Describes various projects that are part of a movement to return geography to a central place in the curriculum of America's schools. Focuses on the Geographic Education National Implementation Program (GENIP), sponsored by the National Geographic Society and other geography interest groups. (IW)

This article discusses implementation of the California Department of Education's accountability program, its structure and function, selection of performance indicators, and recognition of schools. A survey of school officials found strong support for the concept of accountability, but weak agreement on the specifics to implement it. (Author/JAZ)

Brief essays examine such issues as adolescent development, infant care crisis, after-school programs, workfare benefits, dyslexic diagnosis, teenage mothers and employment, and family day-care training. (HOD)

Compares eight states on their inservice teacher training programs, changes in the science curricula (including instruction requirements, skill lists, and/or syllabi development), curriculum evaluation, budget-program/personnel commitments, and resources for assistance. These states include Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon,…

Examines schoolwide improvement programs initiated by four states. Describes successful endeavors of California, Ohio, and Colorado schools to improve curricula and student achievement and the Connecticut schools' strategy to improve principal-teacher communication. Attributes the success of these reform programs to solid leadership skills,…

The success of the South Carolina Assessment Center Project, the first statewide center, is credited to five basic principles that have guided efforts thus far: (1) establish credibility; (2) pay attention to details; (3) apply safeguards; (4) maintain public support; and (5) make the assessment experience humane. (TE)

Discusses recommendations made by the Massachusetts Advisory Council of Vocational-Technical Education to improve the quality of secondary vocational curriculum. The author examines how and why the recommendations were created, how a hugh agenda was whittled down in scope, and how the council decided to favor the development of "cluster…

This report presents South Dakota Arts Council Long Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2006-2008 in terms of how it intends to achieve six goals. These goals are: (1) Enhance quality of life and economic development through the arts; (2) Promote public awareness and support of the arts; (3) Advance the arts as essential to education and life-long…

Ninety-six high school students from school districts across Minnesota who received special education services for learning disabilities or mild cognitive impairments agreed to participate in an interview on their participation and accommodation use on Minnesota's Basic Standards tests, minimum competency tests in Mathematics, Reading, and Writing…

This monograph in the Urban Diversity Series examines historical and current policy in the teaching of language minority students in New York and California. It explores the key issues in the public's understanding of bilingual education and defines bilingual education in terms of local educational legislation and implementations. Part I,…

Connecticut's Jobs First program was subjected to a rigorous, large-scale evaluation. During the evaluation, nearly 5,000 single-parent welfare applicants and recipients in 2 cities were randomly assigned to Jobs First or to the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) group. Each group's progress was compared over a 4-year period. The…

This is the 21st year of statewide student testing under the Arizona Student Achievement Program, which mandates the use of a nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement test in reading, mathematics, and language in the state's schools. In the 2000-2001 school year, students in grades 1 through 9 were tested using the Stanford Achievement…

The Instructional Support Team (IST) process is mandated in all Pennsylvania schools that include any grade from kindergarten through 6. Middle schools that house grade six or below are required to enroll in IST training and ultimately achieve IST validation. In addition to the IST requirement, all secondary schools are required to have a Student…

This report provides recommendations of an Idaho task force concerning identification of primary age gifted and talented (G/T) students and the improvement of services to this population. Each of the five sections presents the task force recommendations followed by research evidence supporting the recommendations. The five sections address: (1)…

The results from the third administration of the 8th and 11th grade science and social studies portions of the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) represent an important step in Delawares efforts to educate all students to a higher level. Science and social studies data for grades 8 and 11 are summarized here, and the results for grades 4 and…