This final progress report examines implementation of Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by the various states. Part H coordinators in the 50 states and the District of Columbia and chairpersons of the State Interagency Coordinating Councils were asked to complete the five point Likert "State Progress Scale"…

An overview of Saskatchewan's gender equity policy and guidelines for its implementation are presented in this report. Facilitated by the need to ensure equal opportunities for male and female students in the province, the policy is designed to reflect gender equity in all components of the educational system--curriculum, resource materials,…

This report records in outline form major points concerning the emerging field of environmental scanning, noting particularly activities at the University of Minnesota. It includes definitions of environmental scanning; a description of its major components; and an outline of procedural steps to implement it. Further, it outlines the planning…

This paper deals with a case study of secondary curriculum diversification as a vocationalization strategy in Sierra Leone. It explores diversification issues from four crucial standpoints that are distinct but highly interrelated. First, diversification is dealt with as a policy that was adopted and actively pursued by Sierra Leone for over a…

The results of a study on the way federal government guidelines influenced the administration of 132 Teacher Corps projects at the local level are reported. Research was oriented primarily toward determining those guideline provisions that seemed to have the most powerful impact on local actions during the early years of a project. Major findings…

At its November 2004 meeting, the North Carolina State Board of Education approved standards for developing and implementing honors courses in that state. These standards in curriculum, instruction, and assessment are designed to provide a consistent framework to guide teachers and principals as they develop and evaluate local courses that are…

In 2000, the Public Policy of Institute of California entered into an agreement with the San Diego Unified School District to provide the research and financial support to collect, format, and analyze student, teacher, and classroom data needed to create an accurate portrait of what affects student achievement in San Diego. This report is the…

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) teacher quality provisions recognize both the importance of teacher quality for improving student achievement and the unequal distribution of teachers across districts and schools. But the question of how to achieve the goal of a high quality teacher in every classroom is complicated because of the challenges of…

The challenge today in implementing educational technology is no longer one of acquiring equipment, but rather one of improved adoption, diffusion, and use of computers. Effective implementation requires effective planning and action to ensure equity of access to resources, coordination of resources, and developing infrastructures for information…

This document consists of articles 21-31 published in the electronic journal "Education Policy Analysis Archives" for the year 1999: (21) "Facing the Consequences: Identifying Limitations of How We Categorize People in Research and Policy" (Cynthia Wallat and Carolyn Steele); (22) "Teachers in Charter Schools and…

Efforts by Canada and the United States to implement human rights education programs in schools are described, with attention to legal and administrative structural influences. The rationale for inclusion of such programs is provided. Recently developed programs and hindrances to program implementation are also considered. (TJH)

A survey of 66 chapters of a national autism society found that the availability of extended school year (ESY) services is increasing. Significant variation was found in how states determine eligibility, in the duration of ESY programs, and in the length of ESY days; parental dissatisfaction was also reported. (JDD)

This paper is a study of systems change in services to infants and toddlers with disabilities resulting from Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Act. It examines the process of moving from federal legislation to implementation in one state (New York) and offers practical strategies to change agents in order to maximize successful systemic…

This analysis of federal laws, state-level policies, and providers' and consumers' viewpoints examines the degree to which family-oriented early intervention policies and practices are family centered. Results indicate a movement toward adoption of family-centered policies and practices, but show discrepancies between state-level policymakers and…

Queensland, Australia, is embarking on a massive limited bilingual second-language learning program for all students in the first eight years of school. Potential implementation problems and implications for the wider society are discussed, including the effect of the emphasis on studying Asian languages. (Contains 40 references.) (Author/LB)