Civic education is once again at the center of education policy debates. Over the past five years, policy reform has been enacted in 46 states and, with some exceptions, has consisted of states embracing two initiatives: the College, Career, and Civic Life Framework for Social Studies (C3) and the Civic Education Initiative (CEI). Both initiatives…

While about three-fourths of all public school districts offer dual credit opportunities in Career Technical Education (CTE) courses, many programs face gaps in alignment between secondary and postsecondary CTE programs that lead to quality and equity inconsistencies in early postsecondary opportunities (EPSOs) across career pathways, ultimately…

This analysis from NASBE details how the Utah State Board of Education helped school districts across the state ensure that teachers and leaders have the capacity and skills to deliver digital learning in the classroom. The piece also identifies important lessons for other states looking to implement a statewide program to promote digital learning.

In "Redefining the School District in America," Nelson Smith reexamines existing recovery school districts (RSDs)--entities in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Michigan charged with running and turning around their state's worst schools--and assembles the most comprehensive catalog of similar initiatives underway and under consideration…

Amid the cacophony of special interests fighting to be heard in statehouses and on Capitol Hill, a cadre of current and former chief state school officers is elbowing its way into the nation's education debate at a time when states are taking more control of K-12 education. A little more than a year old, Chiefs for Change is an invitation-only…

As a result of an evaluation of Title IV programs commissioned by the Utah State Office of Education, this manual addresses the needs of government agencies in providing technical assistance, such as proposal and report preparation or budget management, to local education agencies. Emphasis falls on the funding of technical assistance services,…

The document deals with two major issues relating to the individualized education program (IEP) process in Utah--compliance with P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) by local districts and the state's role in monitoring such compliance; and the development, implementation, and review of IEPs and the state's position with…

For five years running, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has tracked states' teacher policies, preparing a detailed and thorough compendium of teacher policy in the United States on topics related to teacher preparation, licensure, evaluation, career advancement, tenure, compensation, pensions and dismissal. The "2011 State…

The Guidelines for Educational Program Auditors in Utah were prepared to help educational program auditors (EPAs) deliver high quality services with a minimum of effort; they were intended to serve as a text for EPA training sessions, as a handbook and policy guide for EPAs and their assistants, and as a standard for judging the quality of EPA…

Despite their eroding fiscal positions, state governments are responsible for establishing budget policy for both public elementary/secondary and higher education. As a Utah case study shows, the current political structure creates pressures for both competition and cooperation in optimizing scarce resources. This study advocates limited…

The activities and results of a comprehensive three-year evaluation of Utah's Title IV-C programs are summarized. They demonstrated that evaluation can produce valuable outcomes in addition to complying with federal requirements. State officials gained insights into program improvement; local officials gained expertise in program operation and…

This report suggests that state boards of education are best able to make budgetary cuts after consulting professional staff, identifying basic educational objectives and goals, and determining which programs contribute most to the largest number of students. A board's decisions are facilitated by such legislation as Utah's Special Purpose…

Concerned with the impact of Title I, as national education policy on four mountain west states (Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana), this study concludes that Title I has not been internalized, integrated, or institutionalized in this region of the country or in any of the four individual states. The rejection of Title I policy rests on two basic…

Describes a tri-district program (in Utah's Granite, Jordan, and Murray school districts) to expand the health career program, which involved 62 field trips scouring the area's hospitals and health care centers, and student work experience opportunities, to expose students from 13 high schools to occupations beyond the traditional doctor and…

This booklet describes the results of "Project Education Reform," a partnership involving the U.S. Department of Education, 8 state governors, and 16 school districts--2 in each participating state--representing a cross-section of the nation. It was generally agreed that a good basis for needed educational changes were the 13…