Since Congress enacted the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1965, the federal government has emphasized states' shared responsibility for improving student achievement. When Congress reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 2001 as the No Child Left Behind Act, it called upon states to provide technical support to…

The Center for Law and Education (CLE), a national advocacy organization with offices in Boston and Washington, D.C., strives to assist low-income students, parents, and advocates improve their public schools and work with their communities to fulfill every student's right to a high-quality education. In Massachusetts, CLE provides legal support…

Skin cancer is highly preventable, but clearly there is a critical need to focus on better ways to disseminate information about known skin cancer prevention. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) SunWise Program is one channel for reaching children, teachers, and school nurses. In a pilot study designed to increase adoption of…

2010 was a pioneering year for Massachusetts public schools. State leaders recognized that while the Commonwealth leads the nation in student achievement on national measures such as NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress), more needed to be done to close the persistent achievement gaps between our wealthy and poor students. Combining a…

Historically, states in the northeast region have differed considerably from neighboring states in the percentage of their special education student population served in different educational environments. Placement data indicate the degree to which students with disabilities are placed in the least restrictive environment (LRE) along the…

The Massachusetts Department of Education's Accountability and Targeted Assistance (ATA) Center maintains and manages the state's School and District Accountability System. Results from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) are used to identify public schools and districts that are likely to require state intervention in order…

In April 2008, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) contracted with the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) to facilitate a series of regional workshops and provide technical assistance to strengthen efforts to improve college readiness for all students. This final report summarizes these activities…

Two position papers on higher education in Massachusetts in the 1980s, which were prepared by the Alden Seminar for Higher Education, are presented. In addition, an overview of the Alden Seminar meeting (Boston, Massachusetts, October 1983), which examined proposals for a Higher Education Development Corporation, is included. In "Adjusting to…

"After School: Connecting Children at Risk With Responsible Adults to Help Reduce Youth Substance Abuse and Other Health-Compromising Behaviors (After School)" helped develop intermediary organizations in Boston, Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area in order to create citywide systems of after-school programs. The…

Highlights of this issue include: (1) Accommodating College Students with Cochlear Implants (Catherine Clark); (2) The Director's Column (Dianne Brooks); (3) Upcoming Events by State; (4) Practice What you Preach! (Jane Jarrow); (5) NETAC Central Office/Site Coordinators tear-out page; and (6) "Starting Off on the Right Foot" Program…

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…

A Merrimack Education Center (MEC) project was developed to provide technology consultation, expertise, and advice for capacity building and networking of adult center staff in regional locations in Massachusetts. Two pilot sites were installed to demonstrate the computer/skills center approach of teaching basic skills to adult learners. Six…

The Northeast Regional Resource Center (NERRC) convened national and regional technical assistance (TA) providers and State Education Agency (SEA) teams for two days of focused work on teacher quality. The meeting was held at the Learning Center, Marlborough, Massachusetts, May 4-5, 2006. The purpose of the National Center for Improving Teacher…

This issue of "NETAC Networks" highlights the following: (1) A snapshot of life in the U.S. Virgin Islands (Karen Brin); (2) Upcoming events by state; (3) Convert television captions to web-streaming formats; (4) I.D.E.A. reauthorized; (5) Vermont Career Day 2004 (Janet Dickinson); (6) Eye on the prize (Jane Jarrow); (7) Promoting…

The Massachusetts Board of Education recently adopted a 5-year plan to assist Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in the curriculum areas of reading, writing, arithmetic, science, and computer literacy. However, reduction in funds and staff at the LEA level has decreased the ability of local programs to implement marketing and assistance. This manual,…