In response to "Closing the Gaps: Participation, Success, Excellence, Research," the new Texas Higher Education Plan, this document contains a proposal that will help achieve the desired level of quality among higher education programs in Texas by ensuring that these programs are relevant to the global content of the 21st century. It is…

To help teachers, administrators, and parents understand student performance in writing, a state-level report is prepared each year to analyze students writing scores and provide guidelines for the interpretation of the results. This report compares students scores on the 2001 Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) with scores on the 2000 DSTP…

In 1995, the Missouri Legislature adopted Senate Bill 301, which directs the Health and Educational Facilities Authority of the State of Missouri to assist school districts in the issuance of general obligation bonds. The law charges the Authority with developing guidelines for and administering two voluntary methods relating to the issuance of…

This study investigated the return on investment (ROI) of the Southern extension Leadership Development (SELD) Program as implemented at the University of Georgia. The SELD program builds around the skills individuals and groups in cooperative extension work need to be effective in the future. The centerpiece of SELD is the Managerial Assessment…

This document presents questions and answers to some frequently asked questions concerning student fees and financial aid at California's public colleges and universities. The answers provide an overview of costs and aid at public institutions of higher education in California. In the 2003-2004 year, California residents enrolled as full-time…

The settlement between the states and the tobacco manufacturers reached in November 1998 is expected to infuse $206 billion in new revenues into state treasuries over the next 25 years. This study examined state decisions concerning the tobacco settlement revenues in order to highlight opportunities for using the funds to support children's…

This report contains state and school district student testing results for the Oklahoma Testing Program for the 1998-99 school year. Several benchmarks are reported, including the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests (OCCT), and American College Test Assessment (ACT) results. The National Assessment of Educational…

This paper focuses on the formulation and adoption of content standards in California. The standards-setting process is examined through the theoretical lens of deliberative democracy in order to develop a better understanding of the process and to assess the extent to which the institutions charged with deciding what students should learn can act…

This guidebook assists California school districts in applying for and obtaining "grant" funds for new construction and modernization projects of its public schools under the provisions of the Leroy F. Greene School Facilities Act of 1998. It provides direction on accessing the processes leading to project approvals, insight into the…

This paper is designed to initiate discussion about new educational accountability systems and the implications of these systems for educator preparation. Accountability systems are often developed with little regard to a clear definition of accountability, but once the systems are in place, and states are showing (realistic or political)…

This project provided a year-long skill development Workforce Education Institute for 100 work force literacy providers and instructors in Pennsylvania. The institute included an intensive, 3-day summer workshop, 2 follow-up workshops, and a 2-day spring workshop designed to meet the individual needs of the participants. In evaluations submitted…

This year is the first for the collaborative effort between the Arizona Department of Library, Archives and Public Records, and Arizona Humanities Council and the members of the Arizona Reads Committee. This Arizona Reading Program manual contains information on program planning and development, along with crafts, activity sheets, fingerplays,…

Using recent economic data on state spending and information about childhood brain development, this Kids Count mini-report offers a snapshot of where Arkansas stands on early education and spending on such programs. The report examines the next steps, challenging conventional wisdom in order to explore the best path for improving child outcomes…

Drawing on the collective experience of the researchers, their work with teachers and principals, and their previous research in urban schools where students are predominantly Mexican American, this essay outlines the ways in which the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) harms the educational quality and opportunity of minority,…

This annual report details the accomplishments of the Alaska Head Start Program for fiscal year 1998. The report begins with a graphic presentation of the locations of Alaska Head Start programs and a table delineating the administrative and program partners of Head Start, its service population, eligibility requirements, funding sources, service…