The National Academy of Education (NAEd) undertook this consensus report on the evaluation and improvement of teacher preparation programs (TPPs). Specifically, this consensus report aims to (1) identify and disseminate best practices for evaluating and improving TPPs to promote teacher effectiveness and student achievement; (2) provide…

Head Start is a valuable federal program that improves the lives of our nation's most vulnerable children and their families. Research shows that Head Start programs improve children's learning at school entry and have a positive impact on long-term life outcomes. Research also suggests that Head Start could have a stronger impact on children's…

Purpose: This article describes the federal accountability requirements related to young children with disabilities and the contribution of the speech-language pathologist (SLP) to provide these data through the use of authentic, functional assessments. Method: The article summarizes recent state and federal developments related to assessment for…

Researchers and practitioners need to exchange information in order for education research to become more useful. Practitioners need to develop more understanding of research and how to interpret its findings in light of local conditions. The What Works Clearinghouse, a project of the Institute for Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of…

The author of this article states that, for more than 20 years, public educators have developed a professional inferiority complex and a strong sense of hopelessness. After all, he claims, the dominant message over those years, including from some within the profession, has been that educators have caused the declining quality in public schools.…

This introduction reviews the five accompanying articles and comments on the lack of a federal policy on educational research, urging educators to develop sound political strategy for advocating such a policy. (MCG)

The National Staff Development Council (NSDC) has won recognition for the field of professional development. Researchers and education change agents acknowledge the importance of professional learning among strategies essential for reforming schools and raising teacher and student performance. The federal government, states, and school districts…

Intended to improve citizen understanding of the legislative process and to encourage active participation in that process, this booklet describes how the United States House of Representatives conducts its business and provides a viewers' guide to the proceedings of the House as they are transmitted via satellite and cable to over 10 million…

Provides a list of 132 programs administered by the Office of Education covering every level and aspect of education and the funds appropriated by Congress for fiscal 1978 in support of them. Programs are presented in categories or groupings that indicate whether they serve individuals or institutions, and the nature of their support. (JMF)

Demonstrates how three commercial microcomputer software packages--PC-Talk III, Wordstar, and dBase III--were combined to produce an integrated library system at the U.S. Army Concepts Analysis Agency library. The retrospective conversion process is discussed, and the four modules of the system are described: acquisitions/cataloging; online…

The Federal Government is America's largest employer and is expanding consulting opportunities for career development professionals. Increased Federal mandates for outsourcing have opened wide doors for the entrepreneurial-spirited career counselors and created new challenges for traditional methods of offering career services. As consultants who…

This paper compares searching for a Federal Job to taking up a new sport. Becoming good at a sport takes lessons and coaching, study of the rules, practice, investment in equipment and special clothes, time to play, scheduling, and ongoing interest with friend who enjoy the same sport. An Expert Player/Jobseeker in the Federal Job Search System…

The purpose of this paper is to review the sources of vocational curriculum ?instruction that provides the skills necessary for individuals to perform entry-level jobs at the sub-baccalaureate level ? that may be available from selected federal agencies other than the Office of Vocational and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education.…

Describes the current, unsettled status of federal programs for the removal of friable asbestos from the schools and the method of financing such removal. (IRT)

The practices of the Overlap Group, a group of colleges that pools information to arrive at common financial-aid packages for applicants, are examined and a Justice Department inquiry is discussed. An antitrust analysis and some possible conclusions by the Justice Department or reviewing court are offered. (MSE)