This revised and updated book offers topics and issues relevant to the history, current status, and future of the profession of school psychology. Chapter 1 is organized around 14 basic questions often asked by beginning and prospective school psychologists. The intent is to provide critical information immediately that will be more fully treated…

This report, a letter to the Chairman of the Education Task Force of the Committee on the Budget of the United States Senate, summarizes work the General Accounting Office (GAO) has completed from 1990 through 1997 addressing early childhood, elementary, and secondary education issues. The GAO has identified the need for improvement in the…

The Ohio Department of Public Schools launched its Ohio Urban Schools Initiative as a commitment to systemic long-term change in the state's 24 urban districts. This report contains a framework that represents the initial phase of the Urban Schools Initiative, which developed into a collaborative effort among the school systems, state and local…

This document contains the 12 issues of "Rural Policy Matters" published in 2002. Issues examine recent educational research on small and rural schools; report on court litigation related to rural school finance and educational adequacy, resources for community action in support of rural schools, and outcomes of school consolidation;…

In this issue of Forum Focus, we focus on what researchers and policy makers are doing to help governments take stock of their efforts to make sure that every young person is "Ready by 21"--ready for work, ready for college, ready for life. "Research Update" reviews efforts to establish a coherent set of youth development…

This report looks at the conversion work in three large comprehensive high schools in Washington State with a focus on what was learned in the early years. Each school takes a unique approach but common themes emerge, including the importance of strong principal leadership, the use of data, a transparent decision-making process, and a commitment…

"Outlook" is the monthly newsletter of the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). This issue contains the following articles: (1) House Poised to Act on Education Tax Deduction; (2) PDK Poll [34th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools] Shows Big Jump in Support for School Choice;…

States benefit considerably when their stocks of "educational capital" grow. From a workforce and tax revenue standpoint, state rates of return on baccalaureate education are far higher than those associated with any other educational step. Additional benefits attributable to higher education--ranging from enhancements in citizen participation…

The Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) was developed through a collaborative partnership in 1999 and first implemented in all Alberta school authorities in the 2000/2001 school year. The goal of this program is to improve student learning and performance by fostering initiatives that reflect the unique needs and circumstances of each…

This report contains papers presented at the 2004 annual NCES Summer Data Conference. Discussions and presentations dealt with such topics as measuring school efficiency, analyzing the return on education investment, calculating education costs per student, and assessing the financial condition of school districts. The following papers are…

This research brief uses data collected by the Center for Policy Research on the Impact of General and Special Education Reform to highlight issues surrounding the inclusion and exclusion of students with disabilities in state accountability systems. The brief discusses the background of standards-based reform, traditional general education…

This book proposes a new form of school governance based on contracting and family choice. Under the proposed plan, all public schools would operate under contracts that define each school's mission, its guarantee of public funding, and its grounds for accountability. The contracts would have two parties--the local school board and the individual…

Issues in alternative assessment for accountability purposes are discussed. Most new forms of performance assessment are linked in the literature, but all alternative forms of assessment do not have the same attributes in terms of technical and feasibility criteria. Tradeoffs in the validity of inferences that can be drawn from alternative…

This document presents, in tabular form, results for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations for grade 4, spring 2000 (the 1999-2000 school year). Results are presented for the state's total fourth grade population eligible to be tested and for each school district and school in Wisconsin. Test results are reported for reading, language…

This document presents, in tabular form, results for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations for grade 8, spring 2000 (the 1999-2000 school year). Results are presented for the state' s total eighth grade population eligible to be tested and for each school district and school in Wisconsin. Test results are reported for reading, language…