The 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act catapulted a "backwater" state to leadership prominence in structural reform. Grounded on school-readiness and community-involvement precepts, KERA links schools and social service agencies and provides family resource/youth services centers to coordinate social service delivery for preschool…

Identifies laws from 36 states responding to school crime and violence in the following categories: (1) assault, battery, and related violent crime; (2) illicit drugs; (3) possession of weapons; (4) vandalism and damage to school property; and (5) miscellaneous statutes. Draws policy implications for states. (102 footnotes) (MLF)

Vermont's Equal Education Opportunity Act of 1997 will radically increase the proportion of state money designated for public education and transform the entire state taxation system. Spurred by a court decision invalidating the state's school finance system, Act 60 establishes a statewide property tax for a general state support grant, includes…

Meier and Krashen, both employed in California's education system, do an injustice to students in rehashing an already settled battle. Fed up with two decades of failure, California voters replaced bilingual education with structured English immersion. Meier and Krashen offer no suggestions for coping with Proposition 227. (27 references) (MLH)

During 1995 to 1996, a state-appointed task force examined historical information about New Mexico's school funding, the context of K-12 education, major funding-formula changes since 1974, data from interviews and surveys of school personnel, and data on fiscal capacity, tax effort, equity, and costs. Funding formula changes were recommended. (21…

Provides background on and discusses the significance of Proposition 227, the California ballot initiative designed to reform the state's bilingual-education program that was approved by voters in 1998. Reactions to its approval by California voters are provided by Ron Unz, Stephen Krashen, and Mauro Mujica. (Author/VWL)

This article reviews the development and current status of alternatives to the federal definition of emotional disturbance or behavior disorders. It notes that several states are now revising their own terminologies or definitions in response to the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that dropped the term…

Examines how the provisions of the Arkansas Student Publications Act were implemented and the effects of the new law. Finds that many school districts created written policies regarding student publications where none had previously existed; and in 40% of responding school districts, control of student publications was students' or advisors', or a…

California's K-3 Class Size Reduction Initiative (1996) called for a 20:1 student-teacher ratio. Passage of this initiative created an unexpected teacher shortage and presented California teacher-education faculties with several dilemmas having long-term implications. When districts hired uncertified student teachers on an emergency-permit basis,…

A survey of students at three Ohio high schools explored reasons for movement to other schools through state-legislated open-enrollment provisions. Response analysis identified five trends: students with unmet expectations, students with fulfilled expectations, students seeking safety, students desiring to stay at their "home school,"…

Passage of Proposition 227 (ending bilingual education in California public schools) in June 1998 holds many lessons, including the need to address criticisms early. In electoral battles, administrators should lead with parents, not educators, academics, or advocates. Proposition 227's fate was sealed a year earlier, when bilingual advocates…

West Virginia has yet to satisfy its circuit and supreme courts, despite massive efforts to reform the K-12 system and its financial support plan. Reasons for failure include lack of statewide financial commitment to public education, a resistant cultural climate, downsizing of staff, decreasing enrollments, lack of consensus about educational…

Although state laws governing school district investing are quite conservative, there have been some notable investment failures leading to the loss of public funds. School districts must beware three kinds of investment risks involving credit, market, and interest rates and consider safety, legality, liquidity, and cash-flow requirements. (MLH)

Describes each of 20 cases briefly to show the pattern of killers who committed their crime in order to be executed. Concludes that the death penalty itself can serve as an invitation to murder, and asserts that legislators should vote against the implementation of the death penalty in order to save lives. (JPS)

Examined the establishment and function of Texas school health advisory councils (HEACs) following 1995 legislation containing guidelines on school HEAC duties and membership representation. Survey data indicated that 67.3 percent of the 217 responding districts had formed school HEACs. Council size, membership, training, and number of meetings…