After being placed on the back burner during the 1980s, school finance is again a major issue. In the 1970s, reliance on property taxes created school district disparities because of unequal tax bases. Legislative reforms enacted between 1971 and 1985 had the following characteristics: school finance formulas were revamped; the state role in…

A guide to the status of state laws that prohibit sex discrimination in education is presented. The federal law (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972) is used as the standard against which state laws are measured. Based on a survey of the states (including the District of Columbia and the U.S. Territories) and an assessment of state…

To generate a theoretical model for future interpretation, this study analyzed the 1985 Indiana Legislature concerning educational policymaking in public school funding. Previous research indicates that the classical rational actor model of policymaking inadequately addresses multidimensional pressures at work in state legislatures. A model is…

The safe and effective transportation of pupils to and from schol is an integral part of a sound educational program. This course guide is a study and reference tool for use in a training course designed to promote the competency of school bus drivers throughout the State of Texas. Unit 1 of the guide provides an overview of the transportation…

Information is presented on standardized tests used at California undergraduate and graduate/professional schools for admission and placement purposes. The following four tests used at the undergraduate level are described: the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, the Scholastic Aptitude and College…

An analysis is provided of the status of collective bargaining in Illinois community colleges in 1983-84. Chapter 1 provides introductory material on: the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act (H.B. 1530), a comprehensive collective bargaining law; the value of an examination of collective bargaining prior to the implementation of the law; and…

This 3-year project aimed to improve delivery of support and instructional services among 33 West Virginia county school districts in implementing special education mandates. The participating school districts are within the service area of West Virginia University. The introduction details each year's objectives. "Year one" pursued…

This study focuses on vocational education curriculum and staffing changes among California school districts as a result of 1983 state back-to-basics educational reform legislation (Hughes-Hart Educational Reform Act of 1983). Data were gathered from 1981-86, beginning with baseline data two years prior to, during, and two years after legislation.…

Factors affecting the acceptance by the courts of teacher employment policies involving competency testing are examined in this report. Policies in 55 states and territories are considered, and the wide variations among the policies and court interpretations of them are noted. Particular attention is paid to constitutional provisions regarding…

This edition highlights two topic areas. A new chart summarizes and updates information on state testing requirements for certification and for entry to or exit from teacher education progams. State activity in the area of early childhood education provides the second highlight. Documenting a variety of reforms, this survey also tracks eight…

An update of California legislation affecting higher education (introduced in 1987 and still under consideration or introduced in 1988) is provided. The 107 bills affecting higher education that are before the legislature in 1988 are grouped into five major categories: student fees and financial assistance (student fee policy, modifications in…

Since 1975, the Center for the Study of Higher Education, the Pennsylvania State University, and the National Council of State Directors of Community and Junior Colleges have cooperated in an annual study to identify and analyze pertinent state legislation affecting two-year colleges throughout the United States, to examine the issues which…

In response to a legislative imperative that all public higher education institutions in Virginia develop and implement a program to measure student learning and to use the results of evaluations for the improvement of instruction and the curriculum, the Virginia community colleges have either initiated or completed a number of student assessment…

Several problems have been identified in the administration of student financial aid programs in California, including high default rates in the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) Program, a significant decrease in the number of eligible students receiving financial aid, workload increases in program administration, and unmet needs for financial aid…

To allow school district staff to administer community organizations' use of school facilities, school boards should set strong but flexible policies on such use, as has the Akron (OH) Board of Education. Although Ohio law allows schools to be used for a wide range of social, recreational, and religious activities, the board--acknowledging its…