrant farm workers and their families. The purpose of this program, started as a result of the Economic Opportunity Amendments of 1967, is to provide to assist migrant and seasonal farm workers and their families in improving…

This two-part document contains a spelling word list compiled by the Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools (California) for use in the California State Elementary Spelling Championship competition, along with information for planning and conducting spelling bees. The spelling word list (also intended for use in the regional competitions) is a…

Prepared by the California State Department of Education, the booklet reviews program components for the educable mentally retarded (EMR). Legal provisions cited include identification, assessment, and reevaluation procedures. Such administrative aspects as financing and supervision are considered. The characteristics and learning styles of the…

Intended for parents, the manual presents information on existing legislation pertaining to handicapped children in California, and guidelines for effective child advocacy in order to identify and obtain adequate services. Chapters cover the following topics (sample subtopics in parentheses): diagnostic and evaluative procedures (including a…

Guidelines address California's procedures for the operation of programs for handicapped infants and preschool children. Legal requirements of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, and the California State Plan are reviewed. Program guidelines focus on eligibility, child assessment, placement in the least restrictive…

This program advisory provides direction to school districts and providers of preschool and early primary programs in California who are implementing the recommendations of the School Readiness Task Force Report, "Here They Come: Ready or Not!" The Task Force Report addressed the issue of what kind of education would be necessary during…

These guidelines establish criteria and provide direction to California state agencies and department personnel on compliance with federal and state laws concerning the accessibility of programs for persons with disabilities. Section 1 summarizes legislative mandates and statewide policy. Section 2 overviews the purposes and objectives of these…

Described in the booklet are program guidelines for serving trainable mentally retarded students in California public schools. Considered are the effects of changing public attitudes and legislation on program development, and reviewed are legal provisions regarding financing, identification, assessment, and placement of trainable mentally…

This report describes federal, California state, and private student financial aid programs; ways to improve chances of receiving aid; and programs for special populations. Information is provided on the following sources of aid: (1) federal (Pell Grants, National Direct Student Loans (NDSL), Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG),…

Authorized by the California Department of Education, this report provides an analysis of research-based guidelines for the educational applications of technology and information resources and the communication and learning opportunities made possible by telecommunications. The report specifically addresses current state-of-the art technologies…