The return of equity in the 1990s coincided with increased state court activity and a change in national direction. As the New York State Commissioner's Study Group found, there is now more focus on school-level and outcome equity issues. The group recommended that the state develop an outcome-based entitlement plan for all children. (MLH)

District-level fiscal equity, when achieved, will not necessarily result in a fairer distribution of educational resources. School-level inequities generally exceed those found at the district level in most states. If districts were required to distribute funds to schools on a per-pupil basis, school-level equalization could be accomplished…

Traces financial aspects of the Chicago Public Schools' reform effort, detailing the prereform growth of bureaucracy that prompted legislated reallocation of the system's funds. Data show that funds have been reallocated to reduce administrative bureaucracy and equalize funding between schools. Schools with many low-income students have more…

Health education programs lack local and state support where educational administration and policy change occur. The article presents reasons for the problem and suggests health educators become politically active at state and local levels. Successful advocacy efforts in North Carolina, California, and Minnesota are reviewed. (SM)

Flipping burgers, operating cash registers, and stocking shelves are unchallenging, dead-end jobs that hinder high school students' academic success. U.S. industry has been using advanced technology to dumb-down jobs. Efforts of states and school administrators to restrict teen labor are discussed. Sidebars present innovative state initiatives for…

A 1992 survey of state education departments revealed the extent and nature of each state's school-based management (SBM) implementation. Fully 44 states reported some SBM presence and confirmed the existing knowledge base of activity in budget, curriculum, personnel, group process, and policy. There is state and national consensus for a gradual…

Despite recent state leadership in educational reform, the national reports have primarily framed issues and priorities. The articles chosen for this special issue demonstrate the interplay of state and local politics of reform with national concerns. This article highlights Florida's contributions to first and second wave reform efforts. (MLH)

A statewide survey in Illinois collected data from homeless education service providers, focusing exclusively on the issues of residency and guardianship as barriers to the education of homeless children and youth. Additionally, remedies to these problems were analyzed and recommendations made. (38 references) (MLF)

The essential purpose of education indicator systems is to assess direction, mission, and strategy. For state officials, this means analyzing state educational aims and determining whether they are being met. Using current state indicator systems for accountability purposes is premature. Quality considerations, relationship analysis limitations,…

Analyzes the full-service schools movement and policy development process, focusing on examples of the new state policies as scattered, vulnerable, and promising new developments. Analyzes the Kentucky and New Jersey movements in terms of the strength of state role. The movement needs time to mature before being stringently evaluated. (Contains 28…

"Mock v. Kansas" (1991) determined that the state legislature is obligated to fund its schools so that each child receives an equal educational opportunity. Two major sources of funding variations (the local option budget and higher weightings for rural students) represent unjustified disparities based on politics (and spending) as…

Describes several existing arts education programs that might be successfully adapted by other schools: Connecticut's HOT (Higher-Order Thinking) Schools program, North Carolina's A+ Schools Program, and the Los Angeles-based Different Ways of Knowing program. These programs differ but have a common bond--the conviction that the arts make a…

An Idaho Supreme Court decision involving a "wrongful death" by suicide signals a warning to educators who overlook their students' personal problems. The court decided that the teacher had no "assumed duty" to warn parents, but emphasized all school employees' duty to "exercise reasonable care and act reasonably in the…

Studies of Texas' testing program, initiated in 1992, identify several factors contributing to improved achievement: alignment with state standards; results that inform instruction; understandable, attainable rating systems that encourage improvements for all populations; balance between school/student accountability; stable, yet improvable…

Under North Carolina's ABC's accountability program, public schools are labeled "exemplary,""meets expectations,""adequate performance," or "low performance." Teachers are given $1,500 bonuses if their schools exceed expectations. A survey found that mandated tests increased student anxiety and negatively…