This Postsecondary Education Descriptive Analysis Report uses data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Studies (NPSAS:96, NPSAS:2000 and NPSAS:04) to examine trends in Stafford loan borrowing among undergraduates. NPSAS consists of nationally representative survey data that focus on student financial aid and the enrollment and background…

The momentum behind building high-quality data systems to harvest better information about student, school and district performance has never been stronger. To meet the goal of improving student achievement, policymakers and educators need longitudinal data systems capable of providing timely, valid and relevant data. Although…

This study investigated the role of the amount, content, and implementation of reading instruction provided by 17 kindergarten teachers in eight "Reading First" elementary schools as it related to students' progress (n = 286 students) on early reading assessments of phonological awareness and letter naming-decoding fluency. Children's…

This article reports on a faculty development model that uses a variety of approaches and strategies to help faculty restructure their curricula and effectively model technology integration for their students. A multifaceted model, funded in part by the "Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology" (PT3) initiative, was implemented…

A fundamental concern with competitive health insurance markets is that they will not supply efficient levels of coverage for treatment of costly, chronic, and predictable illnesses, such as mental illness. Since the inception of employer-based health insurance, coverage for mental health services has been offered on a more limited basis than…

The Monitoring the Future (MTF) study is an ongoing series of national surveys of American adolescents and adults that has provided the nation with a vital window into the important, but largely hidden, problem behaviors of illegal drug use, alcohol use, tobacco use, anabolic steroid use, and psychotherapeutic drug use. For more than a third of…

This paper provides information about Louisiana's Graduation Exit Examination, a comprehensive standards-based exam. The purpose of the exam is to: (1) Provide schools with student academic diagnostic information; (2) Determine prospective high school graduates' mastery of the state curriculum; (3) Encourage districts and schools to identify and…

This paper provides information about Idaho Standards Achievement Test, a comprehensive standards-based test. The purpose of the test is to: (1) Determine prospective high school graduates' mastery of the state curriculum, grade 10; (2) Encourage districts and schools to identify and serve students at risk of academic failure; (3) Provide data to…

This paper provides information about Indiana's Graduation Qualifying Examination, a comprehensive standards-based exam. The purpose of the exam is to: (1) Determine prospective high school graduates' knowledge and skill levels relative to those needed for entry-level employment; (2) Determine prospective high school graduates' mastery of the…

This paper provides information about Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOL) End-of-Course Exams. The purpose of the end-of-course assessments is to measure the achievement of students on the Standards of Learning adopted by the Virginia Board of Education for specific high school courses, and to ensure that students graduating from Virginia…

This paper provides information about Oklahoma's End-of-Instruction Exams. The purpose of the exam is to: (1) Determine prospective high school graduates' knowledge and skill levels relative to those needed for entry-level employment aligned to the American Diploma Project (ADP) benchmarks; (2) Determine prospective high school graduates'…

This paper provides information about Tennessee's Gateway Examinations. The purpose of the test is to: (1) Provide schools with student academic diagnostic information; (2) Determine prospective high school graduates' mastery of the state curriculum; (3) Encourage districts and schools to identify and serve students at risk of academic failure;…

The "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)" is designed to achieve an ambitious goal: All children will be proficient in reading and mathematics by the 2013-14 school year. A key strategy for achieving this goal is accountability. Based on findings from two federally funded studies--the Study of State Implementation of Accountability…

As 2010 unfolds, Americans should feel encouraged by federal, state, and local efforts to transform education policies that boost student performance. In the midst of a recession, rather than merely allocating billions of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) dollars by formula to the states with no strings attached, the Obama…

Response to Intervention (RTI), as a model for improving services to all students, has been a growing phenomenon since the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004. The National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) defines RTI as "the practice of (1) providing high-quality…