Notes that today school finance reform encompasses a broad range of issues, from extra needs of expensive items, difficulty to educate pupils, to equitable aid programs to restructuring of state and local tax systems. (Author/AM)

The New Jersey Legislature acted to save New Jersey education, and their public school system, closed by a July 1 court order, opened in September with renewed hope. (Editor/RK)

Surveys the history of social reaction to child abuse, discusses the cultural values promoting the protection of children, points out how much pediatric radiology benefited from its "discovery" of "the battered child syndrome" in the early sixties, and concludes that the labeling of child abusers as "sick" has shielded them from criminal…

Identifies difficulties in the implementation of the positive behavior support (PBS) model to manage behaviors effectively in school settings and facilitate inclusive education. It also considers federal and state laws, school system organization, roles of teachers and administrators, and other factors relevant to inclusive education. (Author/DB)

The amount of due process tenured teachers are entitled to in some states discourages schools from pursuing dismissals of even the most unsatisfactory teachers. Administrators need to work intensively with new teachers, and administrators' own evaluations should include measures of how effectively they evaluate teachers. (MLF)

In its search for a new president, the University of Michigan was forced, under open meeting laws, to invent a semi-public search, with governing board members unable to talk privately with search advisory committee members. However, the four outstanding candidates were brought into the process before it became public; next time, the search might…

Notes the different labor acts and policies that create confusion over whether centers must pay staff for training time if such training is required by law. Also notes state variations on this matter. (MOK)

The Des Moines (Iowa) Public School System was one of the first to offer a cooperative home-school experience for interested parents. The district's Home Instruction Program, which now serves 310 students from 165 families, offers parents several choices regarding curricula, type of assistance, evaluation method, and dual (part-time) enrollment…

In 1989, the state of Texas implemented a broad initiative to improve instruction through using technology. A survey of teachers in the Fort Worth Independent School District identified four factors (time, training, technology availability, and teacher-type tasks) critical to technology integration. The district offers Trainer Institute, Bootcamp,…

Traces zero tolerance from federal Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994 through state compliance and state board of education regulations to school district policy and guidelines in Virginia. Reviews Virginia case involving suspension of a middle-school student for having a paring knife in his locker. Reviews other zero-tolerance cases. Questions the…

South Carolina's state-mandated staff development initiative, the Physical Education Institute, emphasized how to teach high school student performance indicators. Researchers investigated factors that facilitated or hindered implementation of the performance indicators. Data from three schools indicated that lead teachers facilitated the extent…

Discusses waning political support for affirmative action in higher education in light of recent court decisions and the passage of California Proposition 209, focusing on the role of the American Association for Affirmative Action (AAAA) in defending affirmative action. AAAA members note the need to explain the history of past discrimination to…

Although the Oregon Legislature has succeeded in creating a funding formula that equalizes per pupil spending, it is struggling with budgetary inadequacies. There is no dedicated funding source for schools, voters have enacted further property-tax limitations, and some schools have had to cut programs and staff every year. Nevertheless, Oregon's…

Discusses public-private partnerships in university construction, including Virginia's Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002, and tax-exempt leasing. (EV)