Using examples from California, the author analyzes the increasing trend for states to assume a guiding or dominant role over local school districts in important aspects of American education. He considers the main reasons for this trend to be public concern over academic standards and the increasing cost of education. (Editor/SJL)

Since December, 1975, the California State Department of Education has administered the California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE) five times. Students who pass the exam may leave school as early as two years before they would otherwise be permitted to. This study focused on four specific areas: (1) an overview to provide the…

The research and evaluation agenda for the Austin Independent School District (AISD) (Texas) is determined for each school year, subject to current needs and requests. The evaluations and other major projects for 1993-94 will focus on three major areas. First is providing school support. Testing programs mandated by state law and district policy…

Requirements of Mississippi legislation designed to upgrade student achievement and school personnel competence, reward good teaching, increase accountability, and facilitate state level educational leadership are clarified in this implementation guide. For each section of the Reform Act the rationale is summarized, statutory citations provided,…

Little is known about the costs of setting up and implementing legislated minimal competency testing (MCT). To estimate the financial obstacles which lie between the idea and its implementation, MCT requirements are viewed from two perspectives. The first, government regulation, views legislated minimal competency requirements as an attempt by the…

In recent years, New York, like most other states, has adopted a set of challenging educational standards that are geared to preparing all students to be capable citizens and to compete in the global marketplace. The state has also implemented extensive Regents testing programs to measure student progress toward meeting the standards. These…

This case study is part of a broader research project examining state policies and governance structures that span K-12 and postsecondary education. Florida has implemented some of the most sweeping education governance changes of any state; all levels of education are housed in the Department of Education, which is overseen by a commissioner who…

Proceedings of a Florida statewide conference on quality in higher education are presented. Topics include the following: databases, the community colleges' accounting for quality, program budgeting, and trends in truth in testing. Transcripts of a panel discussion on databases and the following papers and reports are included: "Quality and…

This case study is part of a broader research project examining state policies and governance structures that span K-12 and postsecondary education. Georgia was the first state to have state and regional P-16 councils, and its regents' office in the University System of Georgia oversees a variety of projects that focus on connecting K-12 and…

This case study is part of a broader research project examining state policies and governance structures that span K-12 and postsecondary education. Oregon has been a leader in K-16 reform through its development of the Proficiency-based Admission Standards System (PASS), which articulated postsecondary expectations and linked them with K-12…