In preparing this evaluation report, the Florida State Advisory Council on Vocational and Technical Education believed that evaluation should (1) focus on the people and their needs, (2) look into all parts of the human resources development program of the State, and (3) identify the employment opportunities within the State and the vocational…

This compilation of papers presented at the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers Colloquium focuses on the interrelated roles of the foreign language teacher and the language program supervisor. The following papers are included: (1) "The Foreign Language Curriculum: A Joint Venture" by Charles Blake; (2) "Updated Observation…

Partners in Quality is a research and development project sponsored by the Canadian Child Care Federation and its affiliates to explore how child care providers, parents, and other partners can work together to support and improve quality in child care. This booklet, in both English and French, supplements a series to support child care providers…

This report presents results from interviews with a sampling of experienced Equipped for the Future (EFF) users. Chapter I provides background and context for this initiative. Chapter II provides facts and figures from the field and presents questions posed and interviewees' views. The questions are as follows: (1) Why did you or your organization…

This publication introduces an assessment instrument to help programs implement management competencies. It discusses development of management competencies and describes the Management Competencies Assessment Instrument (MCAI) designed to help managers verify and validate their competencies and use the information for planning professional…

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the Policymaker Partnership (PMP) of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education have joined together to consider challenges and opportunities for coordinating special and compensatory education among states, districts, and schools. As part of this effort toward increasing…

This report discusses the challenges and successes in creating an education system that meets the needs of all students in Texas. The first two sections provide background information on a project investigating the achievement of students with disabilities in high achieving, high poverty Texas elementary schools, and present a framework for this…

Home visiting programs provide support services to families in their own homes, touching on social services, education, mental health, nutrition, health, or general welfare concerns. Twenty home visiting programs in California were surveyed to determine standards, best practices, areas needing improvement, and to develop training and support…

State policymakers can have an impact on the quality of the teaching force if they look seriously at three issues. The first issue is setting and enforcing teaching standards: setting standards for teacher education, teacher licensing, and ongoing evaluation and professional development; working toward National Council for the Accreditation of…

The Manufacturing Technology Program (MTP) is a partnership between General Motors, the United Auto Workers, and the public schools in Flint, Michigan, that originated as a preapprenticeship program and has since expanded into a program preparing youth for manufacturing. The programs' effectiveness was examined through a comparison group-based…

This directory is one of five which together describe almost 1200 discretionary grants and contracts currently supported by the Research to Practice Division of the Office of Special Education Programs under the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This section of the directory covers grants and contracts in…

Some fundamental assessment-related issues must be considered as states and localities refine and build upon existing assessment systems. First is the likely impact of increased high-stakes testing on industry-valued high school programs and their students. Data are inconclusive but suggest consequences of high-stakes testing on these programs and…

These Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) state action plans were initially developed in 1998 for the central regional states, which include Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. They detail the states' specific technical assistance needs, as well as the services to be provided by Mid-Continent…

This paper contains a transcript of the testimony of Robert C. Gross, representing state employment services program and unemployment compensation agencies, before the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources and Education and the Workforce. According to the testimony, the publicly funded work force system has…

As part of their ongoing accountability and program improvement initiatives, Illinois colleges annually conduct a survey of occupational program graduates. This report provides statewide information from graduates of selected occupational programs regarding the effectiveness of their community college experiences. Data for the report were obtained…