When transitional kindergarten (TK) in California began in the 2012-13 school year, there were many questions about this new grade--available typically to only those children born during the month of November. Parents wondered: What is TK? Who is eligible? Does my district offer TK? Is TK right for my child? With the delayed final approval of TK…

In May 2013, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1296, requiring a report on Texas's future workforce needs that would help inform decisions to develop or expand postsecondary education programs. Educators and policymakers in Texas and elsewhere have a wide variety of quantitative and qualitative workforce information available for planning…

Drawing on the Multiple Streams Model and Policy Regime Change Theory, this study sought to identify the political and instrumental factors that influenced the formation of a policy that led to the expansion of Teach for America in North Carolina. Data for this single intrinsic case study were drawn from interviews with organizational leaders,…

Gov. Wolf has indicated his willingness to modify pensions for future Pennsylvania public sector workers by using a variant of the "stacked hybrid" design proposed in 2013 by Pottsville Republican Rep. Mike Tobash. Negotiations of a compromise pension deal, however, remain stalled because Senate leaders remain committed to their own…

Over the past decade, a handful of high performing public charter schools have developed in Baltimore, but the need for high quality educational offerings, particularly for low-income students, remains high. "'Chartering' Maryland's Future: Is There an Expanded Role for National Charter Management Organizations in Our Schools?" considers…

Standards for superintendents of schools are clearly spelled out by The Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) and the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) standards. ISLLC and the ELCC standards both address the political actions expected of today's district superintendents. Little scientific research has been…

This article provides a concise and objective synthesis of the federal legislation, regulations, and agency policy interpretations; state laws; and case law, including hearing officer and complaint investigation decisions, concerning specific learning disability (SLD) identification since the 2006 IDEA regulations. The results reveal wide latitude…

As society's views of sexual orientation and gender identity have significantly evolved in recent years, school districts across the country are addressing how to create policies that align with the law in this area. One recent issue involves laws and policies focused on transgender students and their right to access restrooms that align with…

Background: With the rise in childhood obesity, school policies related to nutrition and physical activity have been written and implemented. In this paper, we present a model to evaluate the degree to which state legislation for school health policies are implemented at the school level. Methods: Using Washington, DC's Healthy Schools Act (HSA)…

In this article, Kelley and Mead consider changes in the policymaking process in Wisconsin before the election of Governor Walker, in the early years following his election, and in the months preceding passage of the 2015-17 biennial budget. Kelley and Mead argue that in Wisconsin, serious and significant attacks to public education motivated by…

During period 2011-2014, there was an increase in public discourse in Tasmania concerning post-secondary school retention rates. Perhaps this is not surprising, because the state has lingered for years in this regard with the poorest in the Commonwealth. The Liberal Party gained government on 15 March 2014, and immediately began enacting its…

This case study examined the implementation of a baccalaureate degree at Skyline Community College--one of the 15 California community colleges authorized to offer baccalaureate degrees established as part of a pilot program enacted by the California Legislature via Senate Bill 850 (2014). The study explored the policies and procedures in place at…

In fulfillment of Ohio Revised Code and 3345.061 (H), the Chancellor of the Department of Higher Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction have submitted this 2017 Ohio Remediation Report. The report provides an overview of Ohio's Remediation-Free Guarantee, a review of the data, and recommendations for future strategies to reduce the…

This 12th edition of Minimum Qualifications for Faculty and Administrators in California Community Colleges is an update of the disciplines lists including those noticed to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges (Board of Governors) at the July 17, 2017 meeting. The handbook incorporates changes that resulted from…

Since 1980, Michigan retirees have been afforded health care benefits for which they were required to pay 10 percent of the premium upon retirement--the remainder was paid for by the state. Recently, the Michigan Legislature reduced the financial obligation of the State for retiree health care benefits, placing it on the individual member. In…