Highlights four themes of special education: (1) role of the federal government; (2) mandatory collaboration among professionals; (3) mandatory tailoring of the child's educational program; and (4) parent involvement. Cites South Carolina legislation and discusses the extension of the principles of special education to regular education. (MLF)

Describes a case study of 12 elementary schools (emphasizing 2 schools) affected by the Chicago School Reform Act, focusing on local contexts and features of school communities that advance or impede change. Results demonstrate the importance of neighborhood contexts and school leadership and the complexities of applying technical expertise. (SLD)

A survey indicates that student complaints led legislators in 20 states to mandate that higher education institutions develop policies on oral English proficiency of instructors, including language certification for international teaching assistants. Many institutions responded with policies requiring formal language testing and remedial…

Assessment of Hopwood v Texas ruling on admissions at West Texas A&M University finds it has had little effect on that institution. The school stepped up recruitment efforts, targeting high schools with diverse populations. Additionally, the state's "10 percent" rule automatically made the top 10% percent of graduating students…

Washington State's Initiative 200, on the ballot this November, would bar state and local governments from "discriminating or granting preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, education, and contracting." Observers see the initiative as another attack on affirmative action.…

A study of 8 California school districts immediately following passage of Proposition 227, and another study of 39 districts a year later interviewed personnel, principals, and teachers about implementation of the English Only initiative. Specific implementation strategies reflected schools' previous programmatic efforts for limited English…

Personnel at seven Northern California school districts were interviewed concerning implementation of Proposition 227. The disposition of district staff toward primary-language instruction and community attitudes influenced district policy; district decisions largely determined school policy; change occurred at all sites and was most evident in…

Describes the Connecticut Library Network, which was created through state legislation to expand the state library's existing database; to link all school, public, and academic libraries and municipal government offices; and to make the state library's information resources widely accessible. Public library Internet access, National Information…

This article chronicles the evolution of legislation for Texas open-enrollment charter schools to their implementation by demonstrating how these schools have (or have not) used their freedom from state-mandated requirements to develop innovative learning environments as well as to bring innovative curricula into the classroom. The investigative…

In this article, the authors describe the extraordinary perseverance, and a series of legislative efforts of Indian education advocates in implementing a bill known as Indian Education for All (IEFA). The bill established three primary objectives with regard to Indian education in the state: (1) Every Montanan, whether Indian or non-Indian, is to…

In 2008's Public Chapter 863, the General Assembly directed the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) to work with the University of Tennessee and the Tennessee Board of Regents to facilitate "universal articulation" of lower division "transfer paths" to baccalaureate majors. This legislation builds on a 2000 Act…

For most of Minnesota's 150 years of statehood, its distinctive economic advantages were largely a function of its natural resources, such as timber, taconite and tourism. Today, while these and other resources remain cornerstones of the state economy, it is clear that the intellectual capacity of Minnesota's people is emerging as a promising…

This paper includes over 800 stories about higher education institutions that are leading the way to a sustainable future. It is organized into 24 chapters spanning education, research, campus operations, administration, and finance. [Funding for this paper was provided by Mithun and PortionPac. For 2006 report, see ED538257.]

This report presents findings about teacher quality from two longitudinal studies, the National Longitudinal Study of "No Child Left Behind" (NLS-"NCLB"), and the Study of State Implementation of Accountability and Teacher Quality Under "No Child Left Behind" (SSI-"NCLB"). The research teams for these two…

The Oregon educational system confronts a set of legislative challenges similar to, yet different from, the rest of the nation. Like the rest of the nation, distrust of government runs high, politicians are wary of raising or restructuring taxes, the economy is expanding, and the November 1994 state election shook up the political leadership of…