This report outlines the major themes of the 2000 annual conference of the Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), which focused on educational accountability in the 21st century. The conference opened with a panel presentation on the Texas accountability system. This session included a presentation by one of…

This paper describes the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate a project designed to define a state system of care for meeting the needs of people with concurrent disorders of mental illness and substance abuse. The evaluation was intended to develop a feedback system to provide program implementers with information about…

This higher education plan for Texas outlines the goals of closing the gaps in higher education participation and success, in educational excellence, and in funded research over the next 15 years. It outlines the four challenges that are the most critical to overcome for the future well-being of Texas. These challenges are presented as goals. The…

This paper reports on an evaluation of Florida's McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities, which makes a school voucher available to any special education student. The program currently serves 9,202 students out of 375,000 eligible special education students. Based on two telephone surveys (one of parents currently using a McKay…

As states confront budget shortfalls, investment in mental health services faces the chopping block. Almost every state has instituted cost containment strategies in its Medicaid programs and state policymakers have begun to cut services for people with mental health treatment needs. The first part of this report presents research on state cuts to…

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was designed in 1997 to support working families by providing affordable, quality health coverage for their children in an efficient, effective, and coordinated way. This report examines the progress made in implementing CHIP nationwide. Information sources included the following: (1) federal…

This publication presents the views expressed by the major speakers at "More Promises to Keep: Sustaining Arizona's Capacity for Welfare and Health Reform," concluding a 3-year study of welfare and health reform in the state. The publication also summarizes the discussions of three special interest sessions. The speakers' op-ed-style…

As part of a review of functions and administrative processes, the Illinois Board of Higher Education commissioned a comprehensive evaluation of higher education grant programs. The evaluation focused on the goals defined in the policy document, "The Illinois Commitment," and the extent to which the grant programs are contributing to the…

In Fall 1998, the Maryland State Department of Education and six local school systems started a pilot program to evaluate the impact of serving breakfast to students in the classroom as part of the school day. Students in participating schools have an opportunity to eat breakfast in their classroom each day at no charge, regardless of family…

The article is a resolution which stresses the needs for an evaluation of the California social studies program. It proposes that the California State Board of Education direct the legislature to develop an evaluation instrument with which to measure social studies learning at the seventh grade level. (RM)

The author states his position on each. (Editor)

Discusses the nature and underlying assumptions of the Michigan Assessment Program, outlines the program's long-range planning, and describes the 1969-70 assessment of basic skills. (MK)

The evaluation plan described in this article provides a means of obtaining information which can be used as the basis for statewide improvement of secondary occupational home economics education programs. The procedures used in the plan's formulation and implementation in Wisconsin should also be appropriate for use in other states. (Author/CT)

The new quality assurance system for nursing homes implemented by the New York State Department of Health in 1981 was compared to the previous system. The new system devoted more resources to on-site activities and identified more patient-care deficiencies and more repeat deficiencies. (SLD)

This article examines the definition of preschool gifted education in Louisiana, describes a publicly funded preschool gifted program, and discusses issues pertaining to a parent evaluation of the program. The evaluation covered: certification and teacher effectiveness, instruction, inservice education, special education paperwork and program…