Much of what educators do--and the resources for carrying out those activities--are influenced by politics. The purpose of this fastback is to help educators learn how to influence state-level political processes that affect schools. The fastback describes how to apply the principles of effective government relations, how to influence legislative…

Research suggests that policy change can best be understood as the product of competition among advocacy coalitions within the constraints of a policy subsystem (Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith, 1993). This paper presents findings of a study that examined the rhetoric of policy change in Texas utilizing the voucher and charter-schools movements as an…

An evaluation of net impact of programs funded under the Washington State Employment and Training Act (ESHB 1988) of 1993, which provided money to community and technical colleges to expand existing courses and create new ones for Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants most likely to lose jobs. The evaluation focused on whether the displaced UI…

In response to Florida legislative mandate, this document reports on accountability measures and an accountability process for independent institutions of higher education that participate in the Florida resident access grant program and on the design and implementation of the accountability processes of the state postsecondary institutions. After…

Sexual harassment is deemed a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which provides protection from discrimination based on sex. Provincial jurisdictions may offer legislation more stringent than that reflected in the Canadian code. Recourse for acts of sexual harassment through the courts is sought by alleging discrimination.…

This update provides information for implementing the Nebraska Statewide Writing Assessment. It is intended to assist local educators in planning and preparing for the writing assessment being initiated in all public schools in Nebraska in grades 4, 8, and 11 in February 2001. The update continues the series of materials provided by the Nebraska…

Aggressive intervention by a school-choice coalition and supportive elected officials turned back threats to the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) posed by burdensome state regulation of private schools. MPCP continues to expand, studies report academic gains, parents are satisfied and involved, and public support has grown. Supporters of…

This document is intended to present guidelines to help districts and colleges successfully implement state laws and regulations that call for effective participation by the larger college body. The document was prepared for use by trustees, CEOs, academic senate leaders, administrators, classified staff and students so that they can participate…

Nebraska's small schools have been shortchanged by recently enacted school finance policies. LB 1114, which limited property tax levy rates, and LB 806, which changed the state aid distribution formula, were first implemented for the 1998-99 school year. These measures were intended to force cuts in school expenditures, especially among smaller,…

The California Women's Law Center (CWLC) works to ensure, through systemic change, that the life opportunities for women and girls are free from unjust social, economic, and political constraints. As part of this mission, the CWLC collaborated with California's Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to develop comprehensive written policies…

This document is comprised of the three 2003 issues of the newsletter for Generations United, a national membership organization focused on promoting intergenerational policies, strategies, and programs. The first issue focuses on faith-based intergenerational programs and highlights three such programs. The second issue focuses on arts and…

In June 2002, the Appellate Division of the First Department of the State Supreme Court reversed Justice DeGrasse's 2001 ruling that found that New York State's education funding system unconstitutionally denied many children, and especially those in New York City, fair academic opportunities. The majority decision, authored by Justice Alfred D.…

The California Postsecondary Commission must approve sites for new institutions or branches of public postsecondary educational institutions in the state of California. After a brief summary, this document presents revisions to the Commission's 1990 Guidelines for Review of Proposed Campuses and Off-Campus Centers. The 1990 guidelines called for a…

Data from a variety of sources were used to examine the status of charter schools in California. Home to 415 charter schools enrolling 157,000 students, about 2.4% of all public school students in the state, California is at the forefront of the charter school movement, with the number of charter schools increasing rapidly. The average overall…

This paper summarizes the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) report, "Inequalities in Public School District Revenues." It focuses on: (1) the total dollar amounts of school-district revenues (federal, state, and local); (2) variations in total revenues available to local school districts within a state expressed in the 5th, 25th,…