An overview of cost analysis is provided as it relates to a particular educational reform--the use of performance or authentic assessment on a large scale as a means of transforming entire educational systems. The focus of the inquiry is the New Standards Project (NSP), a joint effort of the National Center on Education and the Economy and the…

The New Jersey Department of Education asked Research for Better Schools, Inc., to design and conduct a data-collection process that would generate information about the programs and practices in the school districts participating in the state's Operation School Renewal (OSR) in 1986-87. The primary purpose was to provide descriptive program data…

The state of Illinois recently has required state goals for learning to be identified and assessed in the following areas of learning: language arts, mathematics, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, fine arts, and physical development and health. The Illinois Goal Assessment Program (IGAP) is designed to assess the progress made…

The Iowa Educational Excellence Act and its amendments provide for four types of Phase III programs: performance-based pay, supplemental pay, a combination of both, or comprehensive school transformation. In 1993, the Des Moines Phase III program, which originated as a combination of performance-based pay and supplemental pay, changed to a…

This report examines how communities and groups can shape the content of health services to bring more comprehensive health services to poor children and families. The report is based on a study of 11 comprehensive primary care programs and systems some of which offer school-based services: 4 freestanding community-based programs, 4 local systems…

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984 included a component focusing on programs for displaced homemakers and single parents. This part of the legislation was precipitated by the following statistics: almost half of all families maintained by single women had incomes below the poverty line; the number of displaced homemakers and…

This updated report provides illustrative examples of more than 100 projects and activities of California State University (CSU) which address CSU involvement with California public schools. Focus is on activities in four areas: (1) meeting the needs of diverse student populations; (2) strengthening K-12 curriculum and instruction; (3) recruiting,…

This policy brief synthesizes the proceedings of a symposium on children and family services, focusing on elements of successful collaboration among human services agencies. In the first section of the brief, the meaning of collaboration in the family services context is clarified, and ways in which the current focus on collaboration differs from…

With the passage of welfare reform, the consolidation of child care programs, the attainment of more state options under Medicaid, and the enactment of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, states are now able to significantly change fundamental health and social policies related to children. This project of the Southern Institute on…

The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze Oregon's efforts to provide equal access to education, training, and information services to its citizens using advanced communication technologies through ED-NET, an innovative state agency for distance learning. It is noted that creation of ED-NET in 1989 required the coordination of multiple…

This publication presents the findings of a California State Legislature task force on the changing needs of that state's families. An introduction summarizes the report's findings and lists five principles to guide the development of public policy. The next section, "Work and Family: The Contemporary Balancing Act," explores…

This annual report on vocational-technical education in Idaho is organized around five goals for the system that are part of a 5-year strategic plan. The report highlights exemplary programs, support groups, and student organizations that provide high quality educational experiences to the students they serve. The following goal-directed…

Reports on the student assessment systems of states participating in the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory are presented. These reports were developed from the database of the Council of Chief State School Officers and the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Detailed information about each state's student assessment program…

The two guides combined here profile the services available through the Michigan Lifelong Learning Link, a program developed to provide continuous adult professional development activities designed to enhance educator effectiveness. The "Perspectives" guide describes the activities funded by small incentive, consultant, and…

This report describes, in text and 20 tables of data, the status of student financial assistance programs in New York State in 1989-90. The report contains a complete accounting of all aid available to students enrolled in public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit postsecondary institutions in the State. The report also contains analyses…