This paper discusses the new Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 amendments that require states to develop alternate assessments and reviews state practices in Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, and Tennessee. These states were selected because they had either been implementing, were…

The requirements of (NCLB) and the 2004 reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) emphasize higher standards and achievement of all students. Fundamental changes are being implemented in organizing for instruction, staffing, and differentiating instruction. Leaders recognize the wall must come down between general and special education…

This report on gifted education is based on surveys returned by central education agencies in 47 states and Guam. The report contains informational charts which provide a broad overview of state level services for gifted students. An analysis of the data follows every chart. Included are data on: state mandates and regulations on gifted 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…

Minimal competency testing is the most recent evolution of the accountability movement and of the competency based education movement. It focuses on the basic academic skills of reading, writing, and arithemtic. It presumes the state will set educational objectives, and that the local school district will conduct its program so that the objectives…

The Hart Act, recently adopted by the state of California, mandates that school districts establish mechanisms of assessing minimal competencies in secondary education before students may receive a diploma. In this report, assemblyman Gary Hart, the bill's author, and Don McKinley, chief deputy to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, discuss…

This paper recommends developing an infrastructure of federal support and federal assessment of student performance to ensure that schoolwide programs in high poverty neighborhoods are able to meet specific legislative goals. It argues for closer links between the federal government and school districts in helping schoolwide programs develop…

This handbook forms the guideline for Ontario facilities of education as they prepare for accreditation reviews in the spring of 2000. The handbook also helps members of the accreditation panels with their work at individual pilot sites. The 8 parts are: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession and…

This manual covers thirteen different topics relevant to the education of students with disabilities in the era of educational reform and standards-based education. Sections include: (1) "Raising Standards of Learning: and Students with and Standards-Based Education Students with Disabilities" (Janet R. Vohs, Julia K. Landau, and Carolyn…

Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and instructors are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured…

Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through…

The reform legislation in the State of Illinois requires each district to articulate learner outcomes in six areas of education. Separate provisions of the law require increased assessment and reporting by the states and local districts. Deficiencies in the reform program, and the State Board of Education's implementation of the program, are…

Examines the impact of mandatory statewide implementation of increased standards with the enactment of Florida's Recognizing Achievement in Secondary Education Bill as evidenced by performance on standardized entry-level tests for community college students. Finds little improvement in academic preparation as measured by test scores. (DMM)

This article discusses the standards and practice of physical education in China. In China, 200,000,000 children in grades one through 12 receive physical education programming in 540,000 schools (People's Education Press, 2002). Since the 1990s, in response to this enormous task, the Chinese government has established national guidelines and…

This policy brief discusses the impact on students with disabilities of educational reforms that emphasize higher academic standards for all students and zero tolerance policies to make schools safe learning environments for all students. The public's demand for higher standards and safe environments is also explored. The development of academic…