This year's Quality Counts report (last mentioned in the
January 12, 2001 Scout Report) focuses on the importance of high quality learning experiences for children prior to their K-12 school years. The benefits of offering quality education at this early point can be substantial; children perform with better cognitive skills during later educational stages. Not simply an endorsement of improved standards and programs, the report outlines the current state of affairs with supporting statistics and documentation for each state and the District of Columbia. The report examines tangible issues such as adequate pay for educators, evaluation criteria and measurement tools, and each state's "commitment to Kindergarten." The format of this report is much enhanced from prior publications. An Interactive data search, Excel and .pdf data tables, Web-only testing data (e.g., the table "Grade-by-Grade Testing Policies" is available online only), and inclusion of "new indicators of several school-quality categories" are all new features with the 2002 report. This report, as are all the Quality Counts Reports from Education Week and the Pew Charitable Trusts, is a thoughtful read for anyone concerned with education.
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