Ensuring that students graduate high school prepared for college and careers has become a national priority in the last decade. To support this goal, states have adopted rigorous college and career readiness (CCR) standards in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Additionally, states have begun to require students to pass assessments, in…

The federal government has had a long-standing commitment to ensuring access of English Learner (EL) students to a meaningful education. As early as 1968, the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act" ("ESEA") contained provisions for supporting the education of EL students and in its 1974 landmark decision, "Lau v.…

This report is designed to inform policymakers and educators about the current status of key education policies across the 50 states that define and shape elementary and secondary education in public schools. Time and attendance policies cover length of school year, date for start of school, length of school day, year-round school, kindergarten…

This report presents the results of a survey of 2,000 Minnesota adults' opinions about public education in 1985. Following a discussion of study background and a summary of findings, the report is divided into ten sections, each dealing with a different survey question. Each section presents the question, shows the distribution of responses,…

This report presents findings about teacher quality from two longitudinal studies, the National Longitudinal Study of "No Child Left Behind" (NLS-"NCLB"), and the Study of State Implementation of Accountability and Teacher Quality Under "No Child Left Behind" (SSI-"NCLB"). The research teams for these two…

Background checks involve gathering information from state and federal databases to determine if child care providers have a history of child abuse or other criminal convictions that would make them unacceptable for working with children. Background checks include state criminal history checks, state child abuse registry checks, and Federal Bureau…

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nationwide, nonprofit organization of the 57 public officials who head departments of public education in the United States, 5 U.S. extra-state jurisdiction, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Dependents Schools. States are currently at various stages in developing and…

This study is a replication of a 1983-84 study of state activity in the area of staff development. Survey questionnaires were mailed to the Chief Educational Officer in each of the 50 states; responses were received from all states. The study compares changes since the 1984 study and focuses on five basic objectives: (1) Which states through law…

A survey of state policies and practices regarding child care that was conducted prior to most states' implementation of the Family Support Act is reported. The report summarizes the findings of that survey and provides information from other recent studies. State child care roles and responsibilities are assessed in four main areas: (1) states as…