A series of recommendations is presented for reducing default rates in the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) program. First, a summary is provided of trends toward the increasing dependence of students on loans to finance their college education and the large and growing default rate among borrowers. Next, four issues are discussed: Should lenders…

Using a question and answer format, this booklet explains state high school graduation requirements for classified special education students in New Jersey. Classified pupils must meet all state and local graduation requirements unless exempted in their individualized educational programs (IEPs). Fulfilling IEP requirements qualifies a classified…

To determine the extent of state-mandated staff development activity in the states, a study involving the chief education officer from each of the 50 states was conducted, and the results are reported in this paper. The study and report focus on the following: (1) states mandating staff development programs; (2) states planning legislation…

This document enumerates the minimun standards which have been in effect since May 1, 1985 for all Texas child care facilities offering educational programs in one or more grades for children ages 5 through 13. The following areas of concern are covered in the seven chapters: (1) organization and administration (in general, and of enrollment and…

An outline is provided, for its staff, of the seven priorities of the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC), during the second half of the California State Legislature's 1987-88 session. The report states that the Commission's staff will: (1) work with legislators and the Governor's staff to develop and implement appropriate…

The New Jersey Department of Higher Education (DHE) adopted a revised set of General Education Regulations for community colleges in April 1983. The stated purposes of the regulations were to cause students to cease taking a disproportionate number of courses in a specific discipline; to require general education courses for certificate programs;…

Under the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-272), Congress outlined a case review system to assure that child welfare agencies monitor children under their care, that parental and child rights are protected, that agencies periodically report progress in implementing case plans, and that agencies work toward a permanent…

A selected summary is provided of the Iowa state legislation relating to area schools and standards for area community colleges and vocational schools. Part I contains the specific chapters (280A and 286A) of the Code of Iowa that pertain to area vocational schools and community colleges. Chapter 280A deals with the division of the school and…

Current sex equity programs and policies in several states provide instructive examples of the leadership that state education agencies (SEAs) can exercise on sex equity issues. Descriptions of state legislation and program activity related to sex equity in Massachusetts, Washington, Alaska, Minnesota, New York, Iowa, California, and Michigan…

The Advisory Commission for the Study of Public Support for Postsecondary Education in Maine reviewed the financial problems facing Maine's private higher education institutions and the impact of increasing student costs at Maine's public institutions. The text of the state legislation creating the Commission is presented, along with a summary of…

This handbook is intended to help school boards become more effective governing bodies by becoming more efficient in conducting routine business, improving their abilities to reach constructive decisions and to solve problems, making their meetings sources of good will among members, students, and the community, and developing and following…

The purpose of this report, one of several prepared for a comprehensive study of early childhood education in Illinois, was to collect, compile, and analyze specific data concerning early childhood education policy and practices from all fifty states. Each state was queried regarding the following: (1) compulsory attendance age, (2) mandated…

Many boards of education have attendance policies imposing grade reductions and/or loss of credit on students with unexcused absences. This paper reviews state legislative action on the subject, specific court cases, and the interpretations of statutes and practices by attorneys general and commissioners of education. Most states have general…

An informal national survey of new efforts in foreign language education undertaken by the Joint National Committee for Languages revealed that 12 states had made significant progress, another 13 states showed positive movement, and 12 had concluded studies, reports, and/or recommendations that may yield some results. Six had studies in progress,…

In this report of Southern Regional Education Board state legislative action in 1977, an end-of-sessions summary is offered for these states: Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas, West Virginia, Maryland, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, and Louisiana. Higher education shared in the benefits of an improved…