This paper is one of four individual case study reports presenting the qualitative findings from a five-year investigation of the impact of accountability reform on students with disabilities in four states, eight districts, and twenty schools. This case study report presents qualitative data collected over a four-year period--2001-2004--from…

Schools in the United States are seeing a tremendous increase in the cultural and ethnic diversity of the children they serve. Demographic projections have estimated that by 2020, nearly half of U.S. students will be people of color (National Association of State Boards of Education 2002). This reality, along with expanding relationships among…

This profile uniquely presents a variety of educational and socioeconomic information for Yolo County, nearby counties, and the state. The profile highlights the relationship between various factors that affect the economic well-being of individuals and communities. This presentation of information provides a framework for enhanced communication…

"Kids Count in Colorado!" is an annual publication of the Colorado Children's Campaign, which provides the best available state- and county-level data to measure and track the education, health and general well-being of the state's children. "Kids Count in Colorado!" informs policy debates and community discussions, serving as…

This report represents the deliberations of the Pacific Regional Advisory Committee (RAC), one of 10 RACs established under the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 to assess the educational needs of the region. The committee's report outlines educational needs across the state, districts, and territories of Hawai'i, the Commonwealth of…

Global economic transformations have never been as dramatic as in the twentieth century. Most countries have experienced radical changes in the standards of income per capita, technology, fertility, mortality, income inequality and the extent of democracy in the course of the past century. It is the goal of many disciplines--economics, history,…

The purpose of this study was to determine pre-service teachers' perceptions regarding the management of behaviours in inclusive classrooms. An additional purpose was to gather data on the relationships between the teacher candidates' demographic information and their beliefs about managing misbehaviours in inclusive school environments. Survey…

The purpose of this Annual School Progress Report is twofold: (1) to share information about the progress of Guam Public School System towards meeting education goals, which are embodied in the District Action Plan (DAP); and (2) to inform educators and the community at large about programs and activities that affect the quality of educational…

Clearly defining what rural means has tangible implications for public policies and practices in education, from establishing resource needs to achieving the goals of No Child Left Behind in rural areas. The word "rural" has many meanings. It has been defined in reference to population density, geographic features, and level of economic…

A nationwide survey of pre-service physical education majors/minors was completed during the 2003-2004 academic year (N = 755). Demographic information collected included age, gender, athletic background, Body Mass Index (BMI) and racial/ethnic background. Wellness practices were surveyed (physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco/alcohol use).…

In this paper we examine the contention that many schools and school boards use funding generated from testing and coding of students with special needs as a means of augmenting general operating revenues. As a result, students with special needs do not receive the full benefit of the monies received for individualized programs. The article draws…

A nationally representative survey of students' learning behaviors observed by classroom teachers of 1,500 school-aged American youth is presented. Participants comprised the standardization cohort of the Learning Behaviors Scale (McDermott, Green, Francis, & Stott, 1999) stratified according to the U.S. Census. Base rates of learning behaviors…

To examine how neighborhood characteristics influence academic achievement, data were drawn from a community survey of low-income neighborhoods and linked with data on performance on standardized testing for third-grade students attending elementary schools in those communities. Results of multilevel logistic regressions indicated that probability…

This study compares middle schools to K-8 schools, as well as to newly formed K-8 schools that are part of a K-8 conversion policy. The outcome is student achievement, and our sample includes 40,883 eighth-grade students from 95 schools across five cohorts. The analysis uses multilevel modeling to account for student, cohort, and school-level…

In recent years, the majority of new immigrants to the United States have settled in rural areas, creating unique challenges for special education administrators. In this article, we discuss the details of the challenges to rural schools in meeting the requirements of the federal mandates, especially No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act passed in 2001…