Determining the limits of accountability and how schools should be assessed is one of the most difficult problems in education. The state of Texas has attempted accountability by rewarding some schools and punishing others without justification. The school superintendents of Bexar County (Texas) and the Center for Educational Leadership at Trinity…

Although state takeover of low-performing schools is not a new phenomenon in American education, it has seldom been exercised. Takeover actions exist in 11 states--Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia--but only New Jersey and Kentucky have exercised steps leading to…

This brochure sets forth the policy on drug and alcohol abuse for employees of Westminster College of Salt Lake City (Utah). The first section of the booklet contains the school's policy prohibiting the use of illegal drugs and prohibiting the use of alcohol except where approval has been granted. This section also describes the counseling,…

The State Parental Leave Study, which was conducted by the Families and Work Institute, covered the states of Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. It was found that: (1) Implementation of state leave legislation was easy for the vast majority of employers; (2) The majority of employers did not report substantial costs resulting from the…

The 1990 Family Day Care Licensing Study provides the results of a nationwide survey of state regulatory agencies that was conducted to update family day care licensing information last collected in 1989. As in past years, the study includes an in-depth examination of regulatory requirements for large family day care homes. The study has been…

The Rural Opportunities Offer Tomorrow's Success (ROOTS) program is a series of policy initiatives which address problem areas in rural education, economic development, health care, and access to programs in Pennsylvania. Policy initiatives to create a better educated rural workforce include: (1) expanding career and financial counseling in rural…

Under the School Improvement and Accountability Act (SIAA) of 1989, North Carolina school districts developed plans for educational improvement. During the 1989-90 school year, 134 school districts developed responses to the SIAA, and all included differentiated teacher salary/pay plans. These pay plans are analyzed, and several generalizations…

The Illinois General Assembly enacted the Community Residence Location Planning Act (CRLPA) to provide assistance to the state's 110 home rule municipalities to help bring their zoning ordinances into compliance with 1988 amendments to the U.S. Fair Housing Act. This report presents the results of this effort and offers recommendations to the…

In January 1983, a study was conducted to determine the level of commitment of community colleges throughout the United States to the philosophy of open door access to enrollment. A questionnaire was mailed to each state director of community college education to determine whether the state had a formal commitment to an open door admissions…

A growing emphasis on teacher accountability, coupled with declining enrollments and reduced revenues, has increased the importance of teacher evaluations as a basis for staffing decisions, even though there is no clear definition of teacher effectiveness. Accordingly, legal standards are provided for the procedural and substantive issues of due…

A history of teacher testing in South Carolina was presented to serve as a context within which the current teacher evaluation system might be interpreted. Legislation in 1940 mandated that renewal of certificates and issuance of new certificates to teachers be predicated upon the applicant's completion of a comprehensive and objective…

Labeled a "citizen assessment," this study evaluates the effects of Massachusetts 2-1/2 during the first year after its enactment. The law limited taxes and changed laws relating to school budgets. The study focused on two areas: (1) the effect of loss of fiscal autonomy on school budgeting procedures, and (2) the changes in school…

As mandated under Title 5 of the California Administrative Code, this annual report to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges explains the current course approval process in the colleges and summarizes approval activities in the areas of credit courses and programs and non-credit courses. First, background information is…

This hearing was convened to inquire into the Department of Justice's compliance with the intent of Congress as expressed in section 10 of the Parental Kidnaping Prevention Act of 1980. The primary purpose of section 10(a) of the act was to involve federal authorities in helping state law enforcement agencies locate and apprehend abductor parents.…

Examines current trends in school finance reform and discusses some of the recent approaches taken by various states in modifying their educational finance schemes. Describes many of the political pressures working for and against the adoption of certain financial reforms. (JG)