Faced with rising demand for information about early childhood programs, states need to find tools and strategies to monitor the progress of and to identify high-quality early childhood programs. In response, REL Mid-Atlantic convened a regional workgroup for state personnel who work with the systems containing early childhood data. The workgroup…

The Common Planning Time Project of the Middle Level Education Research Special Interest Group (MLER SIG) of the American Educational Research Association provided an avenue through which researchers from throughout the United States could investigate numerous aspects of common planning time in schools. Although several studies have investigated…

At its annual joint board and commission meeting (Washington, DC, November 10-11, 2010), American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) focused attention on college completion by presenting two panel discussions on the completion agenda, followed by breakout sessions in which participants were assigned to focus groups tasked with providing…

In May 1974, the Undergraduate Education Reform Project of the Southern Regional Education Board sponsored a small workshop for representatives from each of the 14 SREB states. The purpose of the regional workshop was to provide an opportunity for the state representatives to identify and examine issues connected with student transfer and to share…

The use of blue ribbon commissions for higher education planning is discussed, and 25 reports produced by blue ribbon commissions in 23 states between January 1981 and March 1986 are reviewed. Blue ribbon commissions are established for a fixed duration to study a specific problem and are composed of eminent individuals from a variety of…

This paper describes various kinds of inservice teacher education sponsored by the Maryland State Department of Education and explores the factors influencing impact on participants in terms of use of knowledge or skills presented. Data were collected by observation, interviews, and questionnaires. A cross-case synthesis of 10 individual case…

Issues concerning the financing of higher education are considered with reference made to Maryland's status. It is suggested that money is a critical issue, that good management is needed to assure the best and wisest use of fiscal resources, and that the fiscal outlook for the future indicates that higher education planners must examine…

A statewide assessment was made of specific nutrition education and training needs in Maryland public schools. The approach used allowed an examination of both needs and possible solutions, examined needs which required multiple solutions, and identified resources which could address multiple needs. This multimethodological approach included site…

This address focuses upon the expected increases in enrollments of traditional college students in the first decade of the 21st Century, and the impact of this increase on community colleges is discussed. Much recent activity and research at community colleges have focused on adult education, workforce development, technological advancement and…

A collaborative approach to solving school problems in Maryland emphasizes planned change through organization development processes. Organization development, a process of planned improvement in overall functioning, strives for sustained capacity in problem-solving by communication, goal-setting, conflict resolution, and commitment. The…

During the first crisis of the early 1990s, higher education institutions in Maryland experienced a decline in public funding and were consequently forced to compete for scarce resources. By 1992, higher education appropriations as a percentage of the state general fund had fallen to 11.1%; a decrease of 2.4% in just 2 years. Some improvement had…

An overview is provided of the responses made by Maryland's community colleges to growing concerns for accountability and the measurement of educational outcomes. First, the paper reviews the legislative initiatives and agency actions that characterized the state's movement toward a formalized, state-coordinated institutional assessment procedure.…

A committee reviewed existing certification requirements for vocational education teacher coordinators in Maryland and proposed a set of changes in the current certification system. The recommendations were developed after a review of the related literature, a 50-state survey to identify current certification practices, solicitation of expert…

This study provides a description of a program initiated in 1980 by the Maryland State Education Agency (SEA). The School Improvement through Instructional Process (SITIP) program presents data for a study involving educators in 19 of 24 local education agencies. The SITIP design includes nine areas of activity: (1) SEA preparation; (2) building…

A seminar convened by the Policy Analysis Service brought together state and federal student aid officials, representatives of higher education associations, and analyst-researchers to address a number of issues related to the impact of the federal Basic Educational Opportunity Grant program on the states. Formal presentations included a…