English language learners (ELLs) are a significant and growing subset of the school age population across the United States. The projected growth of ELL students is significant and poses unique challenges for school districts when assessing bilingual students for special education. The state of California has the most ELL students in the nation…

This document is part of a series of guides designed to help school district leaders address one of the toughest challenges in American education: dropout rates of 30 percent nationwide, 50 percent in many big cities, and 60 percent or more in the lowest-performing schools. This second guide in the series offers a detailed examination of the six…

This guide is designed to help districts and schools evaluate reform efforts related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), including School Improvement Grants. It includes practical, how-to tips for conducting program evaluations, whether one takes a "do-it-yourself" approach or seeks outside assistance to evaluate reform…

The purpose of this guide is to help chronically struggling schools restructure. "Restructuring" means major, rapid changes that affect how a school is led and how instruction is delivered. Restructuring is essential in achieving rapid improvements in student learning. The focus is on helping education leaders choose strategies that…

This article presents 11 concrete policy guidelines to help school districts avoid some of the most common problems associated with the implementation of minimal competency testing. (Author/SJL)

The guide discusses conducting a needs assessment of Title IV Indian Education Act projects. Materials to be used in a workshop presentation are provided, i.e., a chart depicting project design built on accurate needs; a list of eight steps on how to conduct a needs assessment; a list of seven steps to needs assessment (whom, what, how, etc.);…

This document describes a process through which Family Life/Human Sexuality (FL/HS) Education can be included in a comprehensive health education program for K-12 students. This guide is designed to assist local school districts in the development of a program to address family life and human sexuality through a series of program planning…

The program management guide to Title IV Indian Education projects acquaints participants with program management concepts relative to application forms and encourages the development of management plans and objectives. Sections provide discussions, charts, and examples for the following: regulatory authorities, administrative organizational…

As part of a project to develop a planning guide to assist local vocational education administrators in improving their planning efforts, a needs assessment questionnaire was developed to identify the degree of need for assistance in planning activities. Two hundred sixty-four Missouri local vocational administrators completed the pilot-tested…

Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 (ECIA) provides financial assistance to state (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) to meet special educational needs under the same formula that governed the allocation of Title I funds. The guidance in this document only pertains to the Chapter 1 program that provides…

Reducing school energy costs can increase the discretionary dollars available in the school budget. The first part of this guide introduces the key elements of an effective energy management program. Through an evaluation of nearly 150 California school district programs and a detailed review of 22 exemplary programs, the 12 following elements…

Intended as a sourcebook for administrators of rural Iowa schools, this report outlines the development and implementation of a school-to-work transition program for rural youth. Part 1 discusses the need and rationale for a program to facilitate the school-to-work transition. Included among the topics addressed in this discussion are an overview…

This guide outlines a plan of action for developing and administering vocational agricultural programs at the state level. Discussed in the individual sections of the guide are the following topics: the rationale for agricultural education programs in the classroom; guidelines for action (creating a coalition and task force, identifying needs and…

This guide is designed to assist administrators in planning and implementing strategies to eliminate sex bias, sex stereotyping, and sex discrimination in occupational education programs in New York State where such exist. Discussed first are the provisions of the Vocational Education Amendments of 1976 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of…

A product of the Project on Vocational Education Models for Linking Agencies Serving the Handicapped, this handbook is designed to assist state and local level personnel to develop effective linking strategies that will help meet the needs of handicapped students. It consists of 11 chapters. Following an introductory explanation of the purpose and…