Describes the local political action and advocacy efforts of members of the National Network for Early Language Learning in promoting foreign language education, focusing on the efforts of Alabama, Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, and Vermont. Also lists recipients of state exemplary political action and advocacy awards. (SM)

One-stop career centers conveniently locate employment and training services in one place. The example of bureaucratic confusion in Virginia shows the need for policy and a holistic global approach to such obstacles as lack of consensus on commingling and co-locating services and how and by whom centers are monitored. (SK)

Community schools arose in Texas in opposition to a post-Civil War centralized school system. Emphasis on parental control, minimal regulation, and funding similar to vouchers echo today's issues about school choice. Their history provides lessons for current school reform efforts. (SK)

Introduces the description of a performance-based pay plan developed and implemented in Brevard County, Florida, in response to recent Florida legislation. The voluntary plan includes options for teachers and an approval process that uses input from School Advisory Councils in each building. (SLD)

Describes the pay for performance program of the Brevard County, Florida, public schools, focusing on the issues involved in negotiating new pay plans, the development of Brevard county's compensation plan, and future directions for negotiating teacher compensation. The Brevard County plan contains options for teachers (professional development…

Argues for more responsible education accountability system. Builds on earlier work and presents alternative concepts that are more responsive to the purposes and functions of public schooling in a democratic society. Proposes ideas about good teaching and learning and the educational needs of students and their families, particularly in…

Texas began alternative teacher certification in 1985, attracting diverse populations into teaching. Although criterion-referenced tests demonstrate program success, there should be additional ways to determine whether individuals are qualified to practice the art of teaching. (SK)

This chapter describes how the implementation of the 1996 welfare reform and the 1998 Workforce Investment Acts affected community colleges' willingness and capacity to provide access to postsecondary education and training for Latinos and other low-income populations. (Contains 3 figures.)

Implementing generationally appropriate activities for persons with dementia is a challenging task. Horticulture therapy (HT) addresses this challenge through the use of plants to facilitate holistic outcomes. Utilizing the model of environmental press, the current study sought to analyse adult day service (ADS) participants' responses to HT as…

The Alaska Human Resources Investment Council developed a blueprint to guide a system that is needs-driven, accessible, interconnected, accountable, sustainable, and has collaborative governance. Vocational Technical Education Providers (VTEP) representing secondary education, technical schools, proprietary institutions, the University of Alaska,…

In 2003, the Mathematics and Science Unit of the South Carolina Department of Education developed the Mathematics and Science Coaching Initiative. The model--one coach, one school, one content area--requires participating schools to commit to a three-year partnership. The three-year commitment ensures sufficient time for coaching to become an…

This study examines the impact of state-level educational reform in Kentucky on college student retention. By tracking the educational progress of students who graduated from high school in a large school district and who subsequently enrolled in a research university in the same metropolitan area, the study reveals that the accountability…

Noting the separation of child-related policy makers from practitioners who know best what is good and appropriate for children, this anthology is designed as a guide for child-related policy development. The book's chapters are as follows: (1) "Early Childhood Policy" (Dolores A. Stegelin), providing an historical context and…

This book on the results of education for students with disabilities considers a number of issues, including what outcomes should be expected and how they should be measured and reported, school reform, the possible role of Goals 2000/Educate America Act, and alternative views on identifying outcomes and setting standards such as those of the…

This compendium is a companion document to the Maryland Sailor Online Public Information Network assessment final report, and contains detailed study findings, study data collection activity write-ups, detailed methodologies, data collection tools, and consultant notes on the uses of the study's data collection instruments. The purpose of the…