The impact of state reform initiatives on Kentucky public schools is described in this paper, with attention to financial and facility repercussions. State legislative action in 1985 established class size limitations and new certification programs, which necessitated reorganization of the middle schools. Following the Kentucky Supreme Court's…

In 1972, the Maryland Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) became law in that state. The amendment provides that "Equality of rights under the law shall not be abridged or denied because of sex." This document surveys the legislative reforms that have been enacted to implement the ERA in the 12 years following the law's ratification. It also…

This report addresses how, and to what extent, institutional accreditation might be utilized in lieu of part or all of the State licensing review. During 1989, the State enacted legislation that considerably raised the licensing standards for private postsecondary institutions. These new State standards were used as a basis for examining the…

This study sought to quantify economic impacts associated with Texas state expenditures on higher education by (1) quantifying the reduction in Texas' economic activity associated with reduced spending by the private sector due to taxes levied for higher education; and (2) quantifying the increase in Texas' economic activity associated with the…

This paper discusses specific rights of gifted students and their parents under the laws of New York State. The following areas are covered: Chapter 740 of the Laws of 1982 (which states that if a district accepts State funds for gifted programs, it must provide services to gifted pupils); a provision under Chapter 53 of the Laws of 1980 which…

The purpose of this report is to inform New Jersey legislators, the governor, and other public officials about the status of child care in the state and to make recommendations that include government and private sector activities. An introductory section describes the structure of the New Jersey Child Care Advisory Council (CCAC) and lists the…

The theoretical constructs underlying legislative approaches to at-risk student statutes are examined in this paper, with attention given to the ways in which educational institutions make certain factors significant to student success. Legislative approaches closely follow the epidemiology model, which attempts to identify, predict, and immunize…

This document examines the legal requirements for the reduction in force (RIF) of North Carolina Department of Public Instruction employees, with a focus on certified (instructional) staff. A question-and-answer section discusses areas of concern to administrators about the reduction-in-force process. North Carolina State law relating to the RIF…

This document addresses legal requirements for and issues in the nonrenewal of probationary teachers in North Carolina. The interpretive analysis section points out that in order to protect itself against a charge of nonrenewal based on prohibited reasons, the school board must develop a written record that documents factors for its decision. A…

This publication is a guide for California colleges and universities wishing to prepare for earthquakes. An introduction aimed at institutional leaders emphasizes that earthquake preparedness is required by law and argues that there is much that can be done to prepare for earthquakes. The second section, addressed to the disaster planner, offers…

In 1990, Project CHERISH (Children in Home Environments: Regulation to Increase Safety and Health) enabled the Texas Department of Human Services to implement and evaluate several innovative strategies to strengthen regulation of family day care homes. This report contains descriptions of those strategies, an evaluation of their efficacy, and…

This document provides background information on educational finance in North Dakota. It examines the use of nonproperty factors in financing education, the quality of education, legal action in the state regarding education finance issues, and the effects of any 1993 North Dakota legislation on education finance. The paper first describes changes…

As businesses are remodeling their workplaces into "high-performance work organizations," states must reorganize their education systems to accommodate the changing world of work and to produce citizens able to compete in the global economy. This paper is the first in a series of reports by the Investing in People (IIP) Project, which is…

The impetus for North Carolina's Senate Bill 2, the 1989 Flexibility and Accountability Statute, came partly out of the philosophy that restructuring should reach up from the school and not down from the state. The statute offers local school systems the flexibility to develop local plans to improve student achievement through waivers of certain…

This paper analyzes Texas Senate Bill 351 that reforms public school funding. The bill provides for additional state funding and significant increases in local property taxes. The bill creates county education taxing units to neutralize the enormous property wealth differences found among the state's 1,056 school districts. It also provides a…