Summative assessments measure students' mastery of grade-level academic standards and skills in specific content areas after learning. State summative assessment systems provide students and families, school and district leaders, and state policymakers with valuable data to help understand student progress and school quality. This Policy Guide…

The Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) is the State Lead Agency for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C program for Washington State. Within DCFY, the Part C programmatic home is the Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program. During Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2017, the ESIT program held contracts…

Many policies and initiatives have been proposed or implemented to address the unique needs of military families who face special challenges while supporting the service of their military member(s). Some of those policies and initiatives have sought to focus on military-connected children (MCCs) and the particular academic challenges they face.…

Literacy is one of the most critical components of academic success, but the majority of students are leaving high school without the reading and writing skills needed to succeed in college and a career. According to ACT, fewer than 40 percent of black and Latino students are ready for college-level reading when they graduate from high school.…

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the federal stimulus package, will over the next two years provide all states with federal funding to support early learning opportunities for 3- and 4-year-olds. This investment clearly reflects Washington's acknowledgement of the link between high-quality early education and the nation's…

Describes a cooperative program between individual state governments and the Australian government whereby unemployed people who want to start a small business are given a comprehensive package consisting of loan capital, one year's living allowance, training, and business advice. (JOW)

Includes reports from the National Endowment for the Humanities, discussing grants, federal-state partnerships, and a directory of state humanities councils; and from the Institute of Museum and Library Services Library Programs, including state-administered programs, funding, national leadership grant awards, Native American grants, and national…

To counter elementary school children's ignorance about farming, a 1981 Agriculture in the Classroom Task Force recommended that states create their own groups and awareness programs. This article describes cooperative efforts between private and public sector organizations in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Oregon, and Virginia. An address and…

This report summarizes testimony of Franklin Frazier, Director of Education and Employment Issues, the Human Resources Division of the Government Accounting Office, concerning the need for improved federal leadership in helping states utilize the "order of selection" provision (in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) to provide rehabilitation…

This report presents some of the prominent features of a national invitational conference whose goal was to provide a national forum to discuss ongoing preservation efforts in individual states; describe the preservation challenge faced by all states in common; review the kinds of materials at risk; and alert administrators to the opportunities…

This report describes the application requirements that state agencies need to follow in order to obtain federal funding for family support and preservation (FSP) programs, as budgeted under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act for fiscal years (FYs) 1994 through 1998. Part I of the report serves as an introduction and provides background…

This is a report on the second and final phase of an institute which was designed to provide intensive instruction for the chief administrative officials of state archival agencies on the characteristics of and projected future changes in modern information systems, and to introduce them to management tools needed for operating in this new…

This document details the progress made toward achieving the eight National Education Goals. The Goals 2000: Educate America Act marked its first year with school-improvement plans in 47 states and $85 million in the hands of state and local school districts. The publication contains: (1) a list of the National Education Goals; (2) a description…

The Education Amendments of 1978, Part B of the Elementary Secondary Education Act Title IX were implemented because of the growing concern about illiteracy, test score decline, and educational accountability. They establish funds and technical assistance to state and local education agencies for program implementation and test development. Both…

This document focuses on how states can use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to support early childhood education initiatives. It draws on CLASP's previous report, "Financing Universal Pre-Kindergarten: Possibilities and Technical Issues for States in Using Funds Under the Child Care and Development Fund and Temporary…