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…

This report focuses on six areas in which policymakers can take action to enhance outcomes for students along the educational pipeline and thus increase the supply of knowledge workers. These areas include: (1) Promoting access to education and training and improving the alignment of adult and workforce education systems and postsecondary…

During the last 50 years, American higher education has steadily grown in scale, wealth, and, stature. Despite its current status as the world's education superpower, however, it has begun to encounter public disapproval and consumer resistance. Colleges and universities have been able to ignore productivity concerns because a college education…

This report summarizes evaluation information on reading, writing, and mathematics achievement among elementary and secondary school students in 310 school districts in Massachusetts, after the second year of implementation of the Basic Skills Improvement Policy. The report describes data collection, analysis, and reporting procedures, summarizes…

South Carolina's School Incentive Reward Program Program (SIRP) based on year-to-year gains in reading and mathematics achievement, which seemed to have face validity, was evaluated, particularly its use of the relative gains of students in only the highest grade in the school as the basis for the awards. When this requirement was relaxed so that…

This publication describes basic skills improvement programs and activities ongoing throughout the United States. The guide is organized into two sections. The first section contains program descriptions and hands-on materials from 25 elementary and secondary programs across the nation that have been selected for inclusion in the National…

In order to meet the need for more educated workers in the state, the Governor's Commission on Higher Education and the Economy (CHEE) has set an ambitious goal of increasing college and university enrollment in Ohio by 30 percent or 180,000 students over the next decade (CHEE, 2004). This goal can arguably only be met if the state takes measures…

Fifteen papers commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education's School Finance Project are contained in this volume. The papers examine the changing dimensions of the federal-state partnership in education. The volume is organized into four sections. The first section is devoted to state educational policy concerns, including various state…

California's Employment Training Panel Program (ETP), the largest state-funded customized training program for incumbent workers in the nation, has had a positive impact on the economy of California, and its success has policy implications for other state programs. The impact of ETP on trainees includes the following: they are more attached to the…

This publication presents information on 53 basic skills programs in Wisconsin that were identified as successful by the planning committee for the Governor's Conference on Basic Skills. Programs focus on mathematics, reading, writing, computer-assisted instruction, basic skills approaches, learning centers, career education, adult literacy,…

The Whole-Faculty Study Group (WFSG) System is a student-centered, teacher-driven process for facilitating major staff development and schoolwide change. When applied properly, it has produced extraordinary results for thousands of educators and students in schools and school districts across the country. The Whole-Faculty Study Groups Fieldbook…

This guide presents some of the best thinking about the difficult and puzzling work of improving student achievement. Taken as whole, it gives a complete picture of what it will take to close the achievement gap. It contains background, findings, and key policy recommendations from a 22-month study conducted by the Washington State School…

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…

Researchers conducted case studies of Ninth Grade Success Initiative (NGSI) grants to gain a greater understanding of issues facing large numbers of at-risk students, many of whom, despite potentially receiving services as early as kindergarten, still reach ninth grade unprepared to succeed academically in high school. Case studies focused on NGSI…

The initiation of the educational records and reports study by the Office of Education in 1951 marked a turning point in the Federal State teamwork approach toward providing a basis for complete, accurate, and comparable educational information. In cooperation with State education agencies and professional groups, three major handbooks of standard…