Ensuring that students graduate high school prepared for college and careers has become a national priority in the last decade. To support this goal, states have adopted rigorous college and career readiness (CCR) standards in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Additionally, states have begun to require students to pass assessments, in…

To date, most of the public narrative and pushback on new teacher evaluation systems has centered around their use for high-stakes personnel decisions such as pay, promotion, and dismissal, but these systems were always intended to promote and support improvements for all teachers--not just the superstars or laggards. Why is teacher development…

Each year, about 4 million children enter kindergarten in the United States. All parents hope their child will start school ready for success, and many parents turn that hope into action, seeking out supportive and high-quality early learning opportunities. Unfortunately, not every parent finds those opportunities, and access differs based on…

Children's access to Medicaid dental services is a long-standing concern. The tragic case of a 12-year-old boy who died from an untreated infected tooth that led to a fatal brain infection renewed attention to this issue. He was enrolled in Medicaid--a joint federal and state program that provides health care coverage, including dental care, for…

The Center for Career Development in Early Care and Education at Wheelock College (Boston) works to improve the quality of early care and education for young children by creating access to a career and leadership development system for child care providers. The information in this packet is based on responses to a survey the center sent to more…

The efforts of states to differentiate regulatory treatment among districts and schools are examined in this paper. Data were derived from case studies of four state programs: Kentucky's Educational Deficiency Program of receivership for troubled districts; New Jersey's Plan to Intervene in Deficient School Districts; South Carolina's Flexibility…

During 1993, various teachers and schools in Indiana were recognized for high achievement with awards called "Bellringers," for educational efforts that truly "ring the bell." This "report card" documents the activities of the Indiana Department of Education for the 1992-1993 school year. The first section offers an…

This report analyzes the experiences of 27 states selected to participate in Carnegie Corporation of New York's Middle Grade School State Policy Initiative (MGSSPI), a 3-year grant program to states to stimulate fundamental reform in schools serving 10- to 15-year old students. MGSSPI states are working to radically transform the education…

Using recent economic data on state spending and information about childhood brain development, this Kids Count mini-report offers a snapshot of where Arkansas stands on early education and spending on such programs. The report examines the next steps, challenging conventional wisdom in order to explore the best path for improving child outcomes…

The growth of state prepaid plans and state savings plans has been phenomenal. Every state now has a savings plan, and 18 have both a saving plan and prepaid plan. Raises issues of concern and requests more information on the plans. One table shows, by state, the program, start date, administrative agency, and website. (Contains 129 references.)…

Progress made by West Virginia toward achieving each of its six goals for education, which encompass the goals of the West Virginia Board of Education, the Governor's Committee on Education, and the national goals of America 2000 among others, is described in this report. Each section provides a checklist of state achievements and a list of the…

Findings of a study conducted by the North Carolina Governor's Task Force on School Violence are presented in this report. A survey of 129 school systems yielded a 100 percent response rate. The data collected indicate that levels of violence increased in 59% of the state's public schools over the past 5 years. A total of 14 Task Force…

The progress being made in Utah toward the six national education goals, as established by the nation's governors and the Bush Administration, is described in this report. Individual sections address the state's progress toward each of the six national goals and feature: (1) performance and status information; and (2) examples of current and…

This report analyzes problems in New York State efforts to reduce unwanted adolescent pregnancy and its associated problems. Following an executive summary and introduction, the report consists of five sections. Section 1 details the framework and background for the Task Force recommendations. Section 2 provides an overview of current efforts to…

This second annual report identifies the specific progress made by South Dakota during 1991-92 toward achievement of the six National Education Goals. The state's objectives to achieve each of the six goals are outlined, as well as actions taken and proposals made. "Families First," a state initiative that focuses on strengthening the…