In this increasingly interconnected world, the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with each other defines success in relationships, in the workforce and in one's personal pursuits. (AFMLTA More Leaps, 2012). There is an impetus in education, therefore, to improve the quality of language teaching and learning programs in schools and to…

Current staff and program development guidelines and forms for the State of Florida are provided. The institutional activities supported through the staff and program development appropriation for 1971-72 for community colleges are reported in tabular form. The name and object of each activity are given, followed by the functional area primarily…

This case study shows how testing in Mississippi is used as an effective part of a statewide accountability and instructional improvement program. By using criterion-referenced testing as one aspect of a program evaluation requirement, Mississippi is basing instructional improvement on student performance. (Author)

Describes recent state initiatives to improve child care for Mississippi children. Efforts include development of a child care director's credential, on-site training through staff at mobile training vans, initiatives to heighten consumer awareness and help parents make informed choices, voter education projects, and free yearly conferences for…

Virginia Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 53 directed the State Crime Commission to study law enforcement training, including current standards and technology, the need for improved delivery of training, and the costs of implementing new standards and erecting appropriate facilities. During the course of the study, commission staff conducted five…

The influence of the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) on language education is considered in this study. Special emphasis is given to continuing issues and questions, research in language and language education, fellowships, NDEA language and area centers, institutes and teacher education. There is a chapter on state services, equipment, and…

The central purpose of this study was to identify the role of state field supervision of vocational education in Ohio in relation to change as perceived by supervisors and their reference groups. The primary task was accomplished in part by testing the following hypotheses: (1) The supervisors' reference groups differ in their perception of the…

After studying the testing and remedial programs used in Florida's public schools, the Task Force on Educational Assessment Programs presented its findings and recommendations. Findings are reported regarding: the schedule for implementing the testing program (which requires that students pass the Functional Literacy Test before they may graduate…

A number of activities are progressing in the Improving Teacher Quality (ITQ) program, the federally funded program that the Commission administers to provide professional development to California educators. This program is part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), and continues the work that began as the Eisenhower Teacher…

This document brings together a series of short papers that examine 20 educational issues affecting all 50 states in the U.S. The following issues are addressed: (1) accountability, with an emphasis on performance-based accountability systems and state-performance indicators; (2) alternative schools for disruptive students; (3)assessment,…

This study provides a description of a program initiated in 1980 by the Maryland State Education Agency (SEA). The School Improvement through Instructional Process (SITIP) program presents data for a study involving educators in 19 of 24 local education agencies. The SITIP design includes nine areas of activity: (1) SEA preparation; (2) building…

A case study approach was used to evaluate the statewide reading improvement project in Louisiana called Special Plan Upgrading Reading (SPUR). SPUR emphasized a change agent approach by providing Technical Assistants and small stipends (approximately $5,000) to participating school districts. During the first two years of the evaluation,…

The purpose of this bulletin is to present information relating to State programs for the improvement of rural school instruction in four States. The educational background conditioning the development of the plans and points of view held by the State education officials responsible for such development in the respective States have differed…

A collaborative approach to solving school problems in Maryland emphasizes planned change through organization development processes. Organization development, a process of planned improvement in overall functioning, strives for sustained capacity in problem-solving by communication, goal-setting, conflict resolution, and commitment. The…