This resource is part of a series of reports about challenges facing statewide science assessments and innovative solutions states are enacting to meet those challenges. Deciding to implement a system of assessments is a critical step toward ensuring that all students are getting the high-quality science education they need--but it is also…

The state of Illinois is encouraging schools to better inspect and evaluate the causes of their pest infestation problems through use of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) guidelines developed by the Illinois Department of Public Health. This guide reviews the philosophy and organization of an IPM program for structural pests in schools,…

State-level policymakers, local-level administrators, and teachers alike are interested in how standards actually apply to classroom learning. This paper presents answers to questions that policymakers and educators should consider before implementing standards-based education at the local level. The following questions help sort through the…

Selective organizational change in the school presents one promising approach for delinquency prevention among young people. The organizational change approach assumes that: (1) delinquency will be reduced when young people are able to show their competence and worth; (2) young people learn socially legitimate behavior mainly in the school; and…

This resource guide was designed for teachers and administrators in Arizona school districts to assist them in preparing functional and meaningful programs of student achievement testing. The format of the guide is based on fundamental questions often posed by educators regarding norm-referenced and criterion-referenced testing. Particular…

The 1996 session of the North Carolina General Assembly enacted legislation, The School-Based Management and Accountability Program (the ABCs plan), an educational reform initiative designed to improve student performance. The accountability model for the public schools in kindergarten through eighth grade is designed to provide focus on the basic…

This guide is designed to help South Carolina's school administrators implement the school improvement process mandated by the state legislature. The first chapter introduces the educational philosophy produced by the research on effective schools. Six indicators of effective schools (positive school climate, instructional leadership of the…

California Assembly Bill 3408 requires school districts to adopt their own standards in basic skills, including reading comprehension, writing, and computation. Students must be tested at least once in grades 7-9 and twice in grades 10-11. After June, 1980, students who do not meet standards will not receive a high school diploma. Assembly Bill…

Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 (ECIA) provides financial assistance to state (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) to meet special educational needs under the same formula that governed the allocation of Title I funds. The guidance in this document only pertains to the Chapter 1 program that provides…

This publication presents the evaluation of the Secondary Special Education Initiative, a 5-year partnership between the New Jersey State Department of Education and nine school districts. The initiative was established in 1983 to enhance the development of high-school programs and services for educationally handicapped pupils. The initiative had…

This manual provides administrative guidelines for programs for gifted students in Missouri. An introduction cites the relevant state special education law, defines "giftedness," and stresses that differentiated educational programs are intended for only 2 or 3 percent of the school-aged population whose development requires…

This advisory for superintendents on the California Mentor Teacher Program provides background information, discusses issues in initial program planning, describes the state department of education's role and upcoming activities in program implementation, and gives information on funding for the program. The background section describes the…

This second volume of a handbook for vocational educators in secondary schools in Alabama contains guidelines that should be considered by vocational education and special education personnel during the program placement and training of special education students. The guide is divided into four sections. Section 1 introduces the federal…

This guide to legislation and state board of education policy on minimum competency testing is designed to explain the legal basis for minimum competency testing mandates in the various states. Specifically, it explores: the differences between board mandates and state legislation; details of the requirements--subject areas, grade promotion and…

This volume contains the "Final Report" of a study commissioned to document how States met the requirements of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended in 1978, and to identify management practices and documents that can be used by States to facilitate their management of Title I programs and those of…