Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through…

With the national spotlight on community colleges, Wyoming is poised to become a leader through its efforts to align the programs of its seven community colleges with defined state interests. As local economies become more globally focused and knowledge-based, community colleges are a critical way for learners to gain access to postsecondary…

State governments wield significant authority in the management of public schools. As a nexus for federal funding, state funding, and regulatory authority, states have both the legal and financial power to help drive school change. The "No Child Left Behind Act" has required each state to create a system of standards-based assessment and…

Charter schools emerged in the early 1990s as a strategy for improving student learning and increasing quality educational options, often for underserved students and communities. The charter school idea centers on the promise of increased autonomy for accountability for results. Thus, the charter movement has helped to lead the charge--and has…

Language minority students represent an increasing percentage of the school-age student population in the United States. Because the number of English language learners (ELLs) is on the rise nationwide, some states have enacted English-only legislation that impacts the educational experiences of ELLs and the teachers who work with them. Many…

This Staff Brief provides background information on state and federal laws and regulations, relevant proposals recently considered by the Wisconsin Legislature and laws and proposals of selected other states relating to sexual harassment. Part I provides an overview of the state's employment discrimination law as it specifically relates to sexual…

This handbook provides certification and licensure requirements for school psychologists. It is intended for use by school psychology students, trainers, practitioners, administrators, state department personnel, and legislators. The introduction explains the data collection and validation procedures used in developing this handbook. A section on…

This report is a summary of the 1993 Virginia General Assembly Session and its actions regarding higher education. The 1993 session considered a record number of bills and resolutions with more than 1,500 passed and signed by the governor. Approximately 150 of the items pertain directly or indirectly to higher education in Virginia and include a…

Pessimism over finances pervades the outlook for education in 1976, as shown in a preview of this year's top education issues in each state. (Author/MLF)

Discusses what some States are doing to improve school safety programs in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). (MLF)

This document discusses Wisconsin state legislation on juvenile justice issues. In part I key provisions of these six bills are briefly described: (1) 1989 Assembly Bill 501, relating to a study of the use of small, secure juvenile facilities and youthful offender facilities; (2) 1989 Assembly Bill 502, relating to an early intervention program…

This paper presented during the plenary session of the 1989 Telecommunications Policy Research Conference discusses developments in regulatory reform in Nebraska. A review of the current state of the Nebraska telecommunications regulatory environment is followed by a discussion of the deregulation bill (LB 835) and the latest Nebraska Supreme…

This document is a report on a resolution recommending that states develop and adopt a Uniform Grandparent's Visitation Act which would allow grandparents to petition state courts for the right to visit their grandchildren after the dissolution of the grandchildren's parents' marriage (by divorce, separation, or death). The resolution calls for…

Test disclosure legislation in New York State (LaValle Act) has had a major impact on the national testing programs administered by Educational Testing Services (ETS) for various sponsoring organizations. The paper reviews the immediate operational effects of test disclosure in the following areas: (1) increase in number of test forms developed;…