This paper describes a Networked Improvement Community comprised of a network of 13 states focused on improving coherence and equity in state systems of science education. Grounded in principles of improvement science adapted from healthcare, we are developing and testing resources for formative assessment in science, with the aim of developing…

Response to intervention (RTI) is a major current issue at the intersection of general and special education, with the school psychologists in their usual central position. The literature is replete with scholarly and practical sources on RTI, but the legal sources are limited. A few articles provide systematic coverage of the relevant provisions…

The centerpiece of former Governor Elliot Spitzer's education reform agenda was a set of performance agreements between the state and designated needy school districts. Known as Contracts for Excellence, or C4E, these agreements would eventually be linked to over a quarter of the new state aid proposed in the governor's first budget. C4E districts…

Discusses the Abt Study of State and Local Compliance which sought to describe state and local implementation of the provisions of the Vocational Education Amendments of 1965; to understand ways in which local environment affects compliance; and to provide Congress with recommendations for achieving greater adherence to federal intent. (JOW)

This synthesis of six commissioned papers on state education agency evaluation practices describes the sources of influence or factors affecting the context of their evaluation practices. Evaluation is viewed as testing, management, and policy formation conducted within a highly complex social setting. (PN)

The use of seclusion timeout in school settings has again become controversial. For more than 35 years there have been recommendations that states and schools develop policies and procedures regarding the use of seclusion timeout in school settings. Recent lawsuits brought against school districts accusing them of violating student rights through…

Illustrates the potential for inconsistent interpretations of the statutory regulations of the Education Consolidation Improvement Act by describing the different approaches Connecticut, Arizona, New York, and Mississippi are taking in implementing the law. (CMG)

Outlines the objectives and responsibilities of state and local education agencies and urges their cooperation so that children will receive adequate nutritional benefits and develop into productive citizens. (MLF)

This paper reviews the role played by the Title I (now Chapter 1) Evaluation Technical Assistance Centers in providing technical assistance to state and local agencies. It presents (1) a legistative history; (2) the Technical Assistance Center (TAC) activities under Title I; (3) an evaluation of the TACs; (4) the legislative changes enacted by the…

As a planning and evaluation specialist in a state education agency, the author of this paper understands the types of assistance that researchers can provide the public schools. He argues that local school personnel want practical information that will help solve current problems, and are more frequently concerned with immediate, unexpected…

Two issues in the Holtzman Project bear examination and reconsideration: (1) the recommendation for the use of field experiments as an exclusive "authorized" evaluation design, and (2) the focus on the needs of the federal client, and the apparent lack of concern for clients at the state and local levels. (GC)

The Fake Book is a square spiral bound Xeroxed book, about 7" by 7", maybe 250 pages long. It's all music--the notes, usually in C or B minor, of hundreds of standard tunes, jazz, pop, and every once in a while, classical. The Fake Book and all of its variants provide an evolving canon of tunes that defines a set of common standards for…

Summarizes a report from Northwestern University that reviewed Federal evaluation practices of federally supported educational programs at the national, state, and local levels. Considers: (1) evaluation purposes and methods; (2) evaluators' capabilities; (3) use of evaluation results; and (4) ways that evaluation procedures/practices can be…

California State Department of Education officials visited Azusa Unified School District as part of their study on the governance of education after Proposition 13. This article summarizes, from the District's perspective, the discussions on categorical programs and ways the State Department could help the district to improve education.…

The parental right to select a child's school involves more than the option to choose nonpublic education. This document reviews a number of policy options availaable to public education systems for providing educational choice. Options at the state level include the use of education vouchers, subsidized transfer to selected schools, and…