Discusses the dilemma between evolution and creationism in biology teaching. Explains the position of the Louisiana House Education Committee and presents an example from the Louisiana State University (LSU). (Author/SOE)

This editorial critiques legislation as social intervention, focusing on Florida's new law requiring birth mothers to place legal notices about some of the circumstances surrounding the child's conception and adoption in the newspaper of the community where the baby was conceived. The intended and unintended consequences of such legislation are…

A dispute between an Alabama business conference center and a nearby camp prompted the state's revenue department to charge camps an old lodging tax that had never been applied to them before. The state camping association members worked together to have the tax law and regulations amended so that nonprofit camps were exempt from the tax in most…

Oversight staff in 23 of 30 states with legislation regulating continuing care retirement communities completed questionnaire surveying features of implementation experience such as problems with scope of regulation, appropriateness of oversight placement, adequacy of staff and financial resources, use of discretionary agency authority, and…

Compared content of legislative summaries of family policies of Nevada, Minnesota, and South Carolina in 1979, 1982/83, and 1985. Found that the three states differed markedly in terms of quantity and substance of the explicit family legislation they enacted with Nevada individualistic, Minnesota moralistic, and South Carolina traditionalistic.…

The Delaware RE:Learning project is based on Theodore Sizer's work with the Coalition of Essential Schools and is supported by the Education Commission of the States. RE:Learning principles include building a new vision of education, organizing around student learning, creating new working relationships, developing coherence and meaning, and…

Presents an overview of the types of approaches currently used by state legislatures to ensure that rural residents receive access to adequate nursing care. (JOW)

State legislators are increasingly determining how school sports are conducted. Following Texas's lead, several states, including Ohio and Florida, now require students to earn passing grades or lose playing and practicing opportunities on school sport teams. Kentucky's governor signed a bill imposing stricter penalties on those threatening…

Outlines how the legislative reforms to Pennsylvania's Special Education Regulations and Standards influenced change while providing a model for policymakers and educators concerning legal mandates to effect school reform. Examines how intersecting components (problem identification, a legal mandate, and effective support and training) affected an…

If contributed lottery revenues do not increase education expenditures by the full amount of such revenues, education expenditures are said to be fungible. As Ohio's situation shows, this potential fungibility problem draws into question state officials' primary justification for offering a state-sponsored lottery. (22 footnotes) (MLH)

Studied the efficacy of using waivers to deregulate and improve public education in Florida, where the state gave school districts the authority to seek exemption from state statutes, rules, and regulations. Content analysis of waiver requests from sampled districts shows that collection of waiver-related data from districts is not systematic and…

Though New York City's welfare reform act claims to emphasize personal responsibility, its design diminishes the possibility of sustained, meaningful employment or long-term economic stability for substantial numbers of Temporary Assistance for Needy Family recipients. By focusing on gaining employment, the act ignores well-established avenues to…

Describes state open-records laws and school district policies and procedures for responding to citizen requests for public records information. Includes information about requirement in recently enacted No Child Left Behind Act for districts to provide the military with access to student directory information. (PKP)

Discusses Nebraska case involving efforts by parents to seek redress in federal court for their emotionally impaired daughter's difficulties with her band teacher; the parents claimed violation of the 14th Amendment, federal disabilities statutes, and state common law. Explains why the federal district court and Eighth Circuit rejected the…

A financial literacy test was administered to 1,643 high school students in 31 states. State mandates for generic consumer education were not associated with higher scores. Students in states requiring specific personal finance coursework scored significantly higher than those in generic-mandate or no-mandate states. (Contains 23 references.) (SK)