In 2013, the Texas Legislature gave the state commissioner of education the broad statutory authority necessary to close poor performing public charter schools. Since then, the commissioner has vigorously exercised this new authority, preparing the way for the state to shift its resources away from enforcement and toward creation and support of…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Education Policy." Contents include: (1) Legislative Sessions Constrained by…

Adequate funding has become a critical issue for institutions of higher education, affecting outcomes such as accessibility, affordability, and quality of education. The recent economic recession has been detrimental for state funding, resulting in budget cuts for higher education in a majority of states. Overall, state funding has not kept pace…

The most recent data available from the National Center for Educational Statistics (2004) estimate that 60% of community college freshmen and 25% of freshmen at 4-year public institutions nationwide complete at least one remedial course. Nationally, fewer than 40% of students who are referred to developmental education actually enroll in…

This report, "State Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance Policies for Public Colleges and Universities: 2010-11", examines the philosophies, policies, and procedures that influence decision-making regarding public college and university tuition, student fees, and student financial aid programs. This report also provides information…

A California model Integration Incentive Act proposing financial bonuses to school districts for giving pupils integrated education opportunities is presented. Some of the more difficult policy issues involved in drafting an integration incentive plan are examined, and cost estimates based on California school district data are discussed. (MJB)

This book provides state legislators with the background information they need to make important mental health policy decisions. The executive summary describes the success of deinstitutionalization in releasing large numbers of patients from state mental hospitals, but notes that the needs of persons with mental illness in the community have not…

Analyzes how Arizona charter school policymakers succeeded in preserving the legislative intentions of the state's charter school program. Identifies four key features of policy implementation that created the charter school policy: communication, financial resources, implementor attitudes, and bureaucratic structure. (SLD)

This report contains the final recommendations of the Michigan Senate Select Committee on Higher Education on tuition policy at Michigan public colleges and universities. The report presents its findings and recommendations in three large parts. The first section contains the final recommendations of the Committee including goals of affordability…

As mandated by state finance legislation of 1983, this report provides a plan for differential funding for California's community college districts, and presents the results of a study of differential funding. Part 1 of the report presents the differential funding plan, including a summary of the study and its findings and the basic principles and…

The author asserts that early childhood educators have a responsibility to become involved in the formation of public policy. To improve the advocacy skills of early childhood educators, a glossary of basic legislative terminology and descriptions of major legislative processes at the state and federal levels are provided. Particular attention is…

This paper focuses on the identification and implementation of an adequate and appropriate funding mechanism or mechanisms for the funding of rural library services in Idaho. It is noted that the data for the report were taken primarily from the U.S. Bureau of the Census, with additional data from a 1990 survey of state library officials. The…

The relatively high number of school districts in New Jersey, with a legacy of a strong local home rule heritage, has been of interest to policymakers for many years. In the past few years, concerns for cost, educational equity, and program quality have brought new interest in consolidating these districts. Of the state's 603 local school…

The purposes of this report to the New Jersey Legislature are: (1) to provide a brief historical overview of the work of the New Jersey Child Care Advisory Council from 1984 to 1987; (2) to inform the legislature of the status of the council's recent activities; and (3) to make recommendations to the legislature for future action. The introduction…

To generate a theoretical model for future interpretation, this study analyzed the 1985 Indiana Legislature concerning educational policymaking in public school funding. Previous research indicates that the classical rational actor model of policymaking inadequately addresses multidimensional pressures at work in state legislatures. A model is…