The 66th and 67th Texas legislatures mandated that an economics course with an emphasis on the free enterprise system and its benefits be a required course for all students graduating from Texas high schools. This paper presents an analysis of the 1982-1988 textbooks adopted for that course. The key concepts evaluated were: definition of…

"English Only" and "Official English" are two terms that are used to describe the movement to declare English the official language of the United States. Sixteen states have laws declaring English their official language; 14 of these laws have been passed since 1981. This report decribes the effect of the movement in New York…

This technical assistance paper aims to help Oregon special education personnel to standardize the eligibility criteria for the category of seriously emotionally disturbed (SED) students and to assist Oregon educators in providing appropriate services to students experiencing serious school behavior problems. The paper reviews definitions,…

The policy statement on contract faculty employment presented in this document was adopted by the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges as a model conforming to the provisions of Assembly Bill (AB) 1725. The statement includes sections on hiring philosophy, affirmative action, position identification, search procedures, selection…

This analysis is the third of a series of seven reports on the ways that the urban fiscal crisis has affected children. There has been little reorganization of government services on the state, regional, or local level to compensate for the benefits to children lost as a result of local property tax limitations enacted under Proposition 2-1/2 in…

This document comprises the final report of the Virginia Department of Health Professions' Task Force on anabolic steroid misuse among minors. As such, it summarizes the activities of the department and of the boards within the department, the Offices of the Secretary of Health and Education, and other organizations including the Virginia High…

Property taxes relate directly to rural education finance. This bulletin discusses differential tax assessment laws and the reasons states choose to institute them in 1970s. The first part of the report discusses the different types of tax laws and offers available evidence of their effects. More detailed summaries of individual state assessment…

Section 622.10 of the Code of Iowa provides that no qualified school guidance counselor shall be allowed, in giving testimony, to disclose any confidential communications entrusted to the counselor by a pupil or his or her parents or guardian while the counselor is in a professional counseling role. In order for this privilege to apply, four…

The Education Improvement Act (EIA), legislated in 1984, was one of the steps South Carolina has undertaken to reform and improve its system of public education. The EIA contained provisions addressing seven major educational goals: (1) raising student performance; (2) teaching and testing basic skills; (3) elevating the teaching profession; (4)…

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the impact of residency and guardianship requirements on the provision of educational opportunities to homeless children and youth. Specifically, the study sought to identify existing legal entanglements, from both state and local policy sources, that resulted in the denial of a free, appropriate public…

Public school choice is an area of educational reform that has received attention from state and federal policymakers. Common applications of choice programs include alternative schools; open enrollment/intradistrict choice; and statewide/interdistrict choice. The following areas in public school choice are covered in this report: perceived…

This guidebook and annotated bibliography is designed to provide a basic listing of sources of state (Maryland), federal, and some general law for the non-law library community, and to offer some insight into the suggested approaches for dealing with legal reference inquiries. Listings of contributors and members of the Task Force on Improving…

This report explains the roles and responsibilities of schools in dealing with child abuse. The introduction lists child abuse facts and figures, defines child abuse and neglect, provides a rationale for the involvement of educators in treatment and prevention efforts, and considers ethical issues. Chapter 1, which concentrates on keeping abusers…

Florida's Meritorious School Act provides monetary rewards for meritorious schools in each of the state's 67 districts when the schools are identified using approved procedures. The law calls for each district to develop its own plan for selecting winning schools. Each school must be selected in part by being in the upper quartile of district…

Designed to promote new direction, accountability, and support for California's community colleges, this concept paper outlines six major legislative initiatives that should be integrated into the Community College Reform Act of 1986. The paper urges that: (1) the mission of community colleges must be given focus, and, for the first time,…