This manual on the Maine Surrogate Parent Program is designed for surrogate parents, social workers, and educational personnel. It defines relevant terms; outlines procedures for identification of students who require a surrogate parent; explains how surrogate parents are appointed and trained; lists the rights and responsibilities of the…

This document describes four states' approaches to increasing the involvement of families in schools. It discusses the strategies used by the states to: (1) enhance teachers' capacity to work with families; (2) encourage local school districts to develop family involvement programs; (3) encourage efforts that use family involvement as a component…

Calculators were used in the 1990 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) of 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade public school and private school students and in the Trial State Assessment of 8th-grade public school students. Before they were tested, all of the students were trained briefly in how to use the equipment. NAEP collected information…

This report presents findings of the National Academy of Education Panel on the Evaluation of the Trial State Assessment (TSA) concerning the 1990 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics TSA program. The Panel's recommendations regarding the continuation of TSAs for review by the Congress, states, and Executive Branch of the…

The Maryland School Performance Program released six sample tasks to illustrate the types of assessment tasks that would appear on the 1992 Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP). Students' responses to these tasks are open-ended; that is, students generate their own responses. A wide range of responses to each task is acceptable.…

This report presents the recommendations of the Coordination of Social Services Action Group (CSSAG) to the governor of Illinois for the improvement of social services for children and parents within the state. Because of financial constraints, ways to develop a more efficient and effective social service delivery system must be found. To this…

This study examined State University of New York (SUNY) costs for support services to students, focusing particularly on why SUNY's costs are higher than those of similar states and where more efficiency might be achieved. The study involved the following elements: analysis of service costs for all SUNY campuses for fiscal year 1989-90; six visits…

A Texas study on prekindergarten and early childhood care that was developed for the Texas legislature in response to an amendment of the Texas Education Code is presented. Also presented are findings on: (1) the developmental appropriateness of prekindergarten programs, defined here as programs for eligible 4-year-olds; (2) the potential for…

This compilation presents narratives describing Chapter 1 program improvement and innovation efforts across the nation at state and local levels. The survey responses summarized in this report were submitted by State Coordinators of Compensatory Education. Responses were received from 48 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The…

Re-employment experiences were analyzed for dislocated workers who used the services of the Employment Service (ES) during the 1980s under the Economic Dislocation and Worker Adjustment Assistance Act (EDWAA). Data came from administrative records in three states--Pennsylvania, California, and Missouri--noteworthy for differences in their…

Since the authorization of the use of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) through the Trial State Assessment to provide state-based data, debate over the proposed expansion of the NAEP has strengthened. To assist states in analyzing and interpreting 1990 data on eighth-grade mathematics and to assist in planning subsequent NAEP…

Seven workplace education projects funded in the first year of the Massachusetts Workplace Education Initiative are reported. This report includes both general observations and specific information in case studies of the projects. Overall information is provided on students served, the importance of partnerships, the emphasis on…

This report presents the findings from the first of three rounds of research in a projected 3-year study of the way state governments have begun to implement the new Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program (JOBS). JOBS is a part of the Family Support Act of 1988 and provides employment, education, and training services that recipients…

This paper presents an analysis of a California state mandated effort to reduce dropout rates. In particular, the analysis looks at which program components and strategies are successful in increasing school holding power and what organizational and administrative factors are linked to the decision to actually implement the program as designed.…

This publication presents compilations and an overview of state profiles describing Chapter 1 program improvement and innovation efforts across the states. Chapter 1 is a provision of the federal Hawkins-Stafford Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Amendments of 1988. This report reviews key aspects of implementation of the 1988 Amendments…