To date, most of the public narrative and pushback on new teacher evaluation systems has centered around their use for high-stakes personnel decisions such as pay, promotion, and dismissal, but these systems were always intended to promote and support improvements for all teachers--not just the superstars or laggards. Why is teacher development…

Mississippi continues to lead the nation in excessive infant deaths, as shown by the 1984 infant mortality rate of 14.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. This report offers recommendations for actions that should be taken by various entities to rectify the problem. Recommendations are made in the areas of (1) public awareness of teen pregnancy…

Child care has become a central issue to most Californians and is increasingly important to policymakers. The Little Hoover Commission examined child care in California, focusing on the long-standing competition between the quantity of services available and the quality of services provided. Information was obtained from an advisory committee of…

Based on data obtained from the state supervisors of foreign languages by the Joint National Committee for Languages, this brief report lists the threats that jeopardize the status of language programs in the United States. These include: budget constraints; the possibility of further minimizing the federal role in education; reversing the…

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,…

In recent years, the interest in how children spend their out-of-school time has resulted in program development projects at the local and state level and has influenced state and federal policymakers to propose legislation supportive of school-age child care programs. Gubernatorial and legislative efforts have succeeded in several states.…

Conference participants examined how other states are preparing their farmers and rural communities to survive in the present "new world order," and considered whether Arkansas, one of only three states without a central agricultural agency, has the tools to forge strategies for the 1990's. "The Role of State Government in…

This booklet lists and discusses different approaches that States can take in order to provide leadership in school desegregation. Emphasis is placed on the services provided by DSP that can help States assume a major responsibility for achieving school desegregation. Two services provided by DSP are described: a clearinghouse of information on…

America is still a land of opportunity for immigrants from all lands. This is especially true for Florida's Hispanic population. Led by its first Hispanic governor, Florida is setting the pace in helping minorities enter America's mainstream. (Author/BJV)

The National Task Force on Desegregation Strategies was established in 1977 to encourage State leadership to become involved in fostering integrated education. This report summarizes the findings and recommendations of the Task Force after three years of work. The Task Force identified three outstanding tasks that must be approached simultaneously…

A study was conducted to identify a range of strategies that New York State government could adopt to stimulate business and industry to provide supportive family benefits, services, and work policies. The investigation included a national survey of state and local government initiatives and a special analysis of policies appropriate for New York…

Significant progress has been made during the biennium 1926-1928 in the parent education movement, which is one of the developing phases of adult education. This progress is due principally to the efforts of parents and their groups and to many national, State, and local public and private agencies. In several States, scattered and isolated…

To address the health care needs of the millions of uninsured children of low-income families ineligible for Medicaid, many states have developed innovative public and private programs. Examines the privately funded Blue Cross/Blue Shield Caring Program and promising public programs in 11 states. (MDM)

This report focuses on the new intergovernmental relationships developing between cities, States and the Federal government as funds are "block granted." The first chapter discusses the historical background of federalism and the redistributive role of government, and puts the "new federalism" in perspective. The following…

State programs offer greatest promise for practical strategic actions to enhance the quality of the nation's adult work force. Three steps in the recursive process that create a model of state action are as follows: (1) documentation of the platform for action, which consists of current adult work force attributes and current institutional…