In a poor state such as Arkansas, progress is often a slow and painful process. Particularly in the area of teacher salaries, school funding plans are often thwarted by budget shortfalls. Court decisions and efforts to stabilize and equalize school funding and local property taxes have led to political battles over taxation. Constitutional…

As the new version of the "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" is being developed, it is apparent that putting together a set of standards for test publishing involves many difficulties. Although the basic intent of almost all parties involved is similar, there are many potential areas of disagreement among parties to…

In June 1995, the Idaho Joint Legislative Oversight Committee directed the Office of Performance Evaluations to conduct an evaluation of school district pupil transportation. This report, the last in a series of four, examines the apparent cost difference between district-operated transportation programs and those that are contracted to…

This report discusses the school aid increase enacted for New York State in 1998-1999. School aid for the year will increase by $850 million. However, it is argued that the Governor's vetoes of the Rebuild Schools to Uphold Education (RESCUE) program and teacher support aid betrays a certain lack of true reform within the budget. The changes made…

Educational issues of concern to southwestern state legislatures are reviewed in this educational policy bulletin. Information from a survey of legislative education committee members and legislative aides in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas is used to develop profiles of each state's unique educational concerns and political…

These guidelines aim to support Ohio school districts in the development and implementation of procedures for referring, assessing, and identifying gifted children, grades 1-12. The guidelines cite relevant state legislation and offer a sample policy statement. Procedures for identification involve the following phases: review existing data…

This discussion paper identifies how the New England Facility could be established to offer service for the blind and physically handicapped. Following a premise which outlines typical library services, the New England Facility is described in terms of its approach to service; facility size (total square footage); staffing needs and…

The California Planning Commission for Educational Technology was established by state legislation (AB 1470) in 1989 to develop a California Master Plan for Educational Technology for K-12 education, the California Community Colleges, the University of California, and the California State University. The Commission discussed multiple issues;…

This technical assistance document provides guidelines for child assessment and eligibility determination for early intervention and early childhood special education programs in Oregon. An overview of the assessment process explains screening, eligibility evaluation, and assessment for the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP). Legal requirements…

A study was done of California employers' family policies and benefits. The study surveyed a representative sample of employers from the public and private sectors and documented current employer practices regarding family policies and benefits, employer knowledge and use of the California State Child Care Tax Credit, and employer attitudes and…

The current status of the curriculum in Texas public schools and the implications for future curriculum changes are examined in this report mandated by state House Bill 246. The report provides a 5-year overview for both general and vocational education from December 1986 through December 1990. Following an executive summary, the introduction…

The right of homeless children and youth to enjoy a free, appropriate public education is ensured in Oregon by ORS 339.115 (3). This law establishes that homeless children and youth cannot be denied enrollment simply because they lack a fixed place of residence or because they are not under a parent's or guardian's supervision. State Board of…

A summary outline of examples of Minnesota statutory curriculum requirements is contained in this information brief. Information is presented in the following six categories: (1) curriculum requirements that all school districts must meet; (2) directions to the state board of education and the state board of teaching to develop curriculum or…

A description of Sam Houston University and the College of Criminal Justice introduces this annotated bibliography, which provides a single comprehensive listing of the master's degree theses written by students in the criminal justice program from its establishment in 1965 through 1990. Several 1991 theses are included although their call numbers…

Findings of a case study that examined how nonincremental policy changes occurred in Ohio education are presented in this paper. Specifically, the paper applies Mazzoni's two arena models of policy innovation to understand the 1989 passage of S.B. 140, or the Omnibus Education Reform Act. In the first model, policy innovations occur when the…