The urgency of immigration policy in the lives of immigrant students and families and educators is more evident than ever; however, education theories and educators' practices are not keeping pace with this lived reality. We draw on scholarship that examines the lives and educational experiences of undocumented students and undocumented or…

This presentation describes the rationale and major steps in the development of the Teacher's Test of Language Skills (TTLS) to be administered to selected certificated teachers in the Charleston County School District, South Carolina. The paper recounts the factors underlying the establishment of the School Board's policy, then traces the major…

The school review model is used by the Metropolitan Separate School Board of Toronto (Ontario) to determine, in a positive and supportive manner, the extent to which policies, procedures, and practices have been implemented in the local schools to achieve the Board's goals and objectives. The following areas are reviewed: (1) the Catholic school…

Descriptive findings concerning organization and management practices in 16 urban high schools across the United States are reported in this paper. The findings are based on data from the as yet incomplete 3-year District/Secondary School Study. This research effort involved urban comprehensive high schools without special admissions requirements…

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of the context and process by which the Board adopted a policy, came to question that policy, and ultimately rescinded that policy, while maintaining legitimacy within its environment. In 1977, the Board of Directors of a large urban school district adopted a policy establishing successful…

Under Secretary of State Thomas Johnston's leadership, the Council considered seven wide-ranging issues in education and produced a series of exemplary reports directed at reforms capable of speedy translation into practice. In the post-war period, the Council lost its influence and the Scottish Education Department returned to its traditional…

An indepth account of the conflict around the education of black students in Portland, Oregon, begins with a summary of the history of segregated schools since 1867. The paper presents a multidimentional analysis of school segregation and integration. Educational statistics are cited illustrating that academic achievement of blacks, who today…

The increasingly politicized environment of schools should be examined in the context of the board of education's legal powers and the politics of education. Historically, the superintendent of schools has dominated policy making, though school boards' influence has been noted in areas such as finance and physical facilities, and in smaller…

Policy analysis is the process by which systematically collected information is provided to decision makers. As an integral part of a specific policy setting process and a comprehensive planned change process, such analyses can provide school administrators with much needed information to guide their decisions concerning district-wide…

Statutory and case law since 1953 have created a firm basis for personnel policy in Mississippi public school districts. House Bill No. 11 (1953) prescribed methods for the selection and employment of professional staff and conditions for their suspension and dismissal, establishing rights of proper notice and due process. Standards for…

This paper describes the development of the Basic Educational Skills Test (BEST) in the Austin Independent School District. In 1982 future options for the AISD minimum competency program, which requires all students to meet minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics before graduation, were evaluated against legal and local criteria. It…

This paper describes the development of standardized evaluation procedures for Pasco County's inservice teacher education. Since 1983, legislation requires teacher education centers in Florida to report attainment data based on measurable objectives. Using a classification system adapted from the "Rand Change Agent Study," directors and…

This study examines whether male and female teachers differ in: (1) their background or training for instructional uses of microcomputers, and (2) their uses of microcomputers to teach mathematics and science. Research carried out in 60 classrooms in 49 schools in 25 California school districts provided data on district and school microcomputer…

This paper outlines how the Austin Independent School District (Texas) tried to deal with the following questions: (1) Should special education students be included in the administration of standardized tests?; (2) Should their scores be included or excluded in the reporting of test results?; and (3) What are the evidences that test scores reflect…

This paper is one of a series to guide research linking educational policy and management with student achievement. It specifies the determinants of key paradigm variables and teacher and principal work. The paradigm developed for this type of research is presented in an earlier paper in the series. The constructs of the paradigm are defined,…