The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) builds upon recent state efforts to reinvigorate the commitment of education to prepare students, not just for college and career, but also for citizenship and full participation in democratic life. This report outlines how ESSA strengthens opportunities for states to expand and support civic learning and…

Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act offers an opportunity to invest in programs with the greatest educational and economic benefits. Members of Congress should look to states for flexible, innovative, bipartisan strategies to gradually grow pre-k programs. This brief highlights some of the most promising state efforts to…

About 80,000 children enter kindergarten in Washington each year, and many lack basic language and behavioral skills--such as knowing letters and colors, following directions, getting along with others, and exhibiting impulse-control. In 2006, based on the recommendation of the Washington Learns Commission, Governor Christine Gregoire created the…

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…

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…

This biennial report outlines many of the steps taken to improve North Carolina's system of public schools. It also outlines what actions are needed to continue the progress. Although the state has experienced rising SAT scores and a decreasing dropout rate, several challenges remain: decrease class size, provide funds for school facilities,…

In 1991, 58 Educational Excellence Teams made over 1,000 recommendations for improving South Carolina public schools. This publication briefly examines the accomplishments of the South Carolina educational system. A partial list of topics reviewed includes: accountability, accreditation and assessment, adult education/literacy, at-risk youth,…

The first six of the eight brief papers presented in this document, all produced in 1990 and all discussing critical issues in Massachusetts public education and describing "visions" for addressing these issues, were published in a slightly different format from the last two papers. For each of the issues presented, a…

The four sections of this final report, which follow the initial executive summary, present outcomes of Massachusetts' 2-year effort to strengthen and expand high quality, affordable day care services. Section I focuses on the supply of and demand for day care services in the state. Section II explores aspects of public and private partnerships,…

The status of Indiana public education for 1990 is described in this report. The A+ Program for Excellence in Education has recently focused on the two following areas: school restructuring and early childhood assistance. Educational statistics for 1990 are highlighted, and information is presented on the following developments: the Center for…

This report encourages the citizens of each State to seek the improvement of their education, and assists them in locating and utilizing effective and appropriate means for achieving a high level of educational quality. Six topics focus on State leadership in planning educational improvements: (1) forces and factors that affect planning, (2) State…

This 1991-92 annual report describes changes that are driving the 5-year Utah State Public Education Strategic Plan toward implementation. It also identifies needs and accomplishments of the State Office of Education and the school system and offers current information about funding, demographics, and programs. Fourteen parts present information…

Information about the performance of Pennsylvania's public schools in relation to the six national education goals developed by the nation's governors and the Bush Administration at the Charlottesville education summit is provided in this report. Initiatives taken to improve educational quality and plans for further action are described. The first…

The conference described addressed a wide range of key issues affecting young children and families; namely, child abuse, quality in pre-elementary programs, and responsibility for delivery of services. The document summarizes the policy issues identified by attendees of the 16 workshops and the addresses of the three major speakers (Dr. Donald C.…

This document is a study of the Massachusetts Department of Education, with recommendations on how the department may better serve the needs of public school students in the Commonwealth. The study examines the department's current internal operations and its performance of external functions, recommends how these operations and functions might be…