Describes the attempt by members of the 1974-75 Illinois General Assembly to pass legislation allowing collective bargaining for all employees of all public schools and discusses the reasons for the failure of such legislation. (For availability see EA 507 343) (JG)

A problem unique to constitutional torts arises when state-created governmental entities are defendants. Implications of the problem are discussed, and it is concluded that until the issue is resolved, the right to compensation for violations of rights will continue to depend upon the law of the state in which the violation occurred. (LBH)

How will you know if your state is making progress toward having a qualified teacher in every classroom? One indicator of progress in Goals for Education relates to licensure and certification: "Licensure and certification focus on performance and lead to sufficient numbers of teachers with content knowledge and proven teaching skills to improve…

The New York State Charter Schools Act, passed in 1998, identifies a bundle of resources available to charter schools from a variety of local, state, and federal sources. The Act intends for these resources to provide adequate funding and support for the operation of charter schools. Specific resources include a per pupil payment for general…

This paper provides a background and discussion regarding tobacco-free schools. The paper is intended to enhance discussion about the health benefits to children who attend schools that have a comprehensive tobacco-free school policy. The benefits to the personal health of students are both direct and environmental. Direct health benefits from a…

When parents divorce, they sometimes have questions about which parent has rights in special education. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Minnesota state special education laws and regulations clearly describe parental rights and the school district's duty to meet them. Most rights are unchanged by divorce. The…

Though the public believes that urban school boards should handle problems with failing schools, urban school boards spend very little time considering ways to turn such schools around or transforming the educational experiences of at-risk students. Today's school board members are expected to be interest representatives, trustees for children,…

This paper explores how states have addressed the issue of judging teachers' off-duty behavior through statute and what the courts have said about this issue. The statutory schemes of the 50 states and the courts' analysis of the same indicate that educators are held to a higher standard of behavior than people in other professions. Teachers play…

The Code of Virginia requires school divisions statewide to submit data annually to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) on incidents of discipline, crime, and violence. Incidents reported include those that occurred on school property, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored activity. The federal Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994 (GFSA, Sec.…

The state of New Mexico passed legislation in 2000 to phase-in voluntary full-day kindergarten (FDK) classes for all 5-year-olds. This case study traces the evolution and development of New Mexico's FDK program. The case study highlights several elements and strategies of the FDK campaign, including framing FDK as a cost-effective educational…

The purpose of this report is to provide the Florida legislature with information required by Florida statutes regarding educational services in the Department of Juvenile Justice Programs. This section requires the Department of Education and Department of Juvenile Justice to report annually the progress toward developing effective educational…

The 1999 Florida Legislature revised the laws pertaining to the assessment of students in Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) facilities. Revisions identified specific requirements for measuring student academic progress in the basic skill areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. Following the passage of this legislation, the Department of…

This document presents the definitions and special education eligibility requirements for the categories of educable mental retardation and trainable mental retardation for 13 states. Listings typically cite the appropriate state legislation or regulation, summarize the definition and/or eligibility criteria, and cite the source and its date. The…

This is the 22nd in a series of yearly updates of judicial decision summaries for case law related to elementary and secondary education issues. One can use previous and future editions to track decisions on appeal or to see trends in case law. With few exceptions, the cases were selected from court decisions found in federal and regional…

Connecticut's Public Act 99-285 clarifies the major goals and expectations that Connecticut citizens have for their public system of higher education. In this Act, the state legislature has codified its desires by identifying six priority level goals for higher education: (1) enhance student learning and promote academic excellence; (2) join with…