Reviews precedents, at the state level, to the movement for education reform. Reports, by year and state, on first reactions to reform. Outlines topics touched by state reform efforts, summarizes unifying themes, and predicts the future of reform. Includes a table of states requiring testing for initial certification of teachers. (IW)

Presently, there are two components to preschool teacher education in New Jersey: (1) Teacher preparation, which includes a course of study leading to a formal degree or certificate. Teacher preparation is provided through the state's 2- and 4-year institutions of higher education; and (2) Professional development, which supports individuals…

This brochure highlights key concepts of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) "Thinking Mathematics" courses. Citing adherence to No Child left Behind Act (NCLB) mandates, these courses are: (1) based on scientific research about how children learn mathematics; (2) designed to increase teacher mathematical knowledge; (3) provide a…

This brief details the history of the federal government's stance with language minority students, and analyzes the implications of changes to its guiding principles made by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. With every federal re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act prior to 2001, the importance of bilingual…

When a student who has both a vision and a hearing loss registers to take a course, each component of the course will need to be reviewed to determine if the student requires accommodations, e.g. syllabus, handouts, overheads or other AV materials, exams, and paper assignments. There is not a formula for addressing these needs because students who…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) House Committee Approves Education Funding Bill: Striving Readers Program Would Receive $5 Million Increase; (2) Role…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 calls for 100% proficiency in reading and mathematics by 2014. The mandate thus transforms reading and mathematics into high-stakes subject areas. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined legislated testing mandates in relation to burnout subscales, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal…

Currently, the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) encompasses four mandated testing programs. This document includes results from the TCAP Achievement Test in reading/language, mathematics, science, and social studies in grades 3-8; the Writing Assessment in grades 5, 8, and 11; the Gateway Assessments, administered initially to…

This document was designed to inform members of the policy, education, and research communities about existing state and institutional policies and practices associated with four accelerated learning programs: Advanced Placement (AP), dual/concurrent enrollment, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program, and Tech-Prep. This effort was…

In 2003, the Lumina Foundation for Education launched a major initiative, "Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count," to increase student success at community colleges. The initiative focuses on colleges with high enrollments of low-income students and students of color. In the first round, 27 colleges in five states were selected.…

This report presents 10 suggestions for what the U.S. Department of Education can do to help schools raise achievement for all students and close the achievement gap by increasing teacher quality: (1) make improving teacher quality job one; (2) insist on good data; (3) ensure that states make an immediate priority of fixing the indefensible…

A study examined the skill grant and scholarship grant programs. Findings indicated skill grantees offered training through various service delivery options to people needing skill upgrading; scholarship grantees provided scholarships to low income students for college degree programs in computer science, mathematics, and engineering. The skill…

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) requires Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) to establish Youth Councils as a sub-group focused on low-income youth at risk, ages 14-21, who face barriers to school completion. Youth Councils present an opportunity to develop a comprehensive employment and training system. The WIA's vision of a…

"Child Care Health Connections" is a bimonthly newsletter published by the California Childcare Health Program (CCHP), a community-based program of the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, Department of Family Health Care Nursing. The goals of the newsletter are to promote and support a healthy and safe environment…

Designed for parents of children with disabilities, this handbook (in both English and Spanish versions) provides information about services available in Idaho, how to use these services, and how to approach the job of parenting a child with disabilities. Chapters include: (1) "Beginnings: Understanding Your Family and Your Child with a…