South Dakota State leaders decided a few years ago to make a commitment to educational technology and distance education. The result is a blend of public and private support for educational change focused on increased use of instructional technology and distance education. The May/June 2001 issue of "Tech Trends" presents ideas from…

Describes qualitative and quantitative study of the impact of statewide grant program to implement conflict-management education programs in 50 high schools. Reports three approaches to conflict-management education: Curriculum infusion, peer mediation, and special events. Finds significant positive effects of conflict-management programs on…

In 1999, funding from a federal technology innovation challenge grant and the state of Maryland enabled the creation of the Maryland Technology Academy (MTA). The MTA is a collaboration of Johns Hopkins University, Towson University, and the Maryland State Department of Education formed with the goal of developing a network of knowledgeable and…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is, quite possibly, the most comprehensive and systemic education reform act passed by Congress in the last 40 years. Given only 17 states ever fully complied with NCLB's predecessor, the 1994 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, it is only proper that legislators, policymakers, and researchers are now asking…

Honors colleges and programs are as individual as the schools that host them, but they all share some features in common: small classes, usually less than 20 students; interdisciplinary classes, often team-taught; and some kind of experiential education unit, from study abroad to internships to service learning. This article focuses on the…

This article explains how the Maryland public library community used data from a citizen poll to support increases in government funding. With a major grant from the Division of Library Development Services (the official name for the Maryland state library), the public library community hired a nationally known pollster, Potomac, Inc., to conduct…

The major purpose of this descriptive report is to provide an overview of the structure, capacity, and roles of educational service agencies (ESAs) across five states--Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin--in the Great Lakes region, within the context of the broader statewide systems of support for educational improvement and progress.…

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shares the Governor's concern about the need to prepare students for the 21st century economy. Technology has the power to enhance students' learning, engage them, and ultimately prepare them for the competitive world beyond school. In order to prepare students for their future in this increasingly…

The effectiveness of Tennessee EdTech Launch (TnETL), a statewide technology program designed to meet the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandate, was investigated in this matched treatment-control quasi-experimental study. The goal of the program was to provide full-time, on-site technology coaches to prepare teachers to create lessons that engage…

The U.S. Department of Education has not yet published an official guidance document for using NAEP achievement level scores to confirm state testing results. A review of the literature, however, identified four principles that inform the valid use of NAEP scores in a confirming analysis. The principles address the appropriate NAEP statistics to…

Nebraska, like most states in the U.S., is facing a critical shortage of skilled and employable workers. Business and industry want to grow in Nebraska and realize the road to ensuring success is a workforce possessing updated knowledge and skills that support the use of new technologies, as well as a necessary work ethic to be a dependable and…

This research investigated the effects of two contrasting pre-k curricula, relative to practice as usual, on subsequent academic achievement. One curriculum had a strong literacy focus, the other was a less didactic "developmentally appropriate" curriculum that allowed children to have more influence on classroom activities. The purpose…

The Illinois Community College Board provided more than $3.3 million to community colleges during fiscal year 2009 to support local workforce and economic development services through their Business and Industry Centers. The workforce development activities conducted under this grant include customized job training on campus or on-site at a…

As the nation struggles to get back on its feet economically, the colleges and universities are working harder than ever to fulfill their mission: to educate the next generation of workers and citizens. In the West that task is arguably more challenging than elsewhere. The region is highly diverse in terms of both demographics and geography, with…

This study was designed to determine the degree of use, level of client satisfaction of professional development and educational services, and to identify suggestions for improving services. Results from a mixed methodology approach indicated moderate to high levels of satisfaction in two program areas and moderate to high levels of…