The focus article "Road Maps for Learning: A Guide to the Navigation of Learning Progressions" by Black, Wilson, and Yao (this issue) is a veritable tour-de-force, covering a great deal of education ground while spanning the heights from models of the interplay among curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment to interpretations of student…

The recent history of efforts in Virginia to implement preventive programs in the area of mental health (MH) and related fields is briefly recounted, and evidence of the effectiveness of prevention programs is briefly reported. For a number of years in Virginia policy makers and legislators have been provided a variety of recommendations regarding…

In recent years, Delaware has begun several welfare reform programs that have a direct impact on early childhood development. But even the best preschool and early education programs are not enough to ensure that at-risk kids will become educated and self-confident adults. The prevailing view that early childhood care and education begins at birth…

The article discusses the purposes of early screening for disabilities and examines some of the issues involved in implementing a successful program. Weaknesses in existing procedures are discussed and programs existing in the Canadian provinces are mentioned with brief reference to some existing practices in the lower mainland. (Author/CL)

The New York State Regents Competency Tests in Writing and Comprehensive Examination in English reflect the belief that the current emphasis on test results mandates that testmakers produce tests that actually test what they purport to test, reflect what educators agree should be taught, and have a beneficial influence on teaching. Prior to the…

A study examined local U.S. Employment Service (ES) office placement performance and the role of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in guiding and monitoring state and local ES program performance. Regression and other statistical methods were used to analyze state and local program performance based on the following: placement data for…

Several dimensions of state-sponsored, reduced-class-size programs are addressed. At present, 20 states are contemplating following the lead of Indiana's PRIME TIME and Tennessee's STAR programs. Yet the effectivenessness of reduced class size in elementary schools continues to be uncertain and controversial. No one knows whether reduced class…

Based on analysis of the current system and comparison with existing and possible alternatives, this report evaluates the effectiveness of the Indiana library cooperative network, a de facto network based on the activities of individual libraries, Area Library Services Authorities (ALSAs), the Indiana Cooperative Library Services Authority…

In this article, the author takes a critical look at current assessment practices in social studies education, especially those at the state level. He defines some key assessment terms, then considers the major issues of statewide assessment, focusing on the reliability and validity of the means by which government agencies across the United…

Quality education and rehabilitation programs for blind and visually impaired individuals are threatened by recent changes in federal and state education policy that favor noncategorical approaches in special education. Current special education policies are reviewed and suggestions are made for ways to avert domination by the interests of…

This booklet presents photographs and quotations illustrating the effective inclusion of children with disabilities in New Hampshire's public schools. The booklet was created to acknowledge and celebrate families, educators, and communities who have welcomed all students into neighborhood schools and classrooms; to energize dedicated people who…

This report evaluates the Urban University Program (UUP), designed to improve urban outreach activities at eight Ohio Universities: Cleveland State University, Kent State University, Ohio State University, University of Akron, University of Cincinnati, University of Toledo, Wright State University, and Youngstown State University. The UUP provides…

This KIDS COUNT pamphlet is part of a 3-year campaign to bring business and child care together to increase the quality and availability of child care for at-risk children in West Virginia. The pamphlet reports on the components of quality child care and on West Virginia's early childhood initiative, Educare. Emphasizing the positive effects of…

An overview and critique, with special reference to independent schools, of the minimum competency testing movement as a solution to the political and educational furor over declining student achievement. (SJL)

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in 1997 signaled a major increase in time, energy, creativity, and money devoted to enrolling eligible children in health insurance programs. Child advocates and others have focused on developing outreach and enrollment strategies to bring the benefits of these new SCHIP programs to children…