April 1990 marked the tenth year of the effort mandated by the Arizona State Legislature to assess student performance through nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement testing in reading, grammar, and mathematics for students in grades 1 through 12. This was the sixth year the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills were administered to students in…

The New Mexico Portfolio Writing Assessment for grades 4 and 6 (optional for grade 8) is to be conducted in the 1991-92 school year, with a call for "best piece" in April of 1992. All students in New Mexico in grades 4 and 6 will participate. This manual provides instruction for procedures to be followed in the school year. Guidelines…

This annual review is a synthesis of the West Virginia Division of Technical and Adult Education Services programs and plans at the conclusion of fiscal year 1991. It begins with letters from the State Superintendent of Schools and Assistant State Superintendent. West Virginia Board of Education mission and goals and the division's programmatic…

This book contains nine papers presented during a year-long series of seminars and a conference that analyzed the relationship between economic restructuring and industrial relations involving the joint academics, union leaders, government officials, business executives, and graduate fellows. These analyses include case studies from Western…

Changes in the U.S. economy have increased the number of 25 to 54 year old women in the work force to about 74 percent. However, most of these women are segregated in low-wage jobs. Women often fall into those jobs because of sex-stereotyped vocational education enrollment and gender-related barriers in education and in their family and…

This report provides examples of curricular integration produced by teachers in three career academies in Oakland, California. It describes ways in which academic and vocational teachers have created explicit connections between their separate subjects. Following a preface, "Oakland Academies Magnet Programs--An Overview" (Allie…

The Mathematics, Engineering, Science, and Achievement (MESA) pre-college program was developed and implemented at Glendale Community College (GCC) in 1984. GCC's program is part of a statewide effort in Arizona to increase the number of under-represented minority students who complete high school with a foundation in mathematics, science, and…

Student services and special programs within the California Community Colleges (CCC) are designed to enhance student equity, access, retention, persistence toward goal completion, and successful educational outcomes. The special programs and services within the CCC which serve targeted and diverse student populations are Extended Opportunity…

Since 1988, Vermont has been developing a state assessment program, the centerpiece of which is the student portfolio and "best pieces" drawn from it. The state's use of portfolio results will be limited to reporting aggregates, but within schools, teachers and principals may use the portfolios as they choose. The assessment program,…

This paper describes the approach taken in Texas to meet the requirements of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act (CPA) of 1984 (Public Law 98-524) to provide an aptitude and interest assessment to all students with special needs who are considering entering vocational education. The Texas three-level model of assessment is discussed. The…

Washington State's Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) provides a comprehensive, family-focused preschool program designed to help low-income children succeed in the public school system and help families support and participate in their children's success. Findings from an ongoing longitudinal study of the ECEAP program…

The Youth Work Skills Program provided basic skills remediation, support services, and subsidized or unsubsidized work placement to out-of-school, economically disadvantaged youth aged 16-21 with demonstrated reading scores at or below the fifth-grade level. The program had three phases: basic education/vocational and career exploration, basic…

This book on financial aid for college education is designed to be a guide to sources and an aid to the process of obtaining financial assistance. An introductory essay titled "The Twenty Most-Asked Questions About Financial Aid" gives a basic orientation on the issues and expert advice on how to tackle the problems of filling out forms,…

In 1991-92 Vermont initiated a statewide portfolio assessment program in mathematics and writing in grades 4 and 8. An evaluation of the program found mixed results--although the portfolio scores were unreliable for individual or school-level reporting and teachers had concerns about implementation, the assessment had marked positive effects on…

A study examined the condition of vocational education in correctional institutions in Minnesota. A literature review was conducted, and surveys were sent to 57 instructors and 18 supervisors of vocational education in correctional institutions throughout Minnesota. Forty-one of 57 instructors (72%) and all 18 supervisors (100%) completed the…