Discusses implications of the Technology-Related Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities Act (1988, 1994) for people with learning disabilities. It discusses the rationale for the act; its provisions and goals; and systems change and advocacy activities of state projects concerning policy analysis, funding, interagency collaboration, consumer…

Evaluated two computer-assisted instructional programs designed to help students at risk earn credits for high school graduation and preparation for postsecondary education. Findings from two courses in an alternative high school illustrate research-based classroom features associated with a collaborative environment of state, district, and…

Analyses of 10 raters' reasoning during think-aloud interviews provided evidence to support a model of the fundamental processes involved in rating standards-based, nonprescriptive portfolios. This process model provides a framework within which to conceptualize sound-rater reasoning and to identify reasoning that distorts the meaning of scores.…

Reviews information technology projects currently underway in Alaska, including: activities of the Telecommunications Information Council; Alaska Public Utilities Commission and the future of telecommunications policy; AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph) projects; legislative initiatives; access for Native Americans and rural Alaskans;…

Describes six information technology projects in California libraries, including Internet access in public libraries; digital library developments at the University of California, Berkeley; the World Wide Web home page for the state library; Pacific Bell's role in statewide connectivity; state government initiatives; and services of the state…

Discussion of library automation in Illinois focuses on ILLINET, the Illinois Library and Information Network. Topics include automated resource sharing; ILLINET's online catalog; regional library system automation; community networking and public library technology development; telecommunications initiatives; electronic access to state government…

Describes the Fund for Appalachian Industrial Retraining (FAIR) program, which has trained over 14,000 multiskilled workers in Appalachian manufacturing in the last four years. FAIR works with firms in 18 Appalachian Ohio counties, arranging onsite and offsite programs and providing matching funds for customized training. (SAS)

Tests should be used by educators to help students of different backgrounds and abilities achieve their full potential. The goals of guaranteeing excellence via promotion of high academic standards and ensuring equal educational opportunities are inseparable, mutually dependent goals. State reform efforts and fairness issues are examined. (MLH)

The purpose of this empirical study was to present a detailed description and interpretation of what happens in schools to beginning teachers who are prepared to enact reform-based practices in mathematics and science. The focus was on a select sample of graduates from the Maryland Collaborative for Teacher Preparation [MCTP], a statewide…

A growing phenomenon in the United States is state-funded pre-kindergarten. This article deals with the status of pre-K programs in the United States. In this article, the authors discuss a major study of 240 state-funded pre-K programs in six states initiated by the National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL) to provide a base of…

We review a plan that attracted the attention of public sector planners everywhere, Oregon's 1989 "Oregon Shines: An Economic Strategy for the Pacific Century". In particular, we focus on Oregon's aspirations for world-class workforce quality; a status that the state's planners argued would contribute to a host of other outcomes that…

Purpose: We report the results of a survey of state initiatives that measure resident satisfaction in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and we describe several model programs for legislators and public administrators contemplating the initiation of their own state programs. Design and Methods: Data on state initiatives and programs…

In "Zelman v. Simmons-Harris," the Supreme Court of the US made it clear that governments do not unconstitutionally "establish" religion merely by permitting eligible students to use publicly funded scholarships to attend qualifying religious schools, so long as the students' parents are able to make a "true private…

The Washington State Self-Employment and Enterprise Demonstration (SEED) was the first federally sponsored self-employment demonstration program for unemployed workers in the United States. Its primary purpose was to determine the viability of self-employment as a reemployment option for recipients of Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits who do…

The first and longest section of this publication is a comparative analysis summarizing the impacts of the two Unemployment Insurance (UI) Self-Employment Demonstration Projects in Washington State and Massachusetts. Based on the first wave of post-project follow-up surveys, this evaluation report provides results on the net impacts of each…