Teachers' reactions to the administration and scoring of the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program tests (MSPAP) were studied, focusing on their direct and indirect exposure to tasks and evaluative criteria through the experience of scoring the MSPAP. Since its inception in 1991, the MSPAP has been scored in-state by certified teachers…

This collection of papers presented at a 1996 conference on children's mental health focuses on program evaluation efforts within states and systems of care. Individual papers have the following titles and authors: (1) "An Overview of State Public Mental Health Programs for Children with a Serious Emotional Disturbance" (Pamela C. Roddy); (2) "A…

For assessments that present problems that require extended responses and substantial amounts of time, there is often a desire to allow students to choose which problem they will respond to among two or more options. Student choice of problem may allow students a better opportunity to demonstrate what they know and are able to do. On the other…

This report describes training programs for paraprofessionals to accommodate the rapid growth of special education services in rural Kansas. Developed and implemented by state and local education agencies, the programs are based on the performance competencies established for paraprofessionals, and certification is enforced through the State…

A task force on private-public sector education in Virginia concluded that transfer and award of credit between public and private sector education providers should be facilitated. Based on the task force recommendations, the Virginia Council on Vocational Education made three recommendations to the State Board for Community Colleges and…

Based on interviews with state personnel and a review of state documents, this report summarizes activities by the states in assessment of educational outcomes for students with disabilities. The report is divided into six sections addressing: (1) state contexts; (2) special education federally reported data; (3) state assessment of outcomes; (4)…

This report highlights the initiatives, activities, and accomplishments of the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (NOICC)/State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (SOICC) Network during program year 1990--July 1, 1990-June 30, 1991. It begins with a description of NOICC and the NOICC/SOICC Network and the…

The community college's role in economic development has expanded beyond providing traditional vocational education and job training to include activities as diverse as management and technical assistance for new and small businesses, tech prep programs with high schools, cooperative education programs, partnerships with state agencies, and…

Information on alternative education and programs for potential dropouts and dropouts in Iowa is compiled in this directory. Data were obtained from reports submitted to the Iowa Association of Alternative Education (IAAE) and from out-of-state sources. Following the introduction and information on the IAAE, 15 sections present information on the…

This brief paper summarizes survey materials gathered by the Multi-Agency Collaborative Initiative on Inclusive School Reform. The agencies involved are the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, the Council for Exceptional Children, the National Education Association, and the American Federation of Teachers and other…

A survey was conducted of Minnesota families of students with disabilities (n=60) and without disabilities (n=60), and responses were compared to identify practices related to public school choice. Results indicated that the media were the primary source of information for families of general education students, while principals and teachers were…

This study compared students with learning disabilities who participated in open enrollment in Minnesota with their nondisabled peers, in terms of reasons for transfer, source of information about open enrollment, parent involvement with the school, and demographics. The study involved a survey of 59 families of students with learning disabilities…

New technology can help schools and communities create high-performance learning environments where all students reach high standards. To be effective, technology must be used as an integral part of the school's learning environment, rather than as an isolated laboratory practice or for mindless drill. Six examples are given of the effective use…

In the initial article by Edward Roeber, performance assessment is defined as an exercise in which the student demonstrates specific skills and competencies rather than selecting one of several predetermined answers to an exercise. Such as assessment contains four components: (1) a reason for the assessment; (2) a particular peformance to be…

This 10-chapter book covers the history of unemployment insurance (UI) in the United States from its beginning in the 1930's to the present and describes how the program evolved in response to various economic and other factors and to the controversies that emerged in the process. Chapter 1 provides background on trends in the extent, duration,…