Research has shown that while the number of school-age children has steadily increased over time, the number of qualified teachers available to educate them has not matched this need. This topical brief shows the percentage of public schools across the nation with teaching vacancies and summarizes strategies implemented in Region 5 Comprehensive…

In an era of increasingly hyped Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that seem to evoke feelings of both promise and peril for higher education, many institutions are struggling to find their niche among top-tier Ivy League schools offering courses to thousands of participants for free. While the effectiveness of MOOCs in terms of learning outcomes…

A recently developed and state-validated model of school evaluation and program development is now being used in 174 Texas school districts. The Learner-Based Accountability System (LBAS) is a model for school evaluation and program development geared toward the improvement of school practices. The 11 components of the system incorporate the…

The extent to which state agencies are implementing information systems and analytical methods for budget review are examined. Focus is on 17 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Trends in budget…

This manual was developed to help expedite the efforts of postsecondary vocational education and Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs in developing comprehensive strategies, by joint planning, to serve the common targeted populations of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984 and JTPA. It is a supplement to "Navigating…

This document on state-level planning for education in Texas by the Texas Education Agency consists of two papers. The first focuses on the long-range plan of the State Board of Education for Texas public school education. The paper summarizes this plan, describes the process by which it was developed, and analyzes the status of its implementation…

This manual was designed to be a comprehensive resource for a wide variety of persons interested in vocational assessment, including teachers, administrators, and counselors. It provides a resource that educators can use in locating guidelines at specific points in designing or implementing vocational assessment programs for handicapped students.…

The purpose of this study was to examine the role, practices, and status of Parent Advisory Committees (PAC) as required by Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and the extent of PAC involvement in the educational decision making process in selected school districts in Texas. The sample consisted of 637 Title I PAC…

This report presents information for school years 1988-89 and 1989-90 on progress under and compliance with the Texas Master Plan for Vocational and Technical Education. It also reports on quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the state's vocational programs. Section I provides information on elementary and secondary education. It sets forth…

Data are presented from an evaluation of state and federal adult basic education (ABE) programs in Texas. An introduction describes the methodology by which data were collected. The next three sections contain survey data from and about students, teachers, and administrators. Other sections examine the program planning process, management and…

Developed as a report for the United States Office of Education, data presented have been modified from the suggested format for ease of reading and reference. Processes involved in the vocational and adult education planning cycle are to: (1) identify needs, (2) define needs, (3) design programs, (4) specify training staff, equipment, and…

In a study designed to identify information needs of persons who make management decisions about public school vocational education programs in Texas and who develop ways to meet these needs through use of a management information system, particular emphasis was given to the information needs of management within the Texas Education Agency…

This report projects Texas school costs to 1982-83 under the present school finance system and suggests alternatives for modifying the projections. It also considers high and low cost projections, foundation costs by program, student and teacher populations, the financing of special programs, the cost of salary increases, and State costs of…

A statewide assessment in career education was made to: (1) Determine how Texas students stand in relation to basic skills, knowledge, and competencies in career education, and (2) provide decision makers with information about student performance in career education that will assist curriculum planning and development efforts at the local,…

This book contains 30 chapters on the tech prep initiative in Texas: "The Identity of Tech Prep in Texas" (Tunstall); "A Snap-Shot of the Impact of the Tech Prep Initiative in the Governor's 24 Planning Regions" (Brown); "The Tech Prep Consortium Directors: The Architects for the Future of Texas" (Hensley et al.);…