Scientific thinking and understanding are essential for all people navigating the world, not just for scientists and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals. Knowledge of science and the practice of scientific thinking are essential components of a fully functioning democracy. Science is also crucial for the…

To increase student learning and achievement, more and more states are pursuing reforms in "both" early care and education (ECE) programs and the K-12 education system. Many states are implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) to promote all students' readiness for college and careers, while engaging in reforms prompted by the…

Fiscal and policy implications of continuing education requirements in the health professions are considered, with particular reference to the case of California. For 14 professions, data are presented on the average number of hours of continuing education needed annually to meet the requirement, the costs to the practitioner, and the total annual…

This paper discusses some alternatives to the Federal Interagency Day Care Requirements (FIDCR) including the feasibility of developing state standards for certification of federally-supported day care. Section I describes briefly the background and political context of current federal policies concerning day care regulation. Section II discusses…

While state curricular mandates may bring compliance, the notion that they can change what happens between teachers and students in the classroom is inherently wrong. States must set broad goals, establish broad outcomes, hold districts accountable through periodic reviews, and also devote ample resources and energies to those ends. (MSE)

Evolution of "quality" in higher education as an institutional concept is traced, and differences between approaches at the institutional and state levels are explored. Contrasting approaches in Florida and Illinois are examined, particularly in the case of Miami-Dade Community College (Florida). Contribution of the different approaches…

This paper reviews the development of the public monopoly of degree-granting institutions of higher education in Ontario, Canada. It examines arguments for private universities which suggest improved accessibility, diversity, and quality and finds the arguments to be insufficiently strong. A recommendation is made for improvement of Ontario's…

A study examined whether the state and federal performance standards for Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs have influenced Service Delivery Area (SDA) and service provider decisions about program design and implementation practices in ways that have affected the clients served, the types of services provided, and the costs of the…

A survey instrument developed to determine opinions of various groups on aspects of social policy and day care services was distributed among individuals involved in various ways with day care. The 42-item questionnaire used a Likert-type opinion scale to measure attitudes on: (1) aims and requirements of day care programs; (2) use of public…

This paper describes the Child Development Program Evaluation (CDPE) instrument designed to assess the overall operation and quality of all Title XX day care services in Pennsylvania. The administrative organization of child welfare services in Pennsylvania and the regionalized structure of day care services within this organization are described.…

Recently, state policy began paying more attention to minority achievement in elementary, secondary, and higher education. The effectiveness of such policy in higher education depends upon institutional commitment and progress in increasing minority participation, retention, and achievement. Dealing with poor student preparation at the elementary…

A summary of the Inservice Education Program Seminars for State Leaders in Postsecondary Education, sponsored by the Education Commission of the States (ECS) and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, is presented. Themes that occurred in the discussions, recommendations of an American Institutes for Research (AIR) report…

The purpose of this meeting, one of a series of family impact seminars was to explore definitions of quality in child care and the ways in which quality can be encouraged. The seminar was held in response to a number of child care bills under consideration by the 101st Congress that reopen the issue of federal regulation of child care. This…

These appendices accompany a study that was conducted to determine whether the state and federal performance standards for Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs have influenced Service Delivery Area (SDA) and service provider decisions about program design and implementation practices in ways that have affected the clients served, the types…

A study examined whether the state and federal performance standards for Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs have influenced Service Delivery Area (SDA) and service provider decisions about program design and implementation practices in ways that have affected the clients served, the types of services provided, and the costs of the…