Based on data obtained from the state supervisors of foreign languages by the Joint National Committee for Languages, this brief report lists the threats that jeopardize the status of language programs in the United States. These include: budget constraints; the possibility of further minimizing the federal role in education; reversing the…

This document presents excerpts and copies of state laws relating to Michigan libraries. The following are included: Preamble of the Constitution of Michigan of 1963; Legislative Council Act (excerpt); Incompatible Public Offices; Freedom of Information Act; Open Meetings Act; Laws, Documents, and Reports (excerpts); Administrative Procedures Act…

Over the past two years, a statewide initiative has been led to create a virtual university in Minnesota. With one million dollars in state funding, the two public higher education systems--the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and the University of Minnesota--have collaborated with private colleges, state departments, industry…

There is significant inequality in funding public libraries in Michigan, and there is every likelihood that there will be increased instability in that funding if action is not taken immediately. The objectives of this study included the following: provide an analysis of how public libraries in Michigan are currently funded; identify current…

Compares two court cases to determine (1) the nature of the institution itself and (2) the nature of State involvement at the institution. Points out that (1) a confrontation between two constitutionally protected rights and (2) the significance of the absence of any racial discrimination characterize both cases. (Author)

Discusses the implications for school boards of the neutrality principle, which holds that local wealth can not be a determinant to decide how much is to be spent on a child's public education. (JH)

Current sex equity programs and policies at the state level are described as instructive examples of the leadership role state education agencies can exercise in educational equity issues. Support for continued federal efforts to assure the civil rights of all students is seen as crucial. (MLW)

Describes, in lay terms, the prerogatives and characteristics of state legislatures and discusses legislative processes. Reviews legislative financial responses to urban needs, specifically the needs of students, variance in purchasing power among school districts in a state, and municipal overburden. (Author/MK)

The decade of the 1970s saw the evolution of a regulatory society and a growth in the degree of external oversight of higher education by elected officials. Achieving balanced governance in the 1980s centers around a leadership role at the state higher education coordinating level. (MLW)

Looks at the status of child care services in Hawaii. Summarizes the scope of services provided through some of the major agencies and organizations mandated to meet the needs of Hawaii's young children. (Editor/RK)

Describes the social, cultural, and political context for educational reform in Utah, highlighting Mormon influences, high educational valuation and aspiration, booming public school enrollments, moderate revenue growth, and the state's "minimalist" tax mood. Discusses the character and impact of efficiency, effectiveness, strategic…

Summarizes the findings of several studies and evaluations of South Carolina's Educational Improvement Act. Generally, South Carolina educators claim that the reform movement has created excessive demands on their time, while the benefits of many prescriptive requirements are unclear. Several questions are raised about reform intent versus…

From making holiday decorations for a local nursing home to serving food at a homeless shelter, students at Friends Academy in upstate New York participate in service activities designed to match their level of social awareness. Maurice Howard's sidebar shows how Maryland high schoolers participate in a state-mandated service-learning program that…

Statewide finance reform offers a one-time opportunity for overhauling services. Any funding remedy should address improved base funding for low-income schools and investment in programs and practices designed to help schools increase student performance. This article describes a mechanism for using new monies to disseminate effective programs,…

Describes one district's struggle to implement Maine's Common Core of Learning, model of education that blurred subject area lines and moved toward integrated framework for curriculum and instruction. Common Core presented a set of outcomes divided into four interdisciplinary categories: human record, reasoning and problem solving, communication,…