The purpose of this study was to evaluate decision making in the Common Core State Standards Initiative as the change process moved from research, development and diffusion activities to adoption of the Common Core State Standards by the states. A decision-oriented evaluation model was used to describe the four stages of planning, structuring,…

In "Value-Added and Other Methods for Measuring School Performance: An Analysis of Performance Measurement Strategies in Teacher Incentive Fund Proposals"--a paper presented at the February 2008 National Center on Performance Incentives research to policy conference--Robert Meyer and Michael Christian examine select performance-pay plans…

In "Characteristics and Determinants of Teacher-Designed Pay for Performance Plans: Evidence from Texas' Governor's Educator Excellence Grant (GEEG) Program"--a paper presented at the February 2008 National Center on Performance Incentives research to policy conference--Lori Taylor, Matthew Springer, and Mark Ehlert describe the teacher…

The final report reviews achievements of a 30 month project to assist State Education Agencies (SEAs) in implementing physical education and recreation components of federal law (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973). To develop comprehensive special physical education SEA plans, competencies of SEA…

The senior year of high school has become identified as a national concern and issue. It has been studied by special education commissions, state education agencies and state legislative bodies. Dual credit and dual enrollment programs are expanding throughout the country to address this problem. This article addresses sample outcomes of success…

The findings of audits and Office of Education program reviews from Title I programs in 20 States were analyzed for the years 1965-1976. The purposes of this study were (1) to determine the extent to which problems in State and local management of Title I have changed since 1965, and (2) to highlight current management problems which need the…

The Bureau of Evaluation, created by the Louisiana Department of Education, has established policies and procedures that ensure use of evaluation findings by both policymakers and program administrators. Information on its development, structure, mission, rationale, staffing, and operations is provided. (PN)

The priorities to be considered in implementing state support for teacher centers are examined. New legislation in some states requires that state boards of education actively support teacher centers. The following areas of activity are suggested as focal points to guide state education departments in complying with legislative mandates: (1)…

The Family Support Act of 1988 presented states with a unique opportunity to address the needs of pregnant and parenting teens. The Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Public Welfare have seized this opportunity and are leading the nation in combining their programmatic and fiscal resources to expand the state's teen parent initiative. The…

The evolution, operation, and evaluation of the State Dissemination Grants Program are described. This collaborative effort between the National Institute of Education (NIE) and the State Education Agencies (SEA's) is the third stage in a program development process begun by NIE in 1970 as one of five elements in a dissemination capacity building…

Examines several systems developed to evaluate state vocational education programs, notes evaluation requirements of the Education Amendments of 1976, Title II, and presents results from a survey of state evaluation systems. Includes implications of the current emphasis on evaluation of three groups: state staff, business education teachers, and…

Louisiana's state education agency (SEA) was mandated to provide appropriate services for children with attention deficit disorders, by developing statewide training for representatives from public school districts and by selecting and implementing four pilot programs. The SEA implemented the pilot programs, provided an informational training…

A model is presented for upgrading statewide school psychology practice by raising the level of entry for school psychology certification. Central features of the plan are outlined, including how it permits those who currently do not meet the revised standards to participate in a field-based program to increase their knowledge and skills so that…

The organization and operations of an evaluation unit in a local governmental agency are presented. How local evaluation units manage (1) external relations (to obtain funding, to gain access to data sources, and encourage evaluation use) and (2) internal operations (including staffing, communication, data collection, and analysis) are described.…

Seventeen articles used to convey the South Carolina advisory council's 1977-78 evaluation of vocational and technical education in South Carolina are presented. Articles included are "The Girl Stared"; "A Solution to Discipline--Education's Number One Problem"; "A Vocational Education Success Story"; "TEC…