Higher education governance of community colleges is understudied. Driving an increased focus on community college coordination and oversight at the state level are the role of access from dual enrollment to adult learners, the need to smooth the transfer function of community colleges, jobs requiring educational attainment beyond high school, and…

Over the past decade states have surpassed the federal Head Start program as the primary public funder of preschool slots. This paper investigates trends in Head Start enrollment in the context of increased state investment in early childhood. Using national, longitudinal data I find no evidence Head Start programs in states with expanding state…

The characteristics of a state's accommodations policy may affect a state's decision about whether to develop an alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS). A very restrictive accommodations policy may make it more difficult for some students to participate in the state's regular assessment used for accountability…

The focus article "Road Maps for Learning: A Guide to the Navigation of Learning Progressions" by Black, Wilson, and Yao (this issue) is a veritable tour-de-force, covering a great deal of education ground while spanning the heights from models of the interplay among curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment to interpretations of student…

By now people are all too familiar with the disheartening numbers: approximately 7,000 students drop out each day, which means nearly one-third of high school students will not graduate with their peers. The statistics are even more staggering for minority and low-income students, especially in the nation's largest urban districts, where less than…

A study investigated ways that each of the 50 states serve preschool children (ages 3-5) with specific learning disabilities (SLD), the impact of the preschool-specific/noncategorical label, and the quantitative criteria used for eligibility. Although all states reported that preschoolers with SLD could receive services, different eligibility…

This article presents a brief history of the transition of the federal definition for students who are gifted and talented, as well as a description of other definitions that have affected state definitions. A review of state definitions in 1990 and 1998 indicates that 29 states have modified their definition. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Literacy assessments are transforming the contexts of secondary instruction. This article reports how literacy assessments are shaping the instructional choices of nine English Language Arts teachers who work in three different states in northeastern United States--New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Through interviews, the teachers reported…

Presents information obtained on the status of comprehensive state-level environmental education (EE) programs in the United States. Comprehensive state-level EE programs include a combination of program, structure, and funding components. As of early 1996, no state had implemented all 16 components of a comprehensive program. (AIM)

A study presents a post-hoc evaluation of the use of accommodations in the Washington Assessment of Students Learning of 4th and 7th graders in 1998. Results indicate that while the use of accommodations appeared to be consistent with state guidelines, increased training opportunities and revisions in reporting procedures are advised. (Contains…

Examination of participation and accommodation policies of all states revealed that in most states the Individualized Education Program team is central in deciding the participation of students with disabilities in state assessments. Testing accommodations are commonly allowed, although there is considerable variability. States generally offer…

This article discusses Virginia's efforts to implement new educational standards coupled with high-stakes assessments. Students with disabilities have been fully included in reform efforts and participation in the high-stakes assessment program has been relatively active. The focus on only academic skills to the exclusion of life skills is…

In a time of fiscal belt tightening, many states will hesitate to launch new multimillion-dollar distance education network projects. Instead they will concentrate on regulatory initiatives to stimulate the development of affordable advanced universal service by the private sector. Discusses the limitations of state regulatory strategies in the…

This article describes the continuum of treatment/education interventions developed to address the needs of Kentucky adjudicated and other at-risk and delinquent youth, ranging from school-based alternative education programs to long-term stays in residential programs. The interagency collaborative approach emphasizes transition planning to less…

Arguments for school vouchers are beginning to have a cumulative effect with gains in a number of states. The political power that holds Washington to the public school orthodoxy is weakening before state movements toward public school choice and charter schools. (SLD)