Elizabeth Scott and Laurence Steinberg explore the dramatic changes in the law's conception of young offenders between the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twenty-first. At the dawn of the juvenile court era, they note, most youths were tried and punished as if they were adults. Early juvenile court reformers argued strongly…

The Oregon Statewide Report Card is an annual publication required by law (ORS 329.115), which reports on the state of public schools and their progress towards the goals of the Oregon Educational Act for the 21st Century. The purpose of the Oregon Report Card is to monitor trends among school districts and Oregon's progress toward achieving the…

This report focuses on teenage drivers and drinking. The first topic discussed is youth accident experience. Vignettes of accidents are given, as well as national statistics on deaths involving teenage drivers. The next topic discussed is youth alcohol consumption. Statistics on percentage of youth who report using alcohol; comparison of…

This theme issue deals with adoption. "Adoption in Canada: A Profile," provides statistics on public and private adoption, as well as demographic characteristics on adoption applicants and children placed for adoption. It also discusses current adoption legislation. "Abandoning Ownership: A Philosophical Approach to Adoption"…

The reform bandwagon has brought about a glut of legislation under the term "education reform." Efforts to define this term have been unsatisfactory. A study by Flanigan et al. attempted to define the term education reform, but it discovered that each state had developed its own definition and program. This finding was a result of a survey sent to…

The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the process of meeting a new state mandate for sexuality education programs at the local school system level. Curriculum coordinators (N=126) responsible for meeting the 1988 Georgia state mandate for sexuality education completed a survey instrument assessing the local school system process in…

The study examined the experiences of 12 school districts in implementing school-based program coordination in special education (sharing materials and/or staff among categorical programs). Two visits were made to each school district to determine plans and actual activities involved in coordination. Findings revealed: a relatively low level of…

Environmental impact statements are required for all projects undertaken by state agencies. Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Resources issues permits for regulatory activities affecting the environment. Statements sent to a state clearinghouse are logged and reviewed. State Departments and regional clearinghouses review and comment…

Article 3.3 states that every school district that has one or more schools with 25 percent or more minority enrollment must provide its professional staff with 60 to 90 hours of inservice preparation in the history, culture, and current problems of diverse ethnic groups. (Author/IRT)

Presents an overview of the status of early childhood education in the United States in 1974. (DW)

The fourth annual summary of school crime data collected by California school districts, this report also includes a comparison of 1988/89 results with those of the three previous years. All of California's school districts completed reports for the fourth reporting period. Despite an article added to the California Constitution affirming…

The pros and cons of state laws mandating mental health insurance are discussed in this report. The history of a 1985 Supreme Court case which held that states could mandate mental health benefits introduces the report. In an overview of the issue, the long-standing argument between the insurance industry and the mental health establishment is…

This staff brief discusses the juvenile justice system in five states which have enacted specific statutory provisions directed at the violent and chronic juvenile offender. Approaches adopted by California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Washington are described which include: (1) various ways of automatically waiving or transferring youths…

This is a report on Alaska's "local option law" which allows villages to choose one of the following four options on alcohol availability in their communities: (1) the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited unless sold under a community liquor license; (2) the sale of alcoholic beverages is limited to one of several types of retail…