The National Academy of Education (NAEd) undertook this consensus report on the evaluation and improvement of teacher preparation programs (TPPs). Specifically, this consensus report aims to (1) identify and disseminate best practices for evaluating and improving TPPs to promote teacher effectiveness and student achievement; (2) provide…

Head Start is a valuable federal program that improves the lives of our nation's most vulnerable children and their families. Research shows that Head Start programs improve children's learning at school entry and have a positive impact on long-term life outcomes. Research also suggests that Head Start could have a stronger impact on children's…

Researchers and practitioners need to exchange information in order for education research to become more useful. Practitioners need to develop more understanding of research and how to interpret its findings in light of local conditions. The What Works Clearinghouse, a project of the Institute for Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of…

The author of this article states that, for more than 20 years, public educators have developed a professional inferiority complex and a strong sense of hopelessness. After all, he claims, the dominant message over those years, including from some within the profession, has been that educators have caused the declining quality in public schools.…

The purpose of this paper is to review the sources of vocational curriculum ?instruction that provides the skills necessary for individuals to perform entry-level jobs at the sub-baccalaureate level ? that may be available from selected federal agencies other than the Office of Vocational and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education.…

The practices of the Overlap Group, a group of colleges that pools information to arrive at common financial-aid packages for applicants, are examined and a Justice Department inquiry is discussed. An antitrust analysis and some possible conclusions by the Justice Department or reviewing court are offered. (MSE)

The top 100 institutions in total federal obligations in fiscal 1984 are listed, and the total funding amounts and funding and ranking for research and development are included. These institutions account for 63 percent of total federal obligations to higher education institutions. (MSE)

This study, which was conducted to determine how effectively the U.S. Department of Education plans for and manages its information resources in supporting its mission and administering its programs, focused on the Department's strategic information resources management (IRM) planning process. Meetings were held with program officials to ascertain…

Sources of potential health-related research support outside the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are discussed to encourage VA field research administrators to seek out new research funding arrangements. The history and scope of extra-VA research funding is reviewed and the VA research administrator's role is examined. (MSE)

A study of the financial aid applications of 2,979 parents of college students and of 136 independent students filing both actual and estimated income data on the applications found that contrary to Department of Education assumptions, procedures for income verification established by individual colleges produce effective and efficient results.…

Grants management staff at the Bureau of Health Professions, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, used existing computer technology and staff expertise to automate several steps in one grant program. Creative use of computers and software resulted in significant time savings, better staff use, and recording of data to improve grants…

The increasing demand for social work clinicians in the Department of Veterans Affairs to be accountable for outcomes of client intervention is seen as a threat to the social work profession's leadership role. One program is examined to highlight system obstacles and administrative approaches that can reduce barriers between the academic and…

A court decision that income from a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) souvenir program was not a "regularly carried on activity" and, therefore, was taxable as business income is discussed. Application of the same principles and standards to university income from advertising activities is considered, and recommendations…

New programs and related activities in ambulatory care and education in the Western Region Veterans' Health Administration and its 11 affiliated medical schools are reported, including advisory activities, innovative projects, and a conference. Future activities in the expanded western region are outlined. (Author/MSE)

An Environmental Protection Agency program encourages energy conservation on campuses by consulting with colleges and universities willing to reduce energy used in lighting. Full program implementation in these and other organizations can create significant savings in demand for electricity and help fight global warming and acid rain. (MSE)