This manual has been prepared for those responsible for interpreting scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). In addition to test interpretation information, the manual describes the test, explains the TOEFL program, and discusses program research activities. The TOEFL was developed in 1963 to test the English-language…

Over the past 10 years, kindergarten classes have escalated their academic demands in order to prepare children to begin first grade. In tandem with curricular changes, many parents have elected to "hold out" their children from first grade for an additional year, and increasingly, schools are using kindergarten retention in response to…

This report explores how private sector employers are reacting to, responding to, and participating in welfare-to-work (WTW) efforts. Chapter 1 explains the study background and approach. Chapter 2 examines the environment, perspectives, experiences, and role of business in the WTW process and presents findings about employment patterns of welfare…

In 1997, the National Center for Family Literacy convened four state policymakers for an audioconference to discuss five issues related to family literacy and its role as a welfare reform strategy. First, with regard to the value of family literacy, policymakers saw literacy as the key to employment and job retention. Second, family literacy was a…

A study compared the attitudes of 91 regular teachers, 124 second year pre-service teachers, and 91 gifted program teachers from Finland and the United States toward gifted children and gifted programs. Results indicated significant differences between cultures and among teacher types. American teachers were more favorable toward special services…

This digest summarizes the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA 97) with emphasis on changes in the new law. First, it highlights principal changes in the law. These changes include participation of children and youth with disabilities in state and districtwide assessment programs; the way in which…

Designed for high school students interested in careers in special education and related services, this leaflet discusses the role of an educational diagnostician. It describes the education and personal qualities required to become an educational diagnostician, the job outlook and advancement for a career as an educational diagnostician, and…

This report discusses assessment and placement policies for developmental education in the Massachusetts Community College System. Since 1989, officials at community colleges across the state have implemented a series of assessment practices in reading, writing, and mathematics to assure correct placement for incoming first-year students. To…

Michigan's Macomb Community College's institutional assessment model involves using technology to collect and disseminate data on student learning in order to facilitate continuous improvement and adaptation. The first element of this five-part model is the mandatory testing, orientation, and placement of incoming students. Using placement test…

In 1992, a study was conducted at the James Kerney Campus (JKC) of Mercer County Community College in New Jersey to develop a placement guide for noncredit remedial courses. Although the majority of students attending JKC required academic skill remediation before enrolling in regular college courses, a placement guide for non-credit remediation…

These guidelines are intended to help educators and other school personnel in Kentucky better manage the inclusion of students who require health services in either special or regular educational settings. The brief manual has sections which address: definitions; related Kentucky regulations; results of a statewide survey on personnel,…

This report provides an overview of the Collaborative Study of Children with Special Needs, documenting the range of health and special education services provided for disabled students under the Education For All Handicapped Children Act. The study included surveys and interviews with parents of 2,000 disabled school children in five large United…

These guidelines were developed by a committee of staff members from special education divisions at the Texas Education Agency and comprise a collection of federal and state criteria and regulations concerning placement of students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Specific requirements (with legal citations) and criteria…

The attitudes of students in ungraded primary and fourth grade classes toward educational-reform changes implemented in their classrooms were studied in Kentucky, using a sample of 53 students from the primary grades and 47 students from the fourth grade. Multi-age, multi-ability grouping, as experienced by these primary students, is a feature of…

This report describes activities of Project Work, a federally funded program to provide vocational preparation skills and transition services for high school students with disabilities. The program served 150 students at a large urban high school in San Diego (California). Three major objectives were accomplished: (1) development of an…