New York State Tech-Prep is a joint-secondary-higher-education program with the objective of providing students with rigorous technical and academic skills. Currently 30 Tech-Prep consortia operate across the state. In 1996, the state commissioned an evaluation of its Tech-Prep programs. This report summarizes information from the first study that…

This report describes the activities of the Manitoba Universities Grants Commission, which was established in 1967 to advise the provincial minister of education on the amount of financial assistance which should be provided to Manitoba universities by the government. The commission is also responsible for allocating these funds to the…

This paper discusses the nature and availability of early childhood care and education in Illinois and advances recommendations to improve the current system. It argues that current multiple federal, state, and local funding streams, with different eligibility requirements and administrations, divide families and programs into artificial and…

A study assessed whether the Department of Labor's (DOL's) information on states' Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) spending was a true reflection of states' available funds. The most recent available spending data from DOL and the 50 states were analyzed. Interviews were conducted with state workforce officials in nine states, local…

This booklet for Minnesota young people with disabilities and their families is intended to explain vocational rehabilitation services required under the Rehabilitation Act as amended in 1992 and transition services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The first section discusses vocational rehabilitation, transition services for…

All principal preparation and professional development programs operate within a local, state, and national policy and financing context that influences their structure, shapes their priorities, and, in some cases, dictates their existence. Financing and policy directly affect how much professional development for principals takes place, what…

In 1988, Congress passed the "Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act" (P.L. 100-407) ("Tech Act") to assist states with identifying and responding to the assistive technology (AT) needs of individuals with disabilities. Grants awarded under the "Tech Act" were used by states to create…

ACCESS PENNSYLVANIA is a statewide database that combines resources of over 500 academic, public, special, and school libraries in Pennsylvania. This article discusses the program's background and stresses the commitment its members must make to serve the state's population through resource sharing. It focuses in particular on the incentive the…

The Freedom to Learn (FTL) program is a statewide initiative coordinated by the Michigan Department of Education and Ferris State University in Big Rapids. Now beginning its third year, the program targets underperforming middle schools in 100 of the state's 500 districts. More than 23,000 students and 1,500 teachers have been issued HP nx9010…

To complement the information gathered on middle school and high school literacy initiatives as reported in "Middle and High School Literacy across the Curriculum" (Task 1.2 Fast Response Project), the Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast (REL-SE) staff conducted a scan of the six southeast states to gather the following information…

This booklet for Minnesota young people with disabilities and their families is intended to explain vocational rehabilitation services required under the Rehabilitation Act as amended in 1992. The first section considers eligibility for vocational rehabilitation, the role of state agencies, the application process, and assessment. The next section…

This report summarizes the 1990-91 State Performance Reports for the Chapter 1 (Education Consolidation and Improvement Act) local education agency (LEA) program and the Chapter 1 State Agency Neglected or Delinquent program. Chapter 1 represents the largest investment in elementary and secondary education of the Federal government. With the…

This paper presents a set of general observations about state-sponsored school improvement initiatives with data from several sources. One major source is the Research for Better Schools, Inc., Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), implementation study, "Facing the Challenge: Selected Programs and Practices of the Urban Initiative's Operation School…

Reports on a forum sponsored by the California State Department of Education in cooperation with the California School Boards Association and the Far West Laboratory for Education Research and Development, which was held to identify the most critical needs for educational technology in the state and to discuss possible strategies for meeting these…

This book provides a group of articles concerning the equity and efficiency of prepaid college tuition plans. Chapters: (1) introduce the subject; (2) examine the competing financial theories at play in this field; (3) present a study of the Michigan Education Trust's decision to expand its subscriber base by offering a monthly payment option; (4)…