The first article, "The Cost of English Acquisition Programs: Arizona Department of Education English Acquisition Cost Study" contains excerpts from a study (Phases 1 and 4) conducted for the Arizona Department of Education on the costs of various English-acquisition programs. Six successful but varied English-acquisition programs for…

This newsletter presents articles on: preparing, recruiting, and retaining the best teachers; the RAND project designed to examine the need for high quality programs that impact classroom practice (focusing on mathematics and reading); accountability reform (whether accountability policies improve student achievement); organizational and…

This theme issue on standards contains 11 articles written by teachers of English and language arts in Bread Loaf's primarily rural, teacher networks. These narratives describe how teachers in Alaska, South Carolina, Ohio, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Arizona, and New Mexico are implementing state content standards while honoring local contexts for…

This series issue presents a description and assessment of the Agency for International Development (AID) funded endowment concept as conducted by a number of AID Missions and host governments in Latin American and the Caribbean. These endowments are being used to strengthen and sustain the financial base of existing or new non-governmental…

In the accountability movement in higher education, the success of two-year colleges is often viewed solely by standards which apply only to four-year institutions, such as the completion of a degree program. Many two-year college students, however, enroll to prepare for employment, to develop important life skills, or to retrain for employment.…

Although some board members and superintendents may consider superintendent evaluation as potentially disturbing for their working relationships, such evaluations may become more appealing when considered as part of a broader system of school governance and management. What is needed is a performance appraisal system developed jointly by…

In light of growing concern for the measurement of educational effectiveness, this paper advocates institutional research at the community college level in California's community colleges to answer crucial questions concerning students, programs, and communities and urges trustees and administrators to use research results to inform decision…

The nature and common uses of standardized achievement tests are described and placed in context in order to evaluate claims and criticisms that are commonly made. Tests are described as samples of behavior and hence subject to sampling errors. Much of the debate is dominated by emotion and prejudices. There is very little empirical evidence about…

These 13 issues of the Children's Defense Fund Report from 1997 discuss concerns related to child advocacy and provide information on problems in children's lives in the United States. Regular features include the editorial column "A Voice for Children," a status report on federal legislation related to children, descriptions of…

This document contains the 10 issues of the IDRA Newsletter published in 2002. The newsletter disseminates research findings, descriptions of successful programs and reforms, and other information related to equality of educational opportunity, focusing on Hispanic students, bilingual education, and Texas. Articles are: "Successful Bilingual…

This bulletin is intended to help British further education colleges clarify their rationale for entering into collaborative programs, assess prospective partners, define and implement good practice at all stages of provision, and establish rigorous quality assurance procedures. Following an introduction, Further Education Funding Council…

The National Consortium on Inclusive Schooling Practices (1996) developed a framework to analyze state and local policies and their effects on school inclusion. The framework focuses on standards-based systemic reform across six major policy areas: curriculum, student assessment, accountability, personnel development and professional training,…

This volume consists of four issues that present best practices, current research on adult learning and literacy, and how research is used. Issue 1(A) on adult multiple intelligences has seven articles: "MI (Multiple Intelligences), the GED (General Educational Development), and Me (Martha Jean); "Understanding Multiple Intelligences:…

This theme issue focuses on the drastic revision of the Texas education code undertaken during the 1995 state legislative session. "Education Policy Reform: Key Points for Districts" (Albert Cortez, Mikki Symonds) outlines critical issues in the legislation that have an impact on educational quality: charter schools exempt from state…

This issue of the Canadian quarterly "Transitions," in French and English language versions, examines the prevention of youth crime, with a specific focus on activities, trends, and research dealing with Canadian families. Major articles in this issue are: (1) "A Snowball's Chance? Communities and Families Working to Prevent Youth…