Annual ratings that try to summarize the condition of public colleges are required in some states. The reports contain comparative data on individual institutions and are appealing to lawmakers and the public. Some see them as sources of useful policy-making information; others see them as simplistic answers to complex issues. (MSE)

Recounts the historical development of Florida's "Great 28" community colleges. Describes the Master Plan, which provided an orderly and organized way to evolve the Florida Community College System into the state's most effective and efficient educational delivery system. (VWC)

"Chronicle of Higher Education" presents an abundant source of news and information for college and university faculty members and administrators. This May 21, 2004 issue of "Chronicle of Higher Education" includes the following articles: (1) "In New York, Unaccompanied" (Fogg, Piper); (2) "Why They Pirate: Study says Students aren't in it for the…

This article analyzes how school reforms in the United States during the 1990s supported transformative literacy practices in the context of a Hmong-English third grade classroom. Using methods that allow for an analysis of both macro and micro discourses shaping the literacy practices of English language learners, this 2-year study illustrates…

Just weeks before states release their lists of schools that have not met "adequate yearly progress" targets under the main federal K-12 law, many states are still negotiating with federal officials over changes to their accountability plans designed to reduce those numbers. The federal No Child Left Behind Act, a 2 1/2-year-old revision…

The Skills Commission for the 21st Century was established by the Maine Technical College System Board of Trustees to determine the critical complementary skills necessary for success in the workplace of the 1990s. This report presents the Commission's findings based on input from employers and other key groups in the state. Following introductory…

Under the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, the eligibility requirement to become a Title I schoolwide program is relaxed. As a result, there will be a dramatic increase in the number of schoolwide programs. The Kentucky Department of Education saw a critical need to develop a planning guide to be used for technical assistance to eligible…

This document, which highlights the efforts of the National Institute for Literacy to pilot the development of state literacy accountability systems in four states, outlines the components, operation, and importance of state accountability systems and discusses considerations in developing a systems approach to planning and implementing a quality…

This project worked to help community programs and interagency groups develop fluid organizational structures and better assist staff and parents in the provision of family-centered, community-based early intervention services for young children with disabilities and their families. Highlights of the service model include transdisciplinary…

States that are successfully integrating three development programs--economic, work force, and technology--are focusing on the results as the first step in the process and have an easier time developing, monitoring, and improving their strategies. To structure their integration efforts around results, states need to begin with a vision of a…

These proceedings are a summary of a working conference for New York State academic library directors sponsored by the Academic and Special Libraries Section of the New York Library Association (NYLA) and the New York Three R's Organization (NYTRO). Library directors from 74 academic institutions around New York State met to develop an agenda…

A study assessed the need for and determined the content of a resource guide for writing federal vocational grant proposals by personnel of community and technical colleges in the state of Washington. A review of the literature and research found that community and technical colleges found an ever-increasing portion of their budgets were dependent…

This report describes the attitudes of school superintendents in Kentucky about the implementation of school reforms based on the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 (KERA); this survey also investigated changes in the perceptions of superintendents over the previous year related to the policies, programs, and practices of KERA. The study was…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of Project STEPS (Sequenced Transition to Education in the Public Schools), a 3-year outreach project designed to provide training and technical assistance (TA) related to the development of statewide transition systems for children with disabilities, birth through 5 years of age, and…

This study, conducted for the Maryland legislature, evaluated the current method for financing graduate medical education in hospital rates, particularly whether the costs of graduate education at the state's two academic medical centers are too high. The study involved discussions with the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC),…