The Texas Projection Measure (TPM) has grown out of the state's need to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). An examination of the state's method of predicting 8th grade mathematics scores reveals that several factors have been ignored in the process of developing the model, including assumptions in its underlying statistical…

The deadline pressure states faced in submitting applications in the federal Race to the Top competition is now being felt at the local level, as school districts scurry to craft work plans that show how they will execute ambitious changes in education policy. Eleven states, plus the District of Columbia, have won a combined $4 billion this year…

This article reviews the findings from our assessments of children and their families in two Head Start programs using the Family Map. Specifically, we used the Family Map assessment tool to identify risks to children associated with alcohol and drug use in families with young children. Practical suggestions are offered to administrators about the…

Higher education institutions are under significant pressure to provide affordable, sustainable approaches that will prepare their students with the skills they will need after graduation to achieve success in the 21st Century workplace. Digital Media Simulations are among the new technologies that have emerged with the promise to help…

This volume contains advocacy briefing papers presented at the 15th Annual National Indian Education Association (NIEA) Legislative Summit held February 15-15, 2012 in Washington, DC. The following papers are included: (1) Become a Powerful Advocate; (2) NIEA Legislative Priority for 2012: Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education…

Observation measures of instructional quality tend to fall into two broad categories--those for use across subject areas and those intended for use in specific subject areas. The move toward content-specific measures is a result of research suggesting that effective teaching looks different across subject areas and that both content knowledge and…

This report examines the effectiveness of recent federal government efforts through amendments to the Higher Education Act (1993) to reduce student loan defaults. Key measures to curb defaults had been to make schools with high student loan default rates ineligible for federal student loan programs. However, many institutions have challenged…

This report examines three federal programs (Head Start, WIC--special supplemental food program for Women, Infants, and Children, and immunization) designed to prepare children for a healthy start in life and school and shows, county-by-county, how well Minnesota children are served. It notes that during 1992-93, only 31 percent of eligible…

In order to assist states in developing model programs, this report examines the common characteristics and strengths of a number of state programs that coordinate social services for at-risk students and their families. After discussing the characteristics of at-risk children and their families, the report presents a comprehensive and…

This report assesses federal efforts to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) during its first four years as law. The report begins by describing the politics and the players in the passage and implementation of the ADA and then discusses how technical assistance precedes enforcement of ADA. Complaints filed under the ADA and the…

A review was conducted of two issues related to the participation rate requirements of the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) component of the Family Support Act of 1988: (1) the extent to which states have served those most at risk of long-term welfare dependency--the least job-ready--relative to other Aid for Families with Dependent…

At least 154 programs administered by 14 federal departments and agencies provide about $25 billion in employment training assistance. Faced with stiff global competition, corporate restructuring, and continuing federal budget constraints, the federal government can no longer afford to invest in a system that may waste resources and may not help…

In response to Congressional requests to analyze proposed federal programs that would provide income-contingent loans (ICLs) to postsecondary students, this report of the Congressional Budget Office examines the fundamental issues in designing such programs. It identifies the key parameters that define an ICL program, discusses the relationships…

Project READ (Reading Education for Adults in Dayton) sought to enhance the literacy of Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA)-eligible adults in the Miami Valley through improved coordination efforts. The major task of the activity to coordinate promotion of literacy resources was to create new awareness and linkages between the Human Services…

The Albuquerque Office of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Administration (OCETA) contracted with the Albuquerque Urban Observatory to conduct a study of employability skills needed by OCETA participants, to identify training programs that might be available to teach these skills, and to suggest a new model for OCETA job preparation…