This study examines a sample of reports submitted by publishers to the Florida Department of Education for school textbook revisions to be adopted during 1985-86. The study determines (1) state Learner Verification and Revision (LVR) procedures used by publishers, (2) problems reflected in the reports, and (3) recommendations on the conduct and…

In March of 1984, the Kentucky General Assembly revised and approved a senate bill that made kindergarten mandatory beginning with the 1985-86 school year. This paper reviews several national and state research studies which help demonstrate reasons why early education would be beneficial to a student population. Particularly discussed are the…

This interim evaluation of Louisiana's 1986-87 Early Childhood Development Program focuses primarily on ongoing second and third year projects, but also provides some descriptive information about the general characteristics and implementation strategies of first year projects. The purpose of the evaluation was to provide information to decision…

Innovative programs for the improvement of education in Georgia funded by the Quality Basic Education Act of 1985 are described. Developmental projects address priorities selected by the state board; must meet state validation criteria and have the potential for adoption throughout the state; and must be cost effective, with local fair share match…

This paper describes Alaska's state-managed telecommunications system, and details state efforts to increase the value of the state's information system to users within state government and in the private sector. The results of two studies conducted in 1986 at the request of the State Legislature are discussed, i.e., a statewide survey of Alaskan…

This bulletin highlights state initiatives addressing education problems, examines new laws, updates the state of Wisconsin's activities to improve the quality of its education, and concludes with an annotated list of nine publications on educational reform that are available from the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. Information is included…

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 71 (ACR 71) requests California's three public segments of higher education to review those policies and programs that are aimed at ensuring that all graduates "possess an understanding and awareness of non-white ethnic groups" and to consider adopting necessary policies to ensure that goal. This report…

This publication is the sixth annual compilation of summaries of legislation pertaining to children, youth, and families enacted by the individual states and by Puerto Rico. It contains information gathered by National Conference of State Legislatures staff through direct requests from legislative staff, and includes summaries of legislation…

Legislative and/or state department of education mandates requiring some form of competency assessment of teachers are currently in force in 38 states. An additional seven states report planning activity, and only five states report no plans to test the competency of teachers. Descriptions are given of competency assessment activities in each…

Documentation of the spread of censorship is extensive, and although challenges to films and videocassettes have not figured prominently in the literature, in the future there may be more emphasis on these media than on print material. On the state level, increasing censorship of films and videocassettes has occurred in North Carolina, California,…

Minimum competency testing (MCT) programs for students are growing in popularity and being adopted by many states. In order to determine the extent of the MCT movement, researchers at North Carolina State University surveyed state departments of education in all 50 states. In updating these data for 1986-1987, it was found that 64 percent of the…

A hearing was held for the purpose of receiving testimony about alternative reproductive technologies and their implications for children, families, and society. Testimony provided: (1) a comparison of in vitro fertilization and gamete intrafallopian transfer, and trends in in vitro fertilization; (2) a summary of definitions, statistics, and the…

This teacher training monograph examines education and policy issues as they relate to the education of limited English proficient (LEP) students. Federal involvement in educational policy on behalf of both handicapped and linguistically different children is traced from the 1960s to the present. Litigation influencing legislation on behalf of…

A literature review and analysis was undertaken in order to present policymakers in Georgia with broad overview of the issues related to planning in vocational education and to propose a modified programmatic model for vocational education that would incorporate contemporary thinking about the mission of secondary vocational education and…

The handbook is intended as a reference on New York state aid for special education for local school districts, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services, and private schools. An introduction traces the history of special education legislation within the state. Succeeding chapters touch upon determination of pupil placement for educational…