The governor of South Carolina provides information about that state's Education Improvement Act of l984 and explains how it brought about educational reform. (FL)

Remarks of nationally recognized leaders in gifted education are summarized from a 1982 meeting to discuss development of preschool gifted programs in Louisiana. Discussion focuses on identification, curriculum, teacher preparation, evaluation, and parent participation. (CL)

Physical fitness and recreation programs can be a deterrent to premature aging. State-funded physical activity programs for older adults in Illinois offer minimal benefits due to volunteer and untrained personnel. Results of this study are presented. (DF)

This paper provides background information for a Commission discussion regarding the challenges that community college districts confront when trying to serve rural and remote communities. The paper describes the dynamics of statewide and regional population growth occurring in California and an overview of program-based funding--the budgetary…

During the 2001-2002 school year, the Read to Achieve Grant program was successfully implemented in 553 schools throughout Colorado. All funded schools were held accountable for reaching the specific reading achievement goals outlined in the statute establishing the program in order to be recommended for second year funding. The Read to Achieve…

This paper summarizes information from interviews with four states regarding their Universal Design for Learning (UDL) initiatives, i.e., state or regional level efforts to promote the principles and practices of UDL via professional development or the production and/or dissemination of universally designed instructional materials. Discussion of…

In October 2002, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board adopted a preliminary analysis of the costs and benefits of reaching the first two goals of "Closing the Gaps by 2015," the state's higher education plan. Refinements to the analysis, which adjusted for inflation and made other changes, were presented in January 2003, and the…

Noting that health benefits for children should be one of the principal goals of comprehensive early childhood initiatives, this Smart Start brochure provides information on "medical homes" and their importance to the overall health of children; the brochure also describes community strategies to help promote a medical home for all…

The Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) is charged with improving library services throughout the state to ensure that all citizens have access to quality library and information services. Part of this charge includes the responsibility for receiving and administering federal funds to the more than 200 public libraries in Alabama. Federal…

This issue of the NCEDL Spotlight Series newsletter adds California and Ohio to a re-analysis of findings from an earlier report looking at the move to establish a state pre-kindergarten program for 4-year-olds in Georgia, Illinois, New York, South Carolina, and Texas. Key figures in political and educational circles in these seven states were…

This master plan sets forth mission statements for each component of Nevada's system of higher education and outlines overarching goals for the system within a 10-year time frame. It also describes targets and strategies directed at achieving these goals. Nevada is the fastest growing state in terms of percentage growth, yet trails most other…

This report from the WisKids Count project, instead of being the usual annual data book about an array of issues affecting children, is a collection of essays that take a critical look at the practice of standardized testing and the status of testing in Wisconsin. In the 2002-2001 school year, more than 250,000 Wisconsin children in public schools…

The 2001 results of Arizonas Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) mark the third annual release of this important school accountability tool. The 2001 MAP results are slightly different from the results of previous years in that they show the percent of students who achieve One Years Growth (OYG) and present results in a more accessible format. The…

This Brief builds on the work of the National Association of State Boards of Education 1997 Study Group on State Assessment Systems by examining one of the state board actions that is most likely to capture the publics attention: setting cut scores on state assessments. This process involves a large measure of human judgment and politics and a…

This annual report details the accomplishments of the Alaska Head Start Program for fiscal year 1995. It begins with a description of the principal components of the Alaska Head Start Program, focusing on economic development; community development; parent and family involvement; education, training, and career development; and comprehensive…