In 1996, Californians overwhelmingly approved Proposition 209, which prohibited all state agencies from discriminating on the basis of race, ethnicity, or gender in university admissions, public employment, or competition for a state contract. Opponents of Proposition 209 predicted dire consequences for California's ethnic minorities and women if…

The 2008 state legislative season launches this month under a fiscal cloud in a number of states, where ambitious education initiatives--including expanded pre-K programs, college- or career-preparation efforts, and improved teacher pay--may end up being balanced against gloomy revenue projections. A revenue slowdown--foreshadowed last month in…

During this election year, many people who study race and education had hoped that the nomination of a black presidential candidate and the increased focus on race would have led to a related discussion of equal access to higher education and a turn toward a stronger commitment to the creation of a truly diverse society. However, unfortunately,…

Florida lawmakers began a comprehensive education reform effort in 1999 combining accountability, transparency, and parental choice with other far-reaching changes. In March 2010, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released new results showing just how successful Florida's reforms have been and how futile Oklahoma's efforts…

In 2000, the California State Legislature passed the Schiff-Cardenas Crime Prevention Act, which authorized funding for county juvenile-justice programs and designated the Corrections Standards Authority (CSA) (formerly named the Board of Corrections) the administrator of funding. A 2001 California Senate bill extended the funding and changed the…

Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through…

In 2002, voters in Florida approved a constitutional amendment limiting class sizes in public schools to 18 students in the elementary grades, 22 students in middle grades, and 25 in high school grades. Analyzing statewide achievement data for school districts from 2004-2006 and for schools in 2007, this study purports to find that "mandated…

The State of Florida launched the College and Career Readiness Initiative to improve student readiness for postsecondary education and promote success after high school graduation. During the 2008 legislative session, s. 1008.30 (3), F.S., (also known as Senate Bill (SB) "1908") was revised to provide an opportunity for postsecondary…

This article presents the state education finance and governance profile of South Carolina. In the state of South Carolina, the population in 1990 was estimated at 3,486,310, and as of July 2008 the population was estimated at 4,479,800. In terms of education funding, the K-12 education General Fund appropriation is $2,441,044,733 for Fiscal Year…

By enacting the "Parent Choice in Education" Act (H.B. 148), Utah has created the most comprehensive school choice program in the nation. State and local policymakers across the nation should consider similar programs to expand educational options and introduce competition into education. This paper explains how the program will work,…

Virginia recently became the first state to pass legislation that bars public colleges and universities from punishing or expelling students "solely for attempting to commit suicide, or seeking mental-health treatment for suicidal thoughts or behaviors." While well intentioned, the law adds nothing to current law and will, in fact, make…

A report of a national survey of recent school library legislation action at the federal, state, and local level. (Author)

The first two volumes of the Interstate Child Support Enforcement Laws Digest provide a collection of interstate laws pertaining to child support enforcement. The volumes, like their predecessor, the URESA Laws Digest, represent each state's Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Acts (URESA), and include a compilation of URESA codes and the…