This classroom assessment tool for grades 4-6 offers teachers a method to quickly identify the needs of migrant, language-different, and mobile students in language arts, mathematics, and science in relation to national content standards. The Snapshot System asks the student to perform a series of tasks that are keyed to content standards and…

Designed for general and special education administrators, teachers, and other education professionals, this book offers a "big picture" of high expectations, assessment, and accountability for students with significant disabilities. Chapters focus on the following eight steps involved in the development and administration of alternate…

In 1995 the School Board of Philadelphia adopted Children Achieving, a systemic reform initiative. This report is an evaluation of that reform. The report examines the role of the central office and describes its evolution over the course of the program. The first section recounts how conflicts arose over theories of systemic reform, underlying…

This policy bulletin summarizes the comments of participants in a forum on the subject of turning around low-performing schools. The forum was hosted by the U.S. Department of Education and the Consortium of Policy Research in Education and included policymakers, teachers, and state and local officials working on issues related to low-performing…

This paper reports results of a survey of 237 Massachusetts special education teachers in programs for students with significant disabilities as the teachers work to learn and use unitary standards-based curriculum. The study examined: familiarity of the teachers with the state's curriculum frameworks; variations in teachers' experiences and views…

These hearings transcripts present testimony on the impact of the Head Start program for preparing disadvantaged children for school, to inform the reauthorization of Head Start. Opening statements by U.S. Representatives Michael Castle (Delaware) and Lynn Wolsey (California) focused on needs for improving Head Start. A written statement by…

The eight titles in this document include the following: "Comprehension and Input Processing as Useful Terms in the Field of SLA" (number 28) (Teresa Cadierno); "On the Role of Instruction in SLA: Research Results and Theoretical Explanations" (number 29) (Teresa Cadierno); "Can Writing Be Taught" (number 30) (Stuart Greene); "Academic Listening"…

In June 2002, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) adopted a new set of goals for the 21st century. Those goals included reaching every student, from preschool to high school, to ensure that achievement exceeds national averages and that performance gaps are closed. According to this brief report, research clearly shows that quality summer…

This book, written from the policymaker's perspective, examines key issues facing education ministries trying to find the optimal size of and curricular emphasis for their secondary-education systems. It sets out the principle choices to be made and the dilemmas encountered regarding the scale and thrust of the sector. The work first looks at key…

This study analyzed data from statewide criterion referenced competency tests (CRCTs), used to determine whether a child is retained in grade, investigating whether trends and differences in scores across Georgia for students from similar family backgrounds could be linked to failing this test twice in elementary school. The study explored whether…

This monograph reviews the role played by public policy in the education of gifted students. It describes the special rule making in identification, placement, program, and accountability. These rules emerge from legislation, court decisions, administrative rule making, and professional standards. Special problems involving racial discrimination,…

Case studies of five small and isolated rural schools in the Southwest focused on their ability to fully implement Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSR) programs over the 3-year period of their federal grants. Data were gathered via interviews with school personnel, classroom observations, document reviews, and telephone interviews with…

This manual on conducting an adult English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) program is designed for professional development of new ESOL instructors. It is one of three manuals developed to supplement a previous series of professional development manuals. The Adult ESOL Instructor Self-Directed Assessment is provided to assess prior adult…

This report provides the Washington State legislature, the Governor, and other interested parties with an update on the accountability performance of each of the state's public baccalaureate institutions (Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Evergreen State College, Washington State University, Western Washington…

This monograph documents the basis for selection of test items and health-related, criterion-referenced standards associated with the Brockport Physical Fitness Test (BPFT), a criterion-referenced fitness test for children and adolescents with disabilities. The manual is divided into separate chapters for the relevant components or sub-components…