Educational reform in the United States is perpetually evolving. Much of the recent reforms have concentrated on high-stakes testing and assessment, but a parallel effort has been emerging in the field of vocational and career education. Prompted partly by federal legislation--most recently by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act…

To address key policy and programmatic questions and help improve student and system performance, states must work to link data across the early childhood, postsecondary and workforce (P-20/workforce) spectrum and share this information with appropriate stakeholders. This issue brief highlights current efforts in California, Florida, Indiana, and…

In 1997, New York State passed legislation implementing Universal Prekindergarten (UPK), a new educational program with the goal of providing a voluntary, high-quality preschool experience to all 4-year-olds and improving school readiness. One of the program requirements is that school districts contract out at least 10 percent of UPK funds to…

The mission of New York's Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) is to provide educational, vocational, and counseling services to people whose disabilities impose barriers to employment; to increase the access of all people with disabilities to the full range of services offered within the State…

This paper describes the implementation of an innovative integrated approach to the delivery of services for disadvantaged youth in Massachusetts, and examines the fiscal, political, and organizational factors that led to its subsequent demise. Massachusetts was one of the first states to envision and implement a statewide system of coordinated…

This user's guide, the second of four training modules for similar benefits usage, is the result of a project of the University of Michigan Rehabilitation Research Institute in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) model program evaluation unit to examine the issue of similar benefits in the state-federal…

This final progress report examines implementation of Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by the various states. Part H coordinators in the 50 states and the District of Columbia and chairpersons of the State Interagency Coordinating Councils were asked to complete the five point Likert "State Progress Scale"…

Findings of a descriptive study of Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA) state and local programs are summarized in this paper. The formula grant program, which began in fiscal year 1987, is the single largest drug prevention program funded by the federal government. This paper describes the early planning and implementation of DFSCA…

Fifty states and five territories were surveyed to determine implementation of the federal Program for Infants and Toddlers with Handicaps, established through Public Law 99-457. Questions focused on the states' interagency coordinating councils, definitions of developmental delay, and activities related to the required minimal components of…

Michigan's state plan for developmental disabilities (DD) for October 1, 1994 to September 30, 1997 is presented. This plan includes descriptions of programs and services, eligibility criteria, information on the extent of services, and a statement on the effectiveness of the programs/services. Information on services is provided for the following…

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…

In-depth case studies were conducted in six states, concerning interagency service coordination in implementing Part H of Public Law 99-457, which calls for a comprehensive and coordinated system of service delivery to developmentally delayed infants and toddlers and their families. Major findings included: (1) states were unable to answer…

This annual report describes the activities and accomplishments of the Colorado Part C statewide system of early intervention for fiscal year 1999-2000. It begins by discussing the agencies involved in the provision of services and other supports in early intervention. The innovative service delivery models that are used and the program's sources…

Following a 5-year planning and development cycle, Illinois has completed its first year of full implementation of a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated system of early intervention services for eligible infants and toddlers and their families under provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Among accomplishments noted…

This report was prepared as part of a 5-year study of the states' implementation of federal legislation regarding infants and toddlers (the Education of the Handicapped Act, Amendments 1986). In spring of 1988, a survey was made of key state personnel to assess current implementation status along a number of critical dimensions: definition and…