The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is required to submit this report to the Legislature regarding the status of existing charter schools, the number of petitions for new charter schools, and the action taken by school boards and DPI on petitions for new charter schools (see Wis. Stat. §115.28 (49)). This report offers the results…

Oftentimes, policymakers discuss school reform only in terms of its benefits to students. In this brief, researcher Bartley R. Danielsen identifies how more multifaceted reforms can not only improve educational outcomes for students but also revitalize communities by encouraging wealthy families to remain in lower-income areas, thereby raising…

The U.S. Department of Education's Policy to Performance project was funded in 2009 to build the capacity of state adult basic education (ABE) staff to develop and implement policies and practices that would support an ABE transition system. Policy to Performance states were selected though a competitive process. State adult education directors…

The "Policy to Performance Toolkit" is designed to provide state adult education staff and key stakeholders with guidance and tools to use in developing, implementing, and monitoring state policies and their associated practices that support an effective state adult basic education (ABE) to postsecondary education and training transition…

Until recently, states focused on ensuring the presence of a "highly qualified teacher" in every classroom. Under the 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), this title described a teacher holding at least a bachelor's degree and the appropriate state license and…

This report provides educators and policymakers with information they can use to celebrate their successes, understand their unique challenges, and set meaningful goals to increase opportunity for all students. It is important to note that while AP® Exams are valid measures of students' content mastery of college-level studies in specific academic…

Policymakers and educators are increasingly expressing concerns that the U.S. is lagging behind other countries in educating the next generation of mathematicians and scientists. In response, the federal government, private foundations, and many "institutions of higher education" (IHEs) are encouraging STEM (science, technology,…

In late 1999, philanthropist Susie Buffett wanted to make the smartest possible investment to improve public education in her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. She and her then-foundation president, Dan Pedersen, spoke with Superintendent John Mackiel regarding how he would choose to use private funds to enhance opportunities for Omaha's 46,000…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) President Bush Releases Fiscal Year 2007 Budget: Education Funding Cut by $2.1 Billion; $100 Million Request for…

This memo is designed to assist Wisconsin's Special Committee on Employment Disincentives in reviewing the issue of adult illiteracy. Section A provides information on the extent of illiteracy in the United States. Section B discusses selected literacy programs at the federal, state, and local levels. Results are provided of a study of federal…

Eight papers presented at a 1-day conference on poverty in Wisconsin are collected in this volume. The first six papers focus on poverty within the state and its effects on particular groups such as women, racial minorities, the elderly, and those in rural areas. The last two papers examine these findings in light of current poverty programs and…

This paper describes state, institutional, and other community-based programs deemed exemplary (on the basis of design imperatives) for successful interventions to promote meaningful access of minority group youth to postsecondary education. The imperatives include early intervention, comprehensive and integrated intervention, intervention…

This state plan (amended, and adopted June 16, 1989) describes Wisconsin's programs to address the educational needs of homeless children and youth, as mandated by provisions of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. The plan is comprised of a preface and four sections. The preface reports that 17 counties have been targeted for…

This handbook provides a reference to the fiscal requirements and procedures for effective management of federal and state education grant programs in Wisconsin. The handbook references the Code of Federal Regulations, the federal Single Audit Act of 1984, and state statutes. Part A discusses the education department's general administrative…