Discusses forces behind the pressure for teacher educators to comply with California's State Bill 2042 (which emphasizes standards and accountability for teacher education), examining the role of the Business Roundtable (BRT) in education reform and noting why corporations should instill this form of accountability. The BRT proposes nine essential…

Profiles charter schools in the Broward County (Florida) School District. Identifies when schools were chartered, the length of the charter, the nature and extent of student participation, average daily attendance, student withdrawals or transfers, and the results of norm-referenced tests, state achievement tests, and college entrance exams. Also…

Special education teachers (N=357) in New York State were surveyed regarding state regulations for resource and special class programs. Results indicated most districts were in compliance with regulations; however, 13 percent to 31 percent of respondents reported noncompliance with specific regulations. Other reported problems in special education…

Suggests that legislative involvement in community college operations stems from fiscal responsibility. Describes the structure of higher education in Florida and the development of the College Level Academic Skills Test. Discusses the adoption and results of the Gordon Rule, which establishes English and mathematics requirements for the first two…

Florida's Joint Committee on Information Technology Resources analyzed the impact of technology on the Florida Public Records Law and proposed legislation requiring agencies to consider issues such as encouraging a diversity of sources, the public's right to access, prohibiting monopoly control, and access fees in the development of information…

In Kentucky, where school-based decision making is legally mandated for all public schools, appreciable policy and decision-making powers are vested in SBDM school councils. Since 1990, educators have learned some valuable lessons: reform policies need early implementation guidelines; decentralization mandates create control problems for state…

In at least 10 states, conservative groups are pushing for ballot initiatives to limit gay-rights laws or remove public funding from gay organizations. Legal experts feel colleges and universities would be affected, particularly in constraints placed on curriculum content, college policies and services, and use of institutional facilities for…

West Virginia's strong environmental legislation is due to the efforts of the West Virginia Environmental Council. The history of the statewide coalition is presented, as well as organizational aspects that make the council successful, such as loose structure based on consensus, and respect for all the different shades of green comprising the…

Discusses the effects of section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and various state laws on the foreign language requirements of Virginia college and university programs. Foreign language instructors and departments need to be aware of their responsibilities in accommodating learning-disabled…

Massachusetts' School-to-Work Opportunities Act will force school districts to reevaluate their priorities and regard every community member as a student. Guidance counselors should become more career-focused and actively advise both college- and noncollege-bound students on coursework necessary to achieve academic and personal goals. (MLH)

The U.S. Supreme Court decision that it is unconstitutional for public entities to ban specific kinds of "fighting words" without banning all such speech is discussed as it concerns institutions of higher education. It is viewed that the college campus, not the cities, is where this decision will be tested. (GLR)

The influence of state-mandated tests on thoughts and actions of three middle school or junior high school literature teachers was studied. Case studies indicated that the changes that tests caused in teacher thinking were a function of teachers' preferred approach to teaching literature and their place in curricular decision making. (SLD)

Proponents of charter schools hope to break the logjam that has stymied school reform. Some school districts issue charters to groups of interested teachers, parents, or community members and hold them accountable for administering a school and achieving specific student goals. However, charter schools may fail to deliver high-quality programs or…

Orange County established a system of impact fees imposed on new housing developments to raise funds to finance new school construction. Reviews the events that led to the adoption of such a fee; analyzes the fee and the methodology for calculating it; and reviews the legal issues which arise when impact fees are used to finance public facilities.…

State constitutional law is an emerging area for legal education, partly because of state supreme court decisions relying on state rather than federal constitutional law. Studying state constitutional law highlights similarities and diversity of legal and governmental systems. Interest in establishment of curricula and materials in state law is…