This document contains presentation summaries from a conference on "Responding to Welfare Reform." The first presentation, from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), deals with the impact of welfare reform on two-year colleges. It discusses the national impact of TANF, the results from a July 1997 AACC survey concerning…

California Assembly Bill 922 was signed into law as an urgency measure in October 1995. It assigned responsibility for expelled students to counties and school districts. This report is the first of a series of evaluation reports that will be disseminated on programs implemented in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to satisfy the…

The Texas Education Agency has been developing materials to address issues related to the Professional Development Appraisal System (PDAS). The PDAS was developed under a legislative mandate to establish a fair and practical appraisal process that acknowledges and reinforces good teaching practices and quality professional development. An…

A study evaluated the performance of 253 welfare recipients who listed Aid to Families with Dependent Children as an income source and graduated from Eastern Washington University (EWU) between September 1994 and August 1996. Graduates' wages were obtained from the state Employment Securities Division; current welfare status was established…

This lesson plan explores the nature of parental accountability for their children's behavior. The lesson encourages students to explore their individual opinions in this area and learn of specific laws enacted throughout the country; students then work in small legislative groups to draft a bill that accurately reflects their opinions. The lesson…

This study collected data pertinent to instructional effectiveness at the secondary educational level with the population of students enrolled under the Pennsylvania Higher Education Equal Opportunity Act (ACT 101) which provides financial assistance to post secondary institutions serving academically disadvantaged students through tutoring and…

This paper discusses three issues relating to teacher certification in Kentucky. These issues are: (1) certification of teachers who work with children under the age of 6 years; (2) preparation of teachers for primary education; and (3) alternative certification. The first issue raises questions of whether Kentucky should require certification for…

This guide was developed to help Wisconsin agency assessment, evaluation, and planning personnel to develop a perspective on how needs assessment fits into their state's vocational rehabilitation program planning. Volume II provides state agency personnel with tools for conducting rehabilitation needs assessment. The first three chapters consider…

The first 5 years of South Carolina's 1984 Educational Improvement Act (EIA), a major educational reform program to deliver equal education opportunity and improve academic performance, are analyzed in this paper. A review of South Carolina's per-capita disposable income as compared with other states reveals an improvement in South Carolina's rank…

"Bachelor's-for-tenure" is a requirement in the California Education Code specifying that community college vocational faculty hired on or after January 1, 1995 must have a bachelor's degree to receive tenure. The requirement is unusual among community colleges nationwide; of 10 states surveyed, none required a bachelor's for initial…

This report concerning the Louisiana social studies program begins with the process of analyzing and evaluating the current state of affairs in social studies education with a view toward reform. After the introduction, general sections follow to define social studies and to provide a historical and philosophical perspective on the social studies.…

Washington State's Higher Education Coordinating Board undertook a review of the State Work Study (SWS) program requirements related to the classification and compensation of SWS positions at public colleges and universities. A task force studying wage rate comparability was convened to review statutory directives related to this issue and to…

This Virginia document first states the mission of the Child Study Committee (CSC), clarifies its role, and delineates its functions from other existing programs and services. The CSC mission is stated as providing a school-based mechanism to enable school personnel to meet the needs of individual children having difficulty in the educational…

In 1981, Texas embarked on a 10-year period of educational reform. This report presents findings of a policy research project that documented and analyzed these reforms to serve as a guide for future policy developments. Following the introduction, chapter 2, entitled "Student Reforms," addresses issues of curriculum, assessment and…

In the context of the growing challenges to public education that have materialized in California over the past decade, this first of two volumes is presented as a resource document for legislators and others interested in education reform. Volume 1 looks at emerging education issues for the 1995-96 legislative session and summarizes the state's…