Findings of a study that sought to determine teachers' and principals' perceptions concerning state-mandated testing are presented in this paper. Data were gathered through interviews with 30 fifth- and sixth-grade teachers and 12 principals in 3 states--Tennessee, Illinois, and New York--where statewide testing has been implemented for 30 years,…

This paper addresses legal, cost, and policy aspects of meeting the educational needs of children with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in Vermont. The first sections address the increasing incidence of TBI and implications of technological advancement. The next section stresses the importance of states establishing and maintaining statewide…

The severity of the silent epidemic of lead poisoning and its long range effects on young children in impairment of intellectual ability, short-term memory, concentration, and reaction time have been recognized. A 3-year strategic plan for preventing childhood lead poisoning in Illinois was developed by a planning committee working through four…

Many activities that take place in the library, including circulation and interlibrary loan and reserve requests, result in the creation of records linking clients to specific kinds of information. Several groups, including law enforcement officials, have attempted on various occasions to gain access to these records. This research paper provides…

When New Jersey passed the Quality Education Act to equalize expenditures between rich and poor school districts, it added a level of regulatory oversight to the "special needs districts," the 30 poorest districts in the state. This paper describes that oversight system and the additional paperwork burdens it created for those districts.…

In 1991, the Sex Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) developed guidelines for presenting age appropriate, comprehensive sexuality education. This publication reports on a 1993 study, using these guidelines as a framework to assess sexuality education curricula and guidelines in the United States. A survey instrument was…

Presented are the results of a study by and recommendations of the Virginia State Crime Commission to develop a program of appropriate education for jail inmates with disabilities. Four public hearings resulted in seven findings, including the following: federal law requires the states to provide special education to handicapped inmates;…

The study examined student access to higher education in Florida by analyzing the state's current policy regarding student access and articulation, the statewide articulation agreement and the uniformity of its application, the limited access programs and their effect on student mobility, enrollment funding policies and their effect on student…

The guide is designed to introduce elementary and secondary school teachers and administrators to government documents and their use, provide background on the issue of bilingual education, and list relevant documents and publications as a basis for constructing educational programs for limited English-proficient students. The first major section…

This report reviews the major forces that have shaped the direction of teacher education reform in Oregon since 1983, focusing on Ballot Measure 5 which threatens state level funds for teacher education programs and on the impact of Workforce 2000 goals. Following an introduction, the document is organized into three sections: "Professional…

This publication offers an analysis of California families' need for childcare, and reviews policies on preschool in an effort to assist lawmakers in policy formation. The analysis discusses the history of childcare and child development programs in California with a view toward enhancing the future of young children and points the direction for…

In response to interest from the Higher Education Advisory Council and a mandate from the 1985 Minnesota Legislature, Higher Education Coordinating Board staff conducted a project with three major goals: (1) to assess and report on the uses of information technologies in Minnesota postsecondary education; (2) to initiate collaborative activities…

A specific legal model that would provide educational choice, called the "Scholarship Initiative," is cast in the form of a state constitutional amendment. The Scholarship Initiative provides a basic framework and point of reference for a legislative debate. Existing public and private schools could be converted into "public…

This report, which is the result of an examination of New Jersey's public education system, contends that the state has not been completely successful in providing an educational atmosphere free from sex bias. The report reviews federal and state legislation, and law, policy, and research in the areas of sexual harassment, teacher training and…

An analysis was conducted of state policies concerning the identification of gifted students, especially those traditionally underserved (the culturally diverse, economically disadvantaged, and students with disabilities). Content analysis of each state's documents focused on six major areas: (1) legislation, (2) definitions of "gifted,"…