Research agendas help statewide longitudinal data system (SLDS) teams and their states align SLDS work with state strategic goals and policy priorities, plan and prioritize research projects, and respond to data requests from researchers. This brief describes key steps and considerations for communicating and carrying out a research agenda that an…

State longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) promise a rich source of data for education research. SLDSs contain statewide student data that can be linked over time and to additional data sources for education management, reporting, improvement, and research, and ultimately for informing education policy and practice. Authored by Karen Levesque, Robert…

A quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) is a voluntary state assessment system that uses multidimensional data on early childhood education programs to rate program quality, support quality improvement efforts, and provide information to families about the quality of available early childhood education programs. QRISs have two components:…

This sourcebook provides information for educators and community leaders involved in dropout prevention planning. The indexed, looseleaf notebook places boldface keywords in each entry's upper right-hand corner. Thirteen sections contain summaries of sources and ordering procedures. Section A deals with general reports and literature reviews;…

This primer is designed to provide a step-by-step guide for state policymakers and state agency officials interested in assessing the literacy skills of the people of their state. Chapter 1 describes the importance of assessing the literacy skills in each state. Literacy is discussed as an economic necessity, a requirement for a healthy democracy,…

This handbook is designed to help local and state vocational education evaluation personnel conduct studies to measure the training and job satisfaction of former vocational education students. It consists of eight chapters. Chapter 1 explains the rationale, development, and organization of the handbook. Chapter 2 is composed of two commissioned…

This resource manual was produced to assist the South Carolina Technical College System's efforts to improve institutional effectiveness and accountability. The first two sections of the manual provide a brief foreword, a description of state initiatives for research and academic excellence in South Carolina, the text of state legislation…

The success of state assessment programs depends on how well the results are reported to their various audiences. This paper presents 11 guidelines for improving reporting practices, including: plan ahead; develop different reports for different audiences; and field test report formats, language, and content. (BW)

Describes how North Carolina educators cooperated to build a system of teacher-performance appraisal. To build the program, educators derived basic teaching functions from literature and observed teachers to gather performance data. Training is now provided to districts, and information about effective teaching is disseminated throughout the…

The focus of this handbook is on institutional rather than on individual neglect and abuse of children. Specific problems facing children are documented and strategies offered for alleviating those problems at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as in the public and private sectors. A discussion is presented on the United States Census…

This manual is intended for use primarily by depository librarians in Wisconsin in order to help depository libraries comply with the state documents depository law. The manual opens with a description of the Wisconsin Document Depository Program. The history of the program is outlined, and the following general responsibilities and procedures for…

This guide is designed to assist Missouri school district personnel in conducting follow-up studies of special education graduates. The guide outlines the questions that need to be addressed prior to conducting a follow-up study as well as the procedures to complete such a project. Sample follow-up questionnaires are included for districts to…

This report synthesizes information from many sources about state and local Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) evaluation activities and issues. The report's five sections are interrelated, but each can stand alone as a discussion piece on JTPA evaluation. The first section, on the role of evaluation in JTPA, outlines the rationale for doing…

The handbook is designed to help state education agency (SEA), personnel make an accurate count of those handicapped children aged 3 to 21 years who are receiving special education and related services in their state. The child count procedures suggested are based on a study of accepted census practices and on the experiences of a number of SEAs…

Intended for use in inservice training of vocational rehabilitation agency personnel, this facility planning guide is designed to (1) help state agencies understand the new facility planning requirements of the Rehabilitation Comprehensive Services and Developmental Disabilities Amendments of 1978, (2) provide information about a six-step planning…