The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has made a great impact on states' policies in assessing English language learner (ELL) students. The legislation requires states to develop or adopt sound assessments in order to validly measure the ELL students' English language proficiency (ELP), as well as content knowledge and skills. Although states have…

Second-wave reforms that will affect vocational education are (1) national goals, testing, and accountability; (2) school choice; (3) teacher education and certification; and (4) site/school-based management. Vocational education must go beyond adaptation to changes and consider the broader context of general educational reform. (SK)

Reviews what is known about the overall effectiveness of Title I programs and discusses how Title I can become a more effective intervention. Makes three policy recommendations for fostering better research and better programs, centering on accountability, continued research and development, and randomized experimental studies of promising…

Western countries' energetic reform efforts over the past decade are having insufficient effects on student achievement. School improvement literature suggests that policy makers focus on classroom practice, develop varied curriculum and teaching programs, consider reform context and staff development, build capacity, and improve research and…

Seven articles on higher education research and development are presented, including a review of higher education research pertaining to equality of opportunity and accountability. Remaining articles cover the following: an evaluation of college-level student services in Australia; perceptions of academic scientists, employers, graduates and…

The Research and Development Exchange (RDx) is a network of regional educational laboratories and university-based research and development centers working to support state and local school improvement efforts. Initiated by the National Institute of Education in 1976, the RDx is composed of eight Regional Exchanges and four central support…

The National Dissemination Center's Need Sensing/Future Scanning program collects opinions from a broad spectrum of stakeholders in career and technical education (CTE) and uses them to guide research, dissemination, and professional development activities that are responsive to the field's needs. In year 3 of the program, professionals and…

A review of current literature identifies three growing trends. First, there has been an increase in legislatively mandated accountability that requires taxpayer-funded education and research programs be demonstrated effective by "scientifically based research." To receive federal monies programs must emphasize quantitative,…