The Bookmark Standard Setting Procedure (Lewis, Mitzel, and Green, 1996) is an item-response-theory-based standard setting method that has been widely implemented by state testing programs. The primary purposes of this study were to: (1) estimate standard errors for cutscores that result from Bookmark standard settings under a generalizability…

Intended to provide background information to state leaders as they play an increasingly visible role in reading programs, this policy brief notes that too many students are not reading at grade level and apparently are not receiving adequate opportunities to catch up to their peers. The brief is in 7 sections. The first is "How Well Are Students…

The Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) offers a relatively new way to measure achievement in schools. Six content areas are tested in grades 3 and 5. The use of the MSPAP to differentiate among schools in terms of success was studied using data for the 775 Maryland elementary schools that were active in 1995. Test results for…

This report discusses the outcomes of a study that investigated state appeals processes for students with disabilities who fail state-mandated graduation exams. State Web sites were studied to determine the extent to which there are other options for demonstrating skills, to check the availability of these to students with disabilities, and to…

This document comprises the 12 issues for 2000 of the "Child Support Report," which explores problems related to child support enforcement, reports on federal and state government child support enforcement initiatives, and summarizes research related to child support. Featured regularly are editorials and information on events of…

This paper uses data collected from the 50 states in year 2000 by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) to describe how states are holding schools accountable for student performance. The data collection process focused on policies in place during the 1999-2000 school year. Profiles prepared from this data represent the policy…

The Arkansas Advanced Placement Incentive Program served as a charter for the establishment, organization, and administration of a program designed to improve the course offerings available to high school students. The act provided three incentives: (1) one-time equipment/materials grants; (2) teacher professional development reimbursements; and…

This report presents the fourth study conducted by the Massachusetts Early Childhood Advisory Council since its inception in 1985, an investigation focusing on how interagency collaboration occurs in local early childhood programs in Massachusetts and whether mandating interagency councils is effective in promoting collaboration. The report also…

Louisiana's initiative to assist local communities to develop and operate school-based health centers (SBHCs) is a nationally recognized model. This annual report illustrates the vital work being done in SBHCs in Louisiana to assist families in ensuring their children's health and well-being. Section 1 of the report details the continuous…

The Health Care Reform Tracking Project is a 5-year national project to track and analyze state health care reform initiatives as they affect children and adolescents with emotional/behavioral disorders and their families. The study's first phase was a baseline survey of all 50 states to describe current state reforms as of 1995. Among findings of…

This paper describes the Tennessee Children's Plan, a program phased in between 1991 and 1993 that implemented a coordinated service system for children, youth, and families. A study involving children and youth (birth through 21 years) who were in the custody of the State of Tennessee investigated the effectiveness of coordinated service systems…

This paper explores the impact of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 on the work training being provided to welfare recipients by community colleges. This bill changed the approach for addressing poverty from a human capital perspective, which emphasizes the need for training and education to…

The Cognitive Skills Assessment Battery (CSAB) measures student readiness to begin first grade. It is the assessment used by South Carolina to measure the readiness of each student and to plan an appropriate program for each child. In fall 1998, 81.2% of the first graders (43,568 of 53,640 students) met the readiness standard for South Carolina (a…

This study explored bilingual education in California, analyzing California law on instruction for English Learners before and after Proposition 227. Proposition 227 required that all English Learners (EL) participate in a sheltered English immersion program in which most instruction was in English with curriculum and presentation designed for…

Drawing on lessons from six case studies, this policy paper highlights the most innovative approaches states and communities are currently using to finance preventive and early intervention services as well as more traditional treatment services for young children's mental health. The case studies are based on interviews with policy and program…