This report summarizes the essential elements of state-funded prekindergarten programs across the United States. To be included in the report, a program had to be supported primarily by state funds, have early education as a goal, focus on children younger than kindergarten entry age, and provide direct service to children rather than concentrate…

This report provides a first-hand description and analysis of reforms initiated in the administrator-preparation program at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). USM is one among eight public and private institutions in Mississippi that are currently redesigning their administrator-preparation programs in accordance with state mandates and…

A paper, "Young Children Face the States: Issues and Options for Early Childhood Programs," by W. Norton Grubb, is summarized in this policy brief. A discussion of the decisions that state policy makers must make and descriptions of the historical conflicts that persist within the early childhood movement and the current national status of early…

This document presents a strategic plan of New York State's role in implementing "A New Compact for Learning," with a focus on the expected results, the strategies to achieve them, and examples of actions to be taken. The compact calls for a system of elementary, middle, and secondary education that enables every student to master the…

A summary outline of examples of Minnesota statutory curriculum requirements is contained in this information brief. Information is presented in the following six categories: (1) curriculum requirements that all school districts must meet; (2) directions to the state board of education and the state board of teaching to develop curriculum or…

Practical information for businesspeople in support of fundamental, collaborative educational change is presented in this report. The first section points out that fundamental educational restructuring is necessary in a changing society with different needs and that school business partnerships are required to implement systemic change. The…

An overview of Florida's statewide school improvement project, Schoolyear 2000, is provided in this paper. Schoolyear 2000, to be implemented in 1994, is a collaborative plan to improve public education in Florida through the systematic application of technology to learning and teaching. The planning and design stage has involved the Center for…

The kinds of school choice programs and the processes by which they became legalized in Minnesota are discussed in this paper. The first part reviews reasons for restructuring American schools. The second part describes how the Minnesota education system moved changed in the following areas: from a single delivery system to community education;…

The Tennessee policy for principals, as based on the "Master Plan for Tennessee Schools: Preparing for the 21st Century," is presented in this document. Following a list of 10 policy statements, sections provide information on the following state standards relating to principals: recruitment and selection of principals; preparation and…

Findings of a study that evaluated the implementation and effectiveness of 10 state-authorized parent education and involvement pilot programs in Texas are presented in this paper. Data were derived from demographic report forms, 369 parent opinion surveys, student opinion surveys, 105 teacher opinion surveys, cost surveys, and final evaluation…

Findings of a case study that examined how nonincremental policy changes occurred in Ohio education are presented in this paper. Specifically, the paper applies Mazzoni's two arena models of policy innovation to understand the 1989 passage of S.B. 140, or the Omnibus Education Reform Act. In the first model, policy innovations occur when the…

Educational research seldom addresses the role of the practitioner who must translate the need for change into practice. Written by practicing school administrators in the state of Vermont, this book offers a cohesive rationale and philosophical direction for educational reform, identifies successful reform initiatives, and illustrates how these…

This bulletin explores the roles that various stakeholders have in systemic reform and offers some recommendations for action. Data were derived from a review of research on systemic education reform and interviews with four Oregon administrators. Chapter 1 provides a sampling of the diverse groups that are calling for reform and offers some of…

In 1981, the Texas Legislature established a systematic structure for the development and implementation of a state curriculum for Texas public schools. This biennial report outlines the state's responses to curriculum-related legislation issues from fall 1990 to fall 1992. The introduction offers a historical review of state legislation that…

A description is given of a state-wide endeavor to improve the schools in Arkansas. Five recommendations provide the framework for innovative planning for the schools: (1) educators, elected officials and community leaders should assertively market "Restructuring for Higher Order Learning" throughout the state as the logical and…