This newsletter summarizes federal and state legislation concerned with the transition of youth with disabilities into further education or work. It identifies relevant provisions of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Specific federal resources concerning employment, transportation, public…

This report to the governor and legislature of Illinois concludes that the state currently has no comprehensive coordinated system of early intervention services for children and families needing such services. The report is in question and answer format and covers federal and state activities in early intervention, a definition of early…

The 1992-93 school year was the second year of the implementation of the Vermont assessment program. Evaluation of the 1991-92 year yielded mixed results, with some evidence that the assessment program was having a strong impact on instruction, but other indications that the reliability of the portfolio scoring in both writing and mathematics was…

This report presents information on the status of the Tech-Prep Programs in California community colleges and addresses the broader policy context of new federal initiatives--especially the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1993--in which the Tech-Prep Program is likely to develop in the future. Section I documents the recent growing concerns…

In 1990, the South Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching and School Leadership was established by the state's legislature to provide support to schools undergoing or planning restructuring. The Center assists schools to analyze needs, establish goals, and implement those goals. Technical assistance and college and school faculty training…

In 1992 the Utah State Office of Education initiated a review of recent literature on performance assessment as a step in establishing the foundation of the Utah State Core Curriculum Performance Assessment Program. Profiles Corporation conducted the review of the literature and contacted educators in all 50 states regarding the current state of…

In 1983, the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) established a systemwide program review process calling for the evaluation of instructional programs and student and academic support services on a 5-year cycle. This report describes the 1993 program review process and its results, and provides examples of how specific colleges use the review…

This report details the evaluation of Target 2000, a South Carolina parent education program that involves parent and literacy training as well as social services for children and parents, and that is intended to increase parents' effectiveness as the primary teachers of their preschool children. The evaluation process described was shaped by the…

The Louisiana Intern Teacher Assessment Program, part of the Louisiana Teacher Appraisal System, began with a preliminary field test, followed by a pilot test and implementation in 1993-94. Evaluation of the preliminary field test was conducted through responses of 223 assessors, intern teachers, principals, and assessor trainers to nine different…

This report describes early intervention activities in Maryland funded by Consolidated Local Implementation Grants from July 1991 through June 1992. This program is the single grant mechanism through which local agencies in Maryland receive funding for early intervention services from Parts B and H of the federal Individuals with Disabilities…

This handbook provides guidelines for planning, implementing, and evaluating technology for the purpose of improving student achievement in school districts across Texas. These guidelines are not intended to replace currently successful district practices, but to provide one model of a step-by-step method for planning and implementation. The…

Connecticut is developing a new grade 10 statewide testing program known as the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT). The CAPT reflects the changing nature of standardized assessment by using a variety of assessment formats including performance tasks, open-ended questions, and multiple-choice tests. This paper describes the research that…

In 1991, the state of Arkansas passed state requirements for the establishment of a tech prep core curriculum for high school programs. The Arkansas program will be developed around the 2+4+2+2 theory, but will mostly focus on the 2+2 plan integrating academic and vocational education. The goal will be to advance the competencies of academic and…

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Program for Mathematics and Science Education of the U.S. Department of Education provided a forum in which state and federal representatives could develop strategies to support the implementation of recently developed mathematics and science education standards. This conference report describes the presentations and…

In compliance with mandates of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Arizona Department of Education has completed its evaluation of effectiveness for state and locally administered programs in the context of Arizona's existing Chapter 2 goals. The evaluation focused first on state-administered programs and then considered locally…