The early childhood program matrix in this article delineates the various requirements of nine publicly funded programs in Illinois that provide services to young children and families. The first section of the matrix addresses the design of each program and logistics, such as funding, payment, eligibility, and amount of services. The second…

This study examined the relationships between behavior problems, learning behaviors, and educational outcomes for at-risk preschool children. A sample of Head Start children (N = 196) was selected in the southeast United States. Behavior problems were assessed using the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (LeBuffe & Naglieri, 1999) and…

Because schools are held accountable for the academic performance of all students, it is important to focus on academics and the need for effective teaching practices. Adequate yearly progress, a method of accountability that is part of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001), profoundly affects the education of students who have emotional and…

Twenty-six Head Start preschool classrooms participated in a yearlong intervention designed to link the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework with authentic assessment practices. Teachers in intervention and pilot classrooms implemented an assessment approach that incorporated the use of a curriculum-based assessment tool, the development of…

Since 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has spurred far-reaching changes in elementary and secondary education, all aimed at accomplishing the same fundamental goal--to improve students' academic achievement. As the Congress prepares to reauthorize the Act, two related questions matter most: (1) Has student achievement in reading and…

An examination of hundreds of studies on the use of volunteers in mentoring programs, service programs, and local community change initiatives highlight the importance of screening, training, and volunteer management. Each year, more than 90 million Americans contribute more than 20 billion volunteer hours. Personal benefits of volunteering…

Many schools have placed increased emphasis on literacy skills. Many state and federal programs require schools to demonstrate increased rates of literacy or improved tests scores based on literacy skills. And for many students, the fastest and most efficient method to achieve improved literacy skills is through Sustained Silent Reading (SSR). It…

This document contains the testimony of Richard W. Riley, Secretary of Education, on the fiscal year 1996 budget for the Department of Education (DOE), made before the Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies. The lack of appropriation has two major effects on the DOE and its…

This report describes one segment of the Federal Language Testing Board's Unified Language Testing Plan (ULTP), the validation of speaking proficiency tests in Spanish and English. The ULTP is a project to increase standardization of foreign language proficiency measurement and promote sharing of resources among testing programs in the federal…

Linda G. Morra of the General Accounting Office testified on possible savings in the Department of Education in order to assist the House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee as they considered budget reductions and rescissions. Morra testified first on the need to reexamine programs previously suggested by the Department of Education for…

This document reports on a congressional hearing on race and sex discrimination in the operation of the Job Training Partnership Act. It examines findings of a General Accounting Office investigation that revealed that women received disparate treatment in job training services in nearly two-thirds of the localities surveyed and that black males…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in cooperation with 15 other agencies making up the Federal Task Force on Environmental Education, sponsored a national conference to foster and support the goal of environmental literacy for young people and adults in schools and communities. This conference report contains an executive summary of…

This report presents the student loan default rate for individual postsecondary institutions for fiscal years (FY) 1994, 1995, and 1996. Cohort default rates are cataloged by state and in descending order of the cohort default rate. Types of loan programs in which schools are currently participating are also listed for each school. Included for…

There has been increasing concern about the accountability of federal programs in complying with laws and regulations and in achieving desired results. At the request of Congress, the Government Accounting Office examined how the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ensures Head Start accountability. Data were collected by means of…

This study used data from the 1996 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study to compare the demographic characteristics, income levels, educational costs, and financial need levels of Perkins loan and Stafford loan borrowers in academic year 1995-96. Major findings indicated the following: nearly 63 percent of undergraduate Perkins loan borrowers…