This document presents the definitions and special education eligibility requirements for the categories of educable mental retardation and trainable mental retardation for 13 states. Listings typically cite the appropriate state legislation or regulation, summarize the definition and/or eligibility criteria, and cite the source and its date. The…

This is the 22nd in a series of yearly updates of judicial decision summaries for case law related to elementary and secondary education issues. One can use previous and future editions to track decisions on appeal or to see trends in case law. With few exceptions, the cases were selected from court decisions found in federal and regional…

Connecticut's Public Act 99-285 clarifies the major goals and expectations that Connecticut citizens have for their public system of higher education. In this Act, the state legislature has codified its desires by identifying six priority level goals for higher education: (1) enhance student learning and promote academic excellence; (2) join with…

Connecticut State law requires each constituent unit of higher education to submit its first accountability report to the Connecticut Commissioner of Higher Education by January 1, 2001. The Commissioner is charged with compiling these reports. The accountability measures used were developed by the state's Higher Education Coordinating Council.…

This document, both a historical report and a personal narrative from a university professor, describes public two-year college development in the United States from the late 1940s to the end of the 1980s. Highlights include: (1) by 1950, the number of public two-year colleges (322) had become greater than the number of private ones (302); (2) by…

California state statutes and a series of court cases have required campus security and police departments to release information about incidents occurring on campus to the media and the general public. Despite the law and case decisions, recent studies reveal campus police and security officials are still reluctant to release information to the…

School board-superintendent collaboration is essential to the success of public education. This report presents findings of a study that focused on board-superintendent collaboration for higher student achievement. Data were collected through a review of state laws and interviews conducted with 132 educators, parents, and other citizens in 10…

In 1990, in response to court orders, Kentucky took the unprecedented step of throwing out the state's entire public educational system. Using outside consultants, they fashioned a model for education reform that many experts have hailed as the best in the United States. The Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) has become a beacon of hope for a…

This summary of legislation, with a special focus on maternal and child health and primary care, describes nearly 600 laws and resolutions pertinent to these issues passed by the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in the 1996 legislative sessions. The summary includes health care reform and access issues, managed care and…

In 1997, the Illinois Legislature passed significant legislation that increased the foundation level for general state aid. Provisions in the legislation for increased teacher accountability included changing the single-level teacher certification system to a multi-tiered process, changing the length of time required before attaining teacher…

Some observers of political phenomena are referring to the 1990s as the "age of accountability." Early in the decade of the '90s, articles in periodicals, professional journals and other sources were voicing warnings about increasing public policymaker frustration with higher education and the spreading development and implementation of…

The charter school legislation in Colorado and its implementation are reviewed and analyzed. As of September 1997, there were 50 charter schools in Colorado, enrolling more than 11,000 students. Evaluation of these schools shows some strengths and weaknesses of the charter school system as it is operating in Colorado. The state's Charter School…

Almost all the funds appropriated to state agencies and institutions of higher education in Texas for the 2002-2003 biennium are provided through Senate Bill 1, General Appropriations Act, 77th Legislature. This report summarizes the higher education portion of that act. The all funds appropriation for higher education for the biennium is $14.6…

In 1995, the Missouri Legislature adopted Senate Bill 301, which directs the Health and Educational Facilities Authority of the State of Missouri to assist school districts in the issuance of general obligation bonds. The law charges the Authority with developing guidelines for and administering two voluntary methods relating to the issuance of…

This is the 21st in a series of yearly updates of judicial decision summaries for case law related to elementary and secondary education issues. One can use previous and future editions to track decisions on appeal or to see trends in case law. The cases included, with a few exceptions, were selected from court decisions found in federal and…