In 1998, the citizens of Florida approved passage of Amendment VIII to the Florida Constitution, whereby the voters voluntarily gave up their right to elect a commissioner of education and a state board of education. In 1999, the standing commissioner of education appointed a blue-ribbon committee to review and recommend changes to the Florida…

School choice advocates made many advances in 1994, and many states seem ready to pass school choice legislation in 1995. This report describes the state of school choice efforts in the individual states. School choice advocates look for action by the Federal Government as Congress discusses ways to help states implement choice, whether by…

This report summarizes for fiscal years 1992 and 1993 the adult education activities that were implemented throughout the state of Florida in response to and in support of the Florida Model Literacy Program Act of 1987 (Florida Adult Literacy Act). The report also summarizes activities initiated under "Blueprint 2000," a system of school…

A study analyzed the continuing professional education (CPE) requirements, practices, policies, evaluation measures, and perception of impact on practice and participants in the counseling profession. Research was conducted in 22 states with at least 5 years experience with their counselor licensing legislation requiring CPE. Other states were…

To determine how best to connect public work force services in Texas with employers' needs, a study reviewed literature on employer involvement in government-sponsored training programs. Study activities included the following: review of findings from two recent national surveys on employer training, identification of states most strongly…

In compliance with Texas state law, the Austin Independent School District (AISD) provides two programs to serve students identified as limited English proficient (LEP): Bilingual Education (BE) with dual language instruction and English as Second Language (ESL) intensive English instruction. ESL is both a component of BE and a stand-alone…

This document is a series of 1999 newsletters from the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. Reoccurring issues covered in the newsletters are technology and distance education, full-time and part-time faculty, state budget and legislative updates, accreditation, and areas of interest specific to California Community Colleges and the…

This paper highlights the major federal and state public policy issues that will affect higher education in 2001 and 2002. Its purpose is to provide board members and other higher education officials with brief descriptions of the most important public policy issues. Each issue is defined, with a brief summary and a discussion in greater depth.…

This study explored bilingual education in California, analyzing California law on instruction for English Learners before and after Proposition 227. Proposition 227 required that all English Learners (EL) participate in a sheltered English immersion program in which most instruction was in English with curriculum and presentation designed for…

This guide, designed for families of children with disabilities and educators in Washington state, is intended to provide a shared understanding of special education and encourage partnership for the child's benefit. Each section specifies what families and educators should expect, their responsibilities, possible questions to ask, and their…

The Texas Education Code requires the Texas Education Agency to submit a comprehensive biennial report on the number of students retained in grade level in the Texas public school system. This report presents a summary of the literature on the effects of grade level retention on the academic, social, and psychological development of students,…

The Texas Education Code requires the Texas Education Agency to submit a comprehensive biennial report containing a summary of information related to grade level retention of students in the Texas public school system. This report looks at retention in Texas based on data collected over a 3-year period, beginning with the 1993-94 school year. The…

Since 1994, New Jersey's higher education system has been under a new governance system created by the Higher Education Restructuring Act. The act declares that eliminating unnecessary state oversight will spur institutional creativity and innovation and that placing greater decision making and accountability at the institutional level will better…

This training manual is designed to provide information that will help Missouri educators understand and implement new state requirements regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities in the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP). It addresses the following topics: (1) reasons for including students with disabilities in a state assessment…

This document consists of the 11 issues of the Children's Defense Fund (CDP) Report published during 1996. Issues discuss concerns related to child advocacy and provide information on problems in children's lives in the United States. Regular sections in each issue are the editorial column "A Voice for Children," a status report on…