This study presents a critical policy analysis of California's Assembly Bill 329 (AB 329) regarding inclusive sex education, coupled with a series of coding phases of relevant data. AB 329, enacted in 2015, mandates comprehensive sexual health education in California schools, aiming to address the needs of diverse student populations, including…

Policy capacity in music education can be enhanced through understanding the policy-making process and state governmental policy. Three examples of engagement in state-level policy action are used to explore agency, negotiation, and visioning as important dispositions for advancing music education policy goals. First, influencing state-level…

In "Evidence, Politics, and Education Policy," political scientists Lorraine M. McDonnell and M. Stephen Weatherford provide an original analysis of evidence use in education policymaking to help scholars and advocates shape policy more effectively. The book shows how multiple types of evidence are combined as elected officials and their…

The California Community Colleges are vital to closing the projected shortfall of Californians with a postsecondary credential and sustaining the state's economic competitiveness. Increasing the number of students who pursue and earn certificates and associate degrees in career technical education (CTE) fields is an important component of the…

State policies to encourage elementary teachers to teach for understanding and thinking are more comprehensive in California than in any other state. Based on in-depth interviews with eight curriculum and policy experts and an analysis of over 100 documents, this report describes efforts being advanced across six policy fronts: (1) curriculum…

Guidelines for conducting a program quality review or school self-evaluation are presented. The program quality review process is designed to evaluate curriculum and instructional strategy effectiveness, guide the development of an action plan, and provide a model for school self-study. Part 1 describes applications of the quality criteria to…

Changes in textbook adoption policies in three states--North Carolina, Texas, and California--are examined in this paper, which analyzes major legislative or regulatory changes in the context of each state's educational improvement efforts. Findings indicate a growing conflict between advocates for statewide versus local responsibility for…

Content-driven systemic school reform emerged in recent years as a major policy alternative in the United States. Major reforms include the establishment of state curriculum frameworks, the development of student assessments, and the adoption of new textbooks tied to the curriculum frameworks. Because successful implementation of content-driven…

This handbook gives educators and administrators the tools, information, and resources to design and implement a physical education program. Chapter one contains an assessment guide that can be used to assess and revise the physical education program in elementary and secondary schools. The second chapter contains information that physical…

In the context of the growing challenges to public education that have materialized in California over the past decade, this first of two volumes is presented as a resource document for legislators and others interested in education reform. Volume 1 looks at emerging education issues for the 1995-96 legislative session and summarizes the state's…

A series of recommendations by the Ad Hoc Committee on Community College Transfer of the California Postsecondary Education Commission is presented. Following introductory material reviewing the Committee's efforts to examine transfer problems in California, part one affirms the key importance of the transfer function of the community colleges and…

Examines the history of California's reading program, reviewing its change to a literature-based approach and then back again to a phonetic- or skill-based one. Reviews key factors influencing California policy and speculates about the future of the state's reading program. (TB)

Discusses the review of California's master plan for higher education by a state blue-ribbon commission. Reviews the commission's recommendations concerning the community college curriculum, student progress, transfer programs, governance, and accountability. Considers the work of the commission a reflection of a new alliance between faculty and…

The methodology associated with the California Study of Elementary Mathematics is examined. The article includes an overview of state policy and a description of participants and data collection procedures at the state, school district, school, and classroom levels, including methods used to collect data for development of case studies. (TJH)

A fifth grade teacher's adoption of the California Mathematics Curriculum Framework is described, focusing on the teacher's interaction with the textbook. Four constraints influencing the teacher's ability to enact the policy are discussed. This case study illustrates that teachers are themselves learners who need support/nurturing as they change…