Reviews the possible dangers of mandated competency testing and suggests some alternatives. (JM)

Presents a state-of-the-art discussion of school library media supervision at the state, district, and regional levels. (Author)

The article discusses the implementation of services to gifted and talented (G/T) public School students in Ohio including a schedule for establishing the program, definition of G/T, use of pre-existing resources in the schools, establishment of 10 task force groups, and community support. (PHR)

Reports on a statewide pilot project which compared testing using paper-and-pencil and Internet-delivered test items. Participants were students from 14 Pennsylvania vocational-technical institutions. Describes the structured use, what teachers should know and insight from the project. Demonstrates that the Internet offers a viable cost-effective…

Presents visions for AECT (Association for Educational Communications and Technology, including a continuing discussion of pedagogy, high quality research methodology, commitment to professional ethics and personal integrity, electronic developments, collaboration, leadership development, membership growth, and state and regional affiliations.…

Examines how the child support enforcement program in Alaska has responded to the challenges of distance, weather, and cultural differences through training representatives, making waiting areas more comfortable, conducting random customer evaluation of services, establishing travel hubs in regional offices and meeting with community leaders and…

The California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) was developed in 1991 to align the state's testing system to curriculum content and improve measurement of student, school, and district performance. CLAS was discontinued because of tension between political and technical factors, key stakeholders' divergent priorities and goals, and virulent…

The extent to which evaluation and auditing have converged on procedures in recent years and the extent to which they remain different are examined in the five chapters of this special issue. Different emphases, the question of collaboration with the subjects of inquiry, and issues of routinized performance are explored. (SLD)

DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) job analyses were conducted for Kentucky state children's agency staff, both day treatment and residential teachers and administrators. Data were used to develop inservice programs, and the resulting job profiles were disseminated to local educational agencies providing services to state agency children. (SK)

Rhododendron Girls' State, a 5-day West Virginia citizenship and leadership program, offers female high school students the opportunity to directly experience the campaign and electoral process. Katie McGee White discusses her experiences as the first Girls' State governor in 1941, her love of politics, and how she encouraged her students to be…

Based on studies that detailed the benefits of quality early childhood education, the Alabama Pre-Kindergarten Initiative provides young children with enriching learning experiences to ensure that they will be ready to succeed in school. These experiences are critical for low-income children in economically distressed Appalachian counties.…

Equity consequences of school finance policy changes in Kentucky were studied. Findings indicate that Kentucky experienced marked improvements in equity as a result of school finance reform, including a narrower dispersion of pupil revenue and greater fiscal neutrality. Further adjustment could produce small gains in system equity, but at…

Describes the Wisconsin Technical College System's special needs staff leadership in supporting transition to technical colleges, increasing funding that colleges receive from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and supporting professional development activities for college special needs staff. (SK)

Describes how, with the stock market falling and tuitions at public colleges rising, states' prepaid tuition plans face potential difficulty in paying out their contracts. (EV)

Describes North Carolina's efforts to develop a school readiness definition and assessment plan, focusing on differentiating readiness from eligibility and giving equal weight to schools' capacity to educate all children. Presents selected findings from the statewide assessment. Describes dilemmas faced by the state and their resolutions.…