Describes in four articles the political role of the social workers both nationally and at the state and local levels, including advice on how to give effective legislative testimony. Experience with California's Proposition 13 illustrates the impact of taxes on human service programs and the need for legislative advocacy. (JAC)

State or local governments are seen as helping hands for independent schools. In the state or local governments funding programs are available and issues of government regulation, tax exemptions, and civil rights are extensively debated. Some suggestions for developing good government relations are provided. (MLW)

In order to work within the legislative framework, it is suggested, administrators and trustees must concern themselves with five essentials: key calendar dates, specific committee structures, the chairman's power, the party in control, and the flow of legislation. Administrators must also know the legislators, the issues, and the governor. (MLW)

Formal state coordination of higher education is seen as a product of the enrollment growth of the 1960s. Declining enrollment will place great strains on coordination. The future of higher education depends upon the policies of the states, in terms of financing of new initiatives and overall guidance and governance. (MLW)

The Pennsylvania State Department of Education (PDE) provides leadership in the development of experiential education programs to many of over 200 degree-granting institutions in the state. The development of this movement and impact of the leadership efforts, special programs, and PDE facilitation and consultation roles are described. (Author/LBH)

Utah and Kentucky are among the states with the strongest public-private partnerships in technology policy for public schools. The key ingredients are strong executive leadership, a legislature that works with the governor, and agreements between the public and private sectors leading to affordable telecommunications linkages. One table is…

Displays findings from a fall 2002 survey of all states to determine how they were progressing in meeting No Child Left Behind Act's list of requirements. Generally, states and local districts are stronger developing accountability systems but a significant gap remains between the federal law's demands and the capacity to meet them. (Author/MLF)

Teams of seasoned teachers and administrators were assigned to a group of low-performing North Carolina schools each year to work with the local faculty to help turn around these schools. Provides a description of the assistance teams, how they were developed, and how they work. (Author/MLF)

The impetus for more school closures lies in declining school enrollments in many rural areas and promises of cost efficiency, more academic options for students, and higher test scores. The latter benefits remain a matter of debate. Busing is controversial result of school consolidation, both in terms of expense and time. Rural school advocates…

A strong governor plays a major role in state education reform in Tennessee. This article documents the governor's influence from the initial study of state education through the mobilization of forces, battles with opponents, the legislative process, the final rulings, fiscal implications, and educational impact. (JD)

Since 1990, over 40 Illinois and Massachusetts school districts have built capacity for sustained improvement through vertically structured, district-level Learning Leadership Teams. Originated by Motorola executives, LLT was based on an understanding of organizational change derived from the National Science Foundation's definition of systemic…

Explores how administrators and teachers in 16 schools used facilitative power to develop site-tailored restructuring programs as part of a statewide school improvement effort. Legislatively mandated teacher leadership of site activities generated changes in school authority and accountability structures. Both principals and teachers exercised…

Contends that a constitutionally grounded fundamental right of privacy protecting parental choice of home education is built on a reasonable construction of existing Supreme Court case law and a reassessment of state interests vis-a-vis the parental right of privacy. (147 references) (MLF)

For three years, Center for Problem-Based Learning at Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy has been developing innovative programs in various K-12 settings. Students meet an "ill-structured problem" (like thorium waste) before receiving instruction. Teachers act as coaches and tutors, probing findings, hypotheses, and conclusions;…

Describes the California Formative Assessment & Support System for Teachers, the largest state-supported instructional improvement effort. At the core of the program are mentoring relationships, new teaching standards, and formative assessment tools. Policy makers are setting new standards of teaching quality at the beginning of a teaching…