In school districts throughout California, teachers and parents have the ability to refer children to be identified and served through the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program. However, despite active GATE program in the district, there are schools, marked by high percentages of students who are English learners or from low-income…

Confronted with widely publicized accounts of assaults by juvenile sex offenders against fellow students or school staff members, several states are grappling with the issue of how to balance a student's right to an education with the threat that such a student may pose. Legislatures and agencies in several states, such as Arkansas, New Mexico,…

Using a naturalistic methodology, this study explored counselors' and administrators' perceptions of the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the Middle and High School Supplemental Counseling Program (MHSSCP) at a predominantly Latino high school. Determining how counselors and administrators define their roles in implementing,…

Pupil transportation is an essential part of the overall school program, which requires constant supervision and direction. Perhaps no other phase of the school program is more closely observed by the public or has a greater tendency to mold public opinion about the schools than the school bus system. The success of any school district pupil…

Maryland's school finance system experienced a restructuring in 2002 with the passage of SB 856, the "Bridge to Excellence Act." The "Bridge" Act set the funding amount for "base" students, brought state funding for kindergarten students on par with students in grades 1-12, and collapsed about 50 school funding…

The Indiana General Assembly passed charter school enabling legislation in 2001, and the first charter schools opened their doors for the 2002-03 school year. As of fall 2008, 49 charter schools are operating in Indiana. A total of 17 of these schools are sponsored by the City of Indianapolis, Office of the Mayor, 29 schools are sponsored by…

Student loans are a rapidly growing $85 billion a year industry fueled by the substantial higher economic returns associated with a college education, increased demand from students and their parents, and grant and scholarship funds that have not kept pace with rising school tuition and fees. This report describes federally subsidized and…

The "Code of Virginia" requires school divisions statewide to submit data to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) on incidents of discipline, crime, and violence (DCV). School divisions began reporting such data in 1991. This annual report focuses primarily on DCV data submitted for school year 2006-2007, with selected comparisons…

This article examines the contemporary role of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in public higher education systems. The article is based on the premise that in order to address persistent questions about whether HBCUs are a relevant sector of public higher education, a contemporary, rather than historical, analysis is…

Charter schools, although a stage for potential educational reform and innovation, remain subject to federal laws regarding the education of students with disabilities. As they intersect with federal law, the variance of state charter laws and policy surrounding the provision of special education creates a challenging context for helping charters…

This article documents the efforts by Mexican Americans to challenge school segregation in Arizona in the first half of the twentieth century. As in Texas and California, although state law never formally mandated the segregation of Mexican American students, school districts in Arizona often established separate "Mexican Schools" for…

This policy brief describes how legislation can ensure that high-quality charter schools emerge from the chartering process. State legislatures do not decide which applicants receive charters, but leave these choices up to "chartering entities" (state and local boards of education) by giving them the power to grant charters. However,…

It was requested that the Virginia Crime Commission develop a plan for drug-free schools that could be distributed to Virginia's local education agencies. Meetings were held to examine the key issues relating to developing drug-free environments in the public schools. Four issues were identified as critical to reducing the availability of drugs in…

Wisconsin legislation on adolescent pregnancy prevention is discussed in this document. The 1991 Senate Bill 324 and Assembly Bill 630, identical bills which relate to adolescent pregnancy prevention, school district instruction in human growth and development, medical assistance services, and making appropriations, are discussed. Part I notes…

This guidebook was designed to help concerned citizens identify and prevent child abuse. The guidebook provides information about the extent of child abuse in the United States generally and within Oklahoma specifically, and stresses that under Oklahoma state law every adult has the responsibility to report suspected abuse. Programs and services…