Controversies over graduation rates and No Child Left Behind have raged in research, media and political circles for almost a year. All too often, though, when complex issues of social and economic importance collide with policy and politics, heat is generated but little light. As a result, it may be difficult for local educators to parse the…

This booklet provides teachers with information about the No Child Left Behind Act and how it supports teachers. It includes an overview of the law's "highly qualified" teacher provisions as well as information about other aspects of the law. The booklet offers: "Foreword" (letters from the President of the United States and the Secretary of…

This issues brief discusses the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Specifically, it reports on the results of focus groups that explored where people stand on standards-based education and whether they are likely to support or abandon struggling schools. The focus groups consisted of more than 60 participants who represented a broad cross-section…

This document is a synthesis of literature from 1997-2002 on the individualized education program (IEP), a core component of federal and state laws on the education of students with disabilities. The first section identifies the significant changes related to the IEP in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997. The…

This paper focuses on how the State of Kentucky has developed performance-based assessment programs, and the concept of continuous assessment in teacher education has formed over the past several years. The paper discusses the work done by the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board, the impact of 1997 legislation regarding postsecondary…

To support states in improving the quality of their Perkins accountability data, the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), US Department of Education, invited State Directors of Career-Technical Education to submit requests for individualized technical assistance. In response to a request by the New Mexico Public Education Department…

"No Child Left Behind" (NCLB), the title of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, describes a worthy goal for this nation. Tragically, NCLB is aggravating, not solving, the real problems that cause many children to be left behind. NCLB must be overhauled if the federal government is to make a useful contribution to…

Implementation of schoolwide projects in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) illustrates some of the conceptual problems associated with the Hawkins Stafford accountability amendments to the Chapter 1 supplementary education program. Unintended negative consequences are discussed, and recommendations are made to overcome these problems, including the…

Highlights specific questions, concerns, and challenges faced by educators, parents, and students concerning assessment, accountability, accommodations, and alternate assessment. Examples of state assessment-accommodation policies are provided and reasons for providing test accommodations, requirements of Individualized Education Programs,…

In this paper, the authors argue that at a time when disappointing student performance, stark achievement gaps, and an ever-"flattening" world call for retooling American schools for the 21st century, the most daunting impediments to doing so are the teacher collective bargaining agreements that regulate virtually all aspects of school district…

This two-volume report, and Summary of Key Findings, presents findings from the congressionally mandated National Assessment of Title I on the implementation and impact of the program. Volume I [see ED499017] contains key findings on the implementation of the program under No Child Left Behind, and Volume II presents a report on follow-up findings…

In this article, the author identifies and answers questions related to legal issues of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in comparison with Section 504 or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the NCLB. The author's answers to several questions concerning legal issues of IDEA are presented.

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…

Understanding the education agendas being promoted by state and federal politicians is critical in comprehending the factors affecting rural education. Equally important is developing an effective rural school improvement strategy that is viewed favorably by policymakers. Five areas represent the focal points of state and federal education…

This report is a brief analysis of survey results from 43 states and 2 non-state jurisdictions regarding the status of their implementation of a new provision in the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that requires each state to establish performance goals and indicators for children with disabilities. The survey…