This case study examined the process of change employed by a rural Kentucky elementary school identified as having successfully implemented the state's primary program. The main purpose of the study was to analyze how the school implemented the primary program based on characteristics of effective change. The case study was based on a total of 23…

This update provides information about statewide writing assessment administration procedures in Nebraska and statewide assessment reporting, and contains a review of model assessments. The information is intended to assist local educators in planning and preparing for the Statewide Writing Assessment in February 2001 and the reporting of local…

This brief guide explains the use of testing accommodations for students with a disability participating in state or district educational assessments under federal and Florida state law. These include the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Florida Administrative Code. Planning…

This paper examines the role of state policy in influencing community college-baccalaureate transfer. It discusses the importance of two-year to four-year (2/4) transfer performance as a state policy issue, reviews national research about transfer patterns, and presents findings about state policy and transfer performance in six states. It…

The current approach to dealing with childhood lead poisoning has led to repeated diagnoses of poisoning because such children are treated and then returned to their hazardous environments. This handbook describes in detail the program requirements for effective childhood lead poisoning prevention programs at the local level based on the…

The Colorado Basic Literacy Law, enacted in 1996, requires that school districts report the number and percentage of students who are reading at or above grade level in grade 3, are on individualized literacy plans, or improve their reading achievement by two or more grade levels in a single year. The law requires the use of multiple indicators or…

The impact of the new Virginia statewide Standards of Learning (SOL) testing program on classroom instructional and assessment practices was studied through surveys before and after implementation of the testing program. The sample represented responses from 570 secondary school teachers (of mathematics, social studies, English, and science) and…

In 1997, conservative Texas lawmakers introduced a measure for a state-funded voucher program, which was to be limited to low-income students in the state's lowest performing schools. The real objective of the proposal was to set state precedents for state subsidies for private schools. This proposal never made it out of committee in the Texas…

The rationales for various state-finance distribution formulas, from 1896 to the present, are explained along with the rationales of the lawsuits questioning their validity. Chapter 1 describes attempts at financial equity from 1896 to the 1950s. Chapter 2 examines the current status of financing public education, emphasizing a state's obligation…

Vermont's Equal Educational Opportunity Act of 1997, Act 60, was designed to rectify educational inequities cited in the State Supreme Court ruling that the state's foundation formula was unconstitutional. This study examines the degree to which Act 60 has improved inequitable conditions in the three main areas cited in the court decision.…

In light of increasing evidence that good early childhood programs lead to school success, reduced delinquency and crime, and better job opportunities and productivity, state legislators are developing policies to improve these services. This report is designed to provide state lawmakers and their staff with research and state examples of policy…

This report provides an overview of state-sponsored college savings and prepaid tuition programs. It notes that as of October 1997, 41 states had one or more state-sponsored college savings or prepaid tuition programs. The report explains that state-sponsored savings plans provide certain incentives for savers through a number of different…

The purpose of this paper is to review the meaning of equivalency in the context of faculty hiring guidelines, re-examine state law on the subject, present some ideas that are intended to help faculty and administrators in local districts, and address some questions about equivalency which have consistently arisen. This paper was prepared by the…

This policy brief analyzes state charter school laws in light of American Federation of Teachers criteria for strong legislation and examines current findings concerning whether charter schools are living up to the bright claims touted by their advocates or the dire consequences predicted by their foes. It also details emerging issues regarding…

This book examines charter-school legislation in the United States, as well as charter-school operations in Colorado, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Georgia. It reviews the legislative process in these four states, focusing on the compromises forged as lawmakers worked for adoption. It describes whether the states' resulting programs provide…