School grades provide an easily understandable metric to measure the performance of a school. Parents and the general public can use the informational baseline school grade and its associated components to understand how well each school is serving its students. The school grades calculation was revised substantially for the 2014-15 school year to…

No issue in schools and communities today commands the concern and urgency of the U.S. public as much as the dangers of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among youth. This guide therefore provides descriptive information on the variety of surveys of student alcohol and other drug use currently available, and delineates the issues involved in…

Alternatives, the Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program of Community School District 22 in Brooklyn, N.Y., is a broad-based substance abuse prevention program funded by the state that provides direct services to students and their families through three service modalities. These are prevention services, which provide students, parents, and the…

This booklet is designed to provide ideas on how youth competencies in the areas of basic education, pre-employment and work maturity, and job-specific skills can be utilized to help disabled youth meet performance standards in programs funded under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). Discussed in the introductory section are the following…

This document presents student work on the Science test which was completed as part of a Graduate Exit Exam (GEE) 21 assessment. The test is made up of forty multiple--choice items, four independent short?answer items, and one comprehensive science task. The science task consists of three short--answer items and one essay, all of which are based…

Reports that a Texas advocacy group discovered thousands of errors in U.S. history textbooks. Notes that the books underwent the review after drawing favorable reactions from Texas education officials. Identifies possible explanations for the errors and steps being taken to reduce errors in the future. (SG)

This book provides a suggested model for district administrators, Job Service district directors, Private Industry Councils, and others working to create or re-implement in-school job placement programs in Wisconsin high schools. It includes a list of points to be considered and covered in the "statement of agreement" drawn up by…

This document, which was developed for use by Pennsylvania 4-H Club leaders and members, is a chart that can be used to help club members determine and document those sewing skills they already have and those they need to learn as they complete one or more 4-H Club sewing projects. The document begins with a note to club leaders and parents that…

This manual was developed to provide businesses with practical and easily implemented ways to meet the needs of local schools. It provides ideas and approaches for developing partnerships focused on school dropouts by exploring problems and pitfalls and offering solutions. The document has five chapters; a 21-item reference list; a description of…

This guidebook was developed to help businesses provide high-quality worksite learning experiences for students. It combines experiential knowledge from experts with that of mentoring programs across the country to reduce the task of planning and implementing quality worksite learning experiences to a logical process. The book offers guidance for…

Intended for parents, school personnel, and leisure staff, this booklet outlines ways a community can overcome obstacles that keep youth with disabilities from enjoying their leisure. First the nature of leisure is considered and a self-evaluation questionnaire is presented. Consideration of leisure in the lives of teenagers with disabilities…

This paper addresses a decline in educational standards and discusses the role of curriculum. After defining the problem, it presents the evidence, pointing to the following factors: (1) decreasing student achievement after the fourth or fifth grade; (2) a curriculum that reflects and perpetuates this decline, e.g., by setting course requirements…

This handbook was written to demonstrate the procedure for setting up and running a citizen advisory council for vocational education programs. Organized into seven sections, the handbook provides information on the background and purposes of an advisory council, procedures for establishing a council, council operations, the council role, public…

The "School Health Index" is a self-assessment and planning guide that will enable schools to: (1) identify the strengths and weaknesses of school policies and programs for promoting health and safety; (2) develop an action plan for improving student health and safety, and (3) involve teachers, parents, students, and the community in improving…

This publication provides information and detailed and specific answers to all parties involved in developing successful advisory committees--educators, business, industry, and labor. The first section of the manual discusses types of advisory committees, their authority, and functions. In the second section, establishment of occupational advisory…