This report summarizes evaluation results of AISD's state-funded Accelerated Reading Instruction (ARI) grant activities for 2002-2003.

Outlines the experience of a school system in Quincy, Massachusetts to meet the state's mandated responsibility relating to child abuse. The program includes: provision of clear-cut, systemwide guidelines; availability of a resource person; opportunities for staff communication relating to child abuse experiences; and establishing ties to involved…

The evolution of the California Assessment Program from its legislative origins in 1961 is discussed. The following topics are included: history; analysis and reporting of results; program impact; program assessment; and future changes in emphasis. (MH)

Factors to be considered when developing a new formula for financing public education in Connecticut are discussed in light of the Horton v. Meskill ruling, which declared Connecticut's financing method in violation of the state constitution. Formulas used by other states that may be applicable to Connecticut are also examined. (SF)

Faced with mandated reforms of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990, a mountain community grappled with the challenges of coupling top-down state mandates with bottom-up advocacy and engagement. A year of participant observation revealed six interrelated and paradoxical themes that emerged as these Appalachians created local ownership of…

Reviews briefly recent ballot initiatives and court decisions in Alabama, California, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and Washington that have impacted equal access to higher education for black and other minority students and faculty. (MDM)

The reform legislation in the State of Illinois requires each district to articulate learner outcomes in six areas of education. Separate provisions of the law require increased assessment and reporting by the states and local districts. Deficiencies in the reform program, and the State Board of Education's implementation of the program, are…

This article reviews and interprets the 1980 case of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) vs. Yeshiva University (New York). It also considers state legislatures' responses to the decision, subsequent related NLRB decisions, and the case's overall impact on educational reform in the context of individual cases and of collective bargaining.…

This article discusses the constitutionality of racially restrictive student clubs and organizations at colleges and universities, focusing on the recent proliferation of such groups, the laws and legal standards that apply to such campus groups, and recommendations to university administrators concerning racially restrictive organizations. (MDM)

Explores how a Texas public school district progressed with a state mandate to integrate information technology into the curriculum. A survey was administered to evaluate why information technology is or is not efficiently used in the district's learning processes. Results found influential factors such as attitudes; hardware, software, and…

Examines the impact of mandatory statewide implementation of increased standards with the enactment of Florida's Recognizing Achievement in Secondary Education Bill as evidenced by performance on standardized entry-level tests for community college students. Finds little improvement in academic preparation as measured by test scores. (DMM)

Argues that both state and local politics are more influential than current theory, educational research, and practitioner craft knowledge in shaping the initial conceptualization and subsequent implementation of reform initiatives in the Chicago (Illinois) public schools. Messages for other school systems are highlighted in the Chicago…

Explains issues involved in establishing "charter schools," public schools set up by outside educators or others under a contract granted by some responsible public body. Elements of the Minnesota charter law are discussed. The idea of alternate sponsorship is critical to new and better ways of education. (SLD)

Massachusetts' public education system has a long history of excellence and high regard. Recently, a declining economy, changed demographics, and a conservative government have placed the commonwealth's schools in crisis. This article describes recent state educational reforms, particularly funding and programmatic initiatives, highlighting 1985…

Addresses the issue of drug-exposed infants from the perspective of a reproductive rights attorney. States genuinely interested in promoting healthy children will stop ignoring women or treating them as potential child abusers and will change the current punitive legal focus to a focus on treatment. (SLD)