In 1996 the Council of Chief State School Officers proposed and adopted via the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC), six overarching leadership standards for both building and district level administrators, which were then revised in 2008 (CCSSO, 2008). These standards have influenced the licensing and certification process in a…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) builds upon recent state efforts to reinvigorate the commitment of education to prepare students, not just for college and career, but also for citizenship and full participation in democratic life. This report outlines how ESSA strengthens opportunities for states to expand and support civic learning and…

The "Washington English Language Proficiency Assessment" (WELPA) is a No Child Left Behind (NCLB)-compliant instrument that is used in Grades K-12 as a formal and standardized method of measuring language proficiency. The test results provide important information for classifying English Language Learners (ELLs) and subsequently for…

This paper provides information about New Mexico High School Competency Examination (NMHSCE), a minimum competency test. Its purpose is to meet a state mandate. It will be replaced by the Grade 11 Standards Based Assessment/High School Graduation Assessment (SBA/HSGA) in spring 2011 as the state's high school exit exam. The NMHSCE was administered…

Increasingly frequent journalistic accounts report that schools are responding to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) by engaging in what has come to be known as "educational triage." Although these accounts rely almost entirely on anecdotal evidence, the prospect is of real concern. The NCLB accountability system divides schools into those in…

To be an effective leader in today's community college requires a sophisticated set of skills that are often learned through on the job training, mentoring, and professional development activities. Using case study methodology, this study examined how community college leaders in California use their skills to implement a state mandate related to…

This article presents the results of a study that examined what states expect individuals to know about school law to become licensed to teach. A web-based survey was used to determine the extent to which state certification bureaus use their primary policy levers (licensing standards, transcript review, and mandated assessments) to ensure teacher…

A critical assessment of extension education is needed to ensure there are adequate opportunities for students to study extension education and that the curriculum is relevant to today's Cooperative Extension Service. This descriptive study was conducted to assess extension education curriculum by identifying and comparing the courses being taught…

The article reviews minimum competency requirements for handicapped students in the 39 states which have set minimum standards indicating a range from total exclusion of handicapped students from the testing program to required participation with no modifications. It is suggested that separate minimum standards be defined for special education…

This study compared elementary and special education teachers' knowledge of when K-3 students develop key reading competencies, their knowledge of who is responsible for teaching K-3 students key reading competencies, and teachers' perceptions of their own instructionally relevant competencies to those standards articulated within their state's…

The current literature indicates a need for quality studies on how best to close the achievement gap between elementary English language learners (ELLs) and their English speaking peers. The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods research study was to determine the relationship between standards-based differentiated instructional…

This report offers advice on the issues to be considered and the steps to be taken when implementing a high school graduation test. The research was conducted, specifically, to address problems with Mississippi's high school exit test. An external panel, developed by Southeastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE), reviewed data obtained…

Developed as part of the Arkansas Minimum Performance Testing Program (MPT), these item specifications relate to the third grade reading minimum performance test. There is one item specification for each instructional objective included in the MPT. Item specifications are intended to provide an overview of the general content and format of test…

This document was developed to provide action steps that can be taken by teachers, parents, administrators, and students themselves to develop the personal, cognitive, and social dimensions of students. These advocates are identified in "The Holistic Learner Framework: A Culturally Responsive Approach to Accelerating the Achievement of Low…

A survey of 46 states found that about half the states are using or studying special education teacher competency tests. The paper analyzes survey results by specific content areas being tested, including basic knowledge, identification and characteristics of special needs students, processing skills, assessment, learning theory, teaching…