The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is President George W. Bush's education reform law passed by Republicans and Democrats in Congress. This guide for parents summarizes the main provisions of the law, answers common questions, and provides information on where to find additional resources. The first part of the guide provides an introduction and…

This guide is designed to offer strategies for building leadership capacity in schools and to assist school administrators in finding new ways to encourage and support teachers and students in their efforts to succeed. The guide answers four questions: (1) What do leaders do to create curriculum and instruction that push all students to higher…

This publication provides Autism Program Quality Indicators (APQI), intended as a self-review and quality improvement guide for schools and programs serving students with autism spectrum disorders. The APQI were developed by the New York Autism Network at the request of the New York State Education Department. The APQI promote the goal that all…

This curriculum framework is a guide for local education communities as they restructure their schools and improve foreign language planning. Grounded in national and state reform efforts, this guide for teachers to help students achieve the Sunshine State Standards, presents broad, overarching ideas for the development of curriculum and…

In response to new provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), this issue describes the promising special education research that is helping all students participate successfully in large-scale testing programs. The first article, "State-Wide Assessment Programs," discusses the new provisions in IDEA that…

Designed for general and special education administrators, teachers, and other education professionals, this book offers a "big picture" of high expectations, assessment, and accountability for students with significant disabilities. Chapters focus on the following eight steps involved in the development and administration of alternate…

A new approach in alternative assessment focuses on student-led conferences. This paper explains how one Iowa middle school implements student-led conferences. The approach combines authentic assessment via portfolios with greater student involvement. Additional components include self-assessment, effective communication, parental involvement, and…

This document examines the major issues and implications related to the development of quality guidelines for adult literacy programs in Ontario (Canada) and presents a framework for discussing issues related to quality guidelines and their formulation. Discussed in the first section are the following topics: the place of quality issues/guidelines…

This training guide describes the provisions of the Federal Direct Student Loan Program, identifies the functions of the different partners in the program, and explains the responsibilities of participating schools. Topics covered include an overview of the participants and the program's operation; determining of eligibility and loan amount;…

This guide is designed to facilitate the debating of local policy options in school restructuring which have implications for the education of students with disabilities and other learners with special needs. The guide summarizes special education issues and policy options described more fully in preceding booklets and then asks the reader to…

Designed as a reference tool for use at state and local levels by administrators, teachers, and parent groups, the document consolidates research on special education, school and classroom effectiveness, and other indicators of effectiveness and quality into a consistent format. Introductory material orients users, and contextual factors…

Criteria for self-study by public college governing boards are presented. For each criterion, questions are presented, along with three response options: "yes,""no," and "do not know or can not judge." A response option for judging the board's overall performance on each criterion is also included. In addition, brief introductory comments for each…

Educational public relations (PR) is a planned and systematic management function designed to help improve the programs and services of an educational organization. The standards and techniques discussed in this guide are based on the nearly 50 years of experience of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA). The guidebook offers…

A framework for monitoring quality control (QC) of processor contracts administered by the Department of Education's Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) is presented and applied to the Pell Grant program. Guidelines for establishing QC measures and standards are included, and the uses of a sampling procedure in the QC system are…

Three policy statements on self-regulation initiatives for colleges and universities were developed by the American Council on Education with support, in some cases, from other organizations. Policy statement number one concerns policy guidelines for refund of student charges. The guidelines summarize elements of fair and equitable policy in…