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…

California and the rest of the United Sates are undergoing significant challenges in providing educational opportunities for an increasingly diverse population. These challenges include inadequate literacy and numeracy skills among large segments of the student and adult populations; an ongoing shift in the demographic profile of the population,…

This report presents findings stemming from the first-year evaluation of the Texas Educator Excellence Grant (TEEG) program, one of several statewide performance incentive programs in Texas. In June 2006, Governor Perry and the 79th Texas Legislature created the Governor's Educator Excellence Award Program, one component of which is the TEEG…

Each edition of the IDRA Newsletter strives to provide many different perspectives on the issues in education topics discussed and to define its significance in the state and national dialogue. This issue focuses on Enlightened Public Policy and includes: (1) Texas Education Policy: Prospects for 2009 (Albert Cortez); (2) Bilingual Education in…

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…

Florida's education system must creatively confront a number of challenges if it is to fulfill its obligation to the state's students. This paper presents an overview of challenges to the Florida school system in 1995, some of which include rising student enrollment, an increase in racial and ethnic minority populations, and a tax base that is…

In 1991 the Oregon Legislature passed major school-reform legislation, the Oregon Educational Act for the 21st Century. The act contains the following provisions: early childhood education; nongraded, developmental education; outcomes-based education; comprehensive support services; and school-based decision making. Oregon's educators were not…

Because the amount of state-equalization aid received by Ohio school districts is inevitably related to district wealth, the measure of district ability is a concern. This paper presents findings of a study that used computer simulation to examine the effect of proposed modifications to district-revenue capacity on the equity of Ohio…

This report presents data on the status of state legislation in many areas of education. Data were collected from legislators, legislative staff, state newsletters, "StateNet," school board/teacher associations, and various media. Not all of the listed legislation was enacted. Legislation pertaining to the following topics was included:…

A study was done of how the College Construction Loan Insurance Association (Connie Lee) carried out its mission, particularly in its service to the 102 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). The study interviewed officials at Connie Lee, HBCUs and other schools, the Department of Education, and representatives of the bond insurance…

State legislation in Indiana requires that at least 30 semester hours of comparable general education courses fulfilling graduation requirements be available at and transferable among all state postsecondary educational institutions. A February 1994 report indicated that the 30 semester hours transferred among all institutions except Indiana…

As part of the restructuring drive toward a developmentally appropriate curriculum, restructuring has begun to be implemented through a nongraded organizational structure. After Kentucky mandated a nongraded structure for primary education, the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation to allow nongraded primary schools. The Tennessee…

This audit evaluated State University of New York (SUNY) personnel practices under 1985 and 1987 state legislation which granted SUNY greater flexibility to set salaries in order to recruit and retain top faculty and administrative talent. The study concluded that SUNY has used flexibility prudently and that flexibility has not had a significant…

This report provides an overview of House Bill 1, 74th Texas Legislature, the appropriations act for the state of Texas for the 1996-97 biennium, focusing on those aspects of the bill devoted to higher education. Nearly 42 percent of the $80.2 billion budget is devoted to education, with $9.9 billion appropriated for higher education. The Higher…

Presenting guidelines for student attendance accounting developed by the Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges, this manual provides an update to the original guide published in 1983. Chapter 1 explains general items such as the academic calendar, admissions policies, student classification by enrollment status, and conditions…