Three conference papers on school finance reform in Tennessee are presented in this document, with a focus on the disparities between rural and urban public school funding. The first paper examines the nature and size of contributions of various funding sources to the per-pupil revenue in local school districts, analyzes specific problems of the…

Compiled to provide a central reference point for all legislative information pertaining to libraries in the State of Texas, this publication includes all pertinent legislation as amended through the 71st Legislature, 1989, Regular Session. This update of the 1980 edition has been expanded to include statutes pertaining to the school and academic…

The materials in this manual are intended to provide the introductory information needed by new system advisory council members and staff of the Texas State Library on the history, role, governance, funding, services, and administration of library systems. Included in this handbook are discussions of: (1) The Role of Systems in Public Library…

This report contains the results of a nationwide survey of state and territorial regulatory agencies. The purpose of the study was to gather information on day care center licensing and regulation. In May 1991, questionnaires were sent to the central day care regulatory agency in each of 53 states and territories. In an introductory section of the…

The Florida Model Literacy Program Act of 1987, known as the Florida Adult Literacy Act, committed the state to an organized, systematic, and coordinated attack on adult illiteracy at the state and local levels. The Florida Adult Literacy Plan was developed to implement the provisions of the act and provide a basis for state and local planning…

This literature review examines alternative routes to teacher certification and presents alternative certification regulations and policies for 19 states. Three categories of nontraditional personnel preparation programs are noted: nontraditional recruitment programs, retraining programs, and alternative certification programs. A definition of…

This booklet is designed to help parents make their children's first days in school successful and exciting. It also answers questions about school entrance requirements in Virginia and suggests ways parents can be involved in their children's education. The first sections offer information on entrance age and compulsory school age, requirements…

The National Family Day Care Project (NFDCP) was undertaken by the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) to create and support demonstration projects for community-based organizations to ensure the availability of high quality family day care. During the first 2 years of the 4-year project, NCJW volunteers in 31 communities in 21 states assessed…

In March 1990, the Washington State Legislature adopted the Learning by Choice Law, a law relating to student enrollment options. The law consists of three major components: Family Choice; Running Start; and Seventh and Eighth Grade Choice. The Family Choice law allows parents to select which public school(s) their children will attend, within…

Alaskans are increasingly dissatisfied with the performance of their schools. Many students are poorly educated, have low self-esteem, and suffer other social problems. The Alaskan Joint House-Senate Committee on School Performance was created to set priorities for ways to improve school performance. The committee was guided by three basic…

This technical assistance guide was developed to assist Service Delivery Areas (SDAs) and Private Industry Councils (PICs) to develop local coordination activities and to enhance their ongoing coordination efforts. The guide is organized in five sections. The first section introduces the guide and defines "coordination." It is followed…

This booklet outlines the mission of the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education, notes its constituencies, and presents its 1994 work theme, "Preparing for the Future--Ensuring the Commitment to Access and Quality." The priorities and workplan of each of the Commission's three committees (Finance, Facilities, and Educational Programs…

Findings of a study that examined superintendents' perceptions of the methods used by the Ohio State Department of Education to implement legislative mandates are presented in this paper. Etzioni's compliance theory is used as a framework to understand superintendents' perceptions about the state's use of power. A survey of 205 Ohio public school…

This document contains the 1991-92 report on the Missouri public school system. Following an organizational chart of the State Board of Education and information on the State Board, part 1 presents highlights of education-related events that occurred during the 1991-92 school year. It contains an overview of state legislation that dealt with the…

State boards of education are routinely placed in the challenging position of reacting to emerging problems or responding to policy proposals generated by other actors in the policy arena. This policy briefing paper was written to help members of the North Carolina Board of Education identify educational policy issues they are likely to confront…