Pennsylvania's education reforms seek to accomplish many aims of outcome-based education--namely less reliance on time as the primary organizational component and greater focus on what students must know and be able to do to graduate from high school. The point is to raise academic achievement by establishing high standards. (Author)

Analysis of data for 3,266 individuals from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey found that residents of state institutions were more severely retarded and more often multiple disabled than were residents of other types of residential facilities. Relatively more persons with severe impairments resided in state facilities in states where…

Describes a study conducted by the Education Commission of the States to investigate effective school improvement strategies and the conditions under which these strategies work. Highlights include instructional school improvement programs; elements of successful schoolwide strategies; state and local contexts; and the relationship of this study…

Reviews the 1989 literature on preservation of library materials under the following headings: Journals; General Trends in the Field; State Activities; Planning; Grants and Funding; Environmental Problems; Disasters and Disaster Planning; Paper Quality and Deacidification; Preservation of Paper-Based Media; Brittle Books and Reformatting;…

Discusses resource sharing among libraries based on a study of data from the Illinois Library Computer Systems Organization (ILCSO). Highlights include differences in borrowing patterns based on the size of libraries, lending/borrowing ratios, and the volume of resource-sharing activity compared to other factors. (LRW)

Illustrates trends and issues associated with public policies promoting early childhood program accreditation. Describes differential rate policies in Florida, New Mexico, Kentucky, Mississippi, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Oklahoma; support provided for accreditation in Arizona, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Texas, and Wisconsin; and linking…

Summarizes information presented in the American Association on Mental Retardation's 1998 publication, "State of the States in Developmental Disabilities" (Braddock, Hemp, Parish, and Westrich), which reports data on the implementation of managed care for persons with developmental disabilities. A table summarizes information about…

Investigates types of vocational-rehabilitation services received and the employment outcomes of state vocational-rehabilitation consumers with serious mental illness. Five service patterns were revealed; a moderate relationship between these patterns and occupational outcome was found. Planned contrasts of wages by service pattern indicated that…

Describes the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Statewide Systemic Initiatives Program (SSIP) and its intent to improve math and science education at state levels. Discusses changes in the administration of the program, failures, and successes. (WRM)

Fossey's perspectives on legal issues faced by personnel in school districts are too generalized and fail to account for specific problems faced by individual districts and efforts made to cope with them. Illustrates the discussion with examples from the Miami-Dade County Public School System (Florida). (SLD)

Acknowledges the exemplary hiring practices of the Miami-Dade County (Florida) School District, but reiterates that throughout the United States, many professional educators are hired who lack the skills, compassion, and creativity to be in charge of children's education. (Author/SLD)

Surveyed 31 state preschool programs to determine whether entrusting Head Start to the states would be a sound policy decision. Findings suggest that state initiatives vary widely in design, implementation, and quality. Finds reasons for serious concern regarding devolution of Head Start from federal to state control. (SLD)

Explores alternatives for reporting state dropout data and high school completion rates based on Common Core of Data information. Analyses find that the major types of nonstandard dropout reporting practices have statistically significant, but different, effects on the size of state dropout rates. (Author/SLD)

A review of the current status of state prepaid tuition plans and savings trust plans suggests that there is an accelerating trend toward participation in such programs. Also notes competition among programs and some problems (such as a negative audit in Colorado). (DB)

Presents a set of snapshots of the work of the Staff Development Leadership Councils created by the National Staff Development Council in 1998, offering lessons for others who want to do similar work in their states and provinces. The examples come from Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Kansas, and Indiana. Information on contact people for each project…