Childhood and adolescent obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions in the United States and are growing. The sedentary routines found in schools and in the home as well as the overexposure to unhealthy snacks and nonnutritional foods contribute to the pervasiveness of this disease that afflicts America's children. Obese children face…

This report is an update of information initially compiled in 1991 through a survey of the child care regulatory offices of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The report begins with an introduction, definition of terms, and a question and answer summary. The bulk of the report is organized in…

This report describes the Body of Evidence approach taken in Wyoming to implement standards-based graduation. The Body of Evidence plan calls for more than a single test to justify issuing a high school diploma. Graduation requirement rules, known as Chapter 31 rules, establish the requirements for a diploma. The body of evidence is to be…

Since 1869, Vermont has operated a viable voucher system in 90 towns. During 1998-99, the state paid tuition for 6,505 K-12 students to attend public and private schools. As discussions about vouchers and educational reform grow, critics contend that vouchers are a new, untested concept and therefore must be implemented on an extremely limited,…

This report contains the results of the sixth annual survey of state school-finance legislation. It has three major purposes: (1) to provide an annual snapshot of state legislative activity in school finance; (2) to serve as a reference guide for legislative language for particular education-funding areas; and (3) to contribute to the development…

This document is intended to provide a quick reference to the newly enacted statutes passed by the 2005 Legislature that affect K-12 education in Nevada. The document does not provide the specific details needed, in many cases, to carry out the requirements of the statutes. Each bill as enrolled should be referred to when specific wording and…

The North Carolina School Improvement Panel was created in August 1995 to frame a single plan for improving public education in North Carolina by pulling together the four major reform initiatives already under way in the state. The resulting plan, as presented to the State Board of Education in 1997, has four priorities: high student performance;…

The California Legislature and Governor created the Class Size Reduction (CSR) program as part of the 1996-97 Budget Act. The goal of the program is to increase student achievement by reducing average class sizes from 28.6 students to no more than 20 students in up to 3 grades. The 1997-98 governor's budget proposes expansion of the CSR program to…

This document presents official responses to President Clinton's October 19, 1996 radio address urging stronger measures to reduce the incidence of teen's driving while under the influence of drugs. The document begins by reviewing background information concerning state laws, enforcement issues, drug testing, and prevention as they relate to…

This manual is intended for individuals who agree to act as educational surrogate parents for children with disabilities in North Dakota. Section 1 provides an overview of the educational surrogate parent service, including surrogate parent qualifications, protections, responsibilities, confidentiality, and the surrogate's partnership with the…

Recent declines in funding for contraceptive services have led to questions regarding the role of contraceptive services and social policy in shaping adolescent reproductive behavior. This 2-year study examined the impact of state-level policies on adolescent pregnancy and fertility. Data were obtained from a variety of sources, including the…

This report is an update of information initially compiled in 1991 through a survey of the child care regulatory offices of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The report begins with an introduction, definition of terms, and a question and answer summary. The bulk of the report is organized in…

This paper examines the history of the desegregation movement in public education in order to understand a desegregation case in Saint Louis, Missouri. The first section provides information on desegregation litigation over the years, beginning with Plessy v. Ferguson in 1895 and examining in detail the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education…

This report is an update of information initially compiled in 1991 through a survey of the child care regulatory offices of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The report begins with an introduction, definition of terms, and a question and answer summary. The bulk of the report is organized in…

This document presents guidance for stopping discrimination, harassment, and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students in schools. Section 1, "Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund on the Legal Considerations for Creating and Changing Statewide Laws and Policies," discusses the various types of statewide…