Washington State faces the challenge of balancing a number of conflicting economic and political conditions that impact K-12 education either directly or indirectly. These include reduced vehicle license fees, an existing statewide spending limit, a state revenue surplus, proposals to provide property-tax relief, proposed voter initiatives to…

The 1997 Utah Legislature mandated the development and administration of assessment of students' early reading and numeric skills so that these students' instructional needs might be better met. This document provides answers to several questions regarding Utah's pre-kindergarten and end-of-level kindergarten assessments. The questions include the…

Many states have initiated prekindergarten programs to better prepare young children to enter school. A "blueprint for quality" was used as the basis for evaluating state prekindergarten initiatives; the blueprint focused on four components: (1) ensuring the availability of prekindergarten; (2) ensuring high quality prekindergarten; (3)…

In 1996, North Carolina established its "ABC" plan for educational improvement, based on accountability (A), testing of basic subjects (B), and more local control (C). Each year student test results in reading, mathematics, writing, and selected middle school and high school courses are analyzed to determine whether or not schools have…

Based on the premise that the earliest years of a child's life are key to predicting ultimate success in school and life, this Texas Kids Count Project report examines early childhood education in the state, focusing on children from low-income families. The report discusses the importance of the early years of life for neurological development…

This paper describes the approaches taken at a middle school to improve student problem solving ability and test results for the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) mathematics tests. The focus was on grade 6. In 1996, 35% of the 437 students in grade 6 did not master the mathematics problem solving skill. A committee of…

To help close gaps between employee skills and employer needs, both federal- and state-funded programs are providing training and helping employers find qualified employees. In 2002, states raised revenues from taxes levied on employers to fund their own programs. This study examined how many states used employer taxes to fund their own employment…

The establishment of soundly organized local districts for administering the schools has long been a major problem in American education. Methods of dealing with this problem have varied greatly ranging from compulsory reorganization of districts by legislative decree to dependence upon highly permissive laws to be used or ignored as local people…

The No Child Left Behind Act required states and districts to begin offering supplemental educational services in the 2002-03 school year to students from low-income families attending Title I schools that had been identified for improvement for two years or more. This brief is based on a larger study that examined the first year of implementation…

Considered rehabilitation programs that are designed to provide various services to the handicapped and the effect of implementing a communications network. (RK)

Funds made available through the Amendments to the Vocational Education Act are being used to determine the feasibility of sharing facilities and resources under a multi-purpose secondary occupational-vocational center concept in South Dakota. That state's program has been redesigned to meet the demands of both agriculture production and…

The stenographic record of testimony by five students, one mother, and one former teacher before the House Committee on Education and Labor hearings on amendments to the National School Lunch Act. (JM)

Offers the New Jersey State Adult Basic Education Program as a model for other states. Article gives a thorough outline of the New Jersey program. (GB)

Discusses possible future trends in educational finance following the California court decision in Serrano vs Priest. (JF)