This report is the third in a three-part series examining how institutions of higher education have responded to state and federal policies limiting the use of transcript holds for unpaid balances. Ithaka S+R partnered with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) to field the 2024 Transcript Hold…

Policymakers and researchers often talk about "autonomous schools" as if there's a single, agreed-upon definition of what that means. In reality, there's no standard design for autonomous school policies, and school autonomy can mean a lot of different things. The policies that states have enacted vary widely in terms of their goals, the…

Policymakers and researchers often talk about "autonomous schools" as if there's a single, agreed-upon definition of what that means. In reality, there's no standard design for autonomous school policies, and school autonomy can mean a lot of different things. The policies that states have enacted vary widely in terms of their goals, the…

When No Child Left Behind (NCLB) became law in 2002, it was viewed as an effort to create uniform standards for students and schools across the country. More than a decade later, we know surprisingly little about how states actually implemented NCLB and the extent to which state implementation decisions managed to undo the centralizing objectives…

The foundational function of the state is the approval of an entity to establish itself as a postsecondary institution. Most often referred to as state authorization, it is the first formal act in the legal operation of an institution and often serves as the foundation upon which other quality assurance functions are built (like accreditation).…

Purpose: This study documented evidence-based practice (EBP) patterns as reported by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) employed in public schools during 2010-2011. Method: Using an online survey, practioners reported their EBP training experiences, resources available in their workplaces, and the frequency with which they engage in specific EBP…

With the changes made to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-446), educational leadership is now able to use the Response to Intervention (RtI) process for Specific Learning Disability (SLD) determination rather than the long-standing discrepancy model (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004).…

Early childhood educators play a critical role in preparing students for success later in their school experience. The instructional techniques, emotional supports, and assessment approaches for early childhood settings are different from classroom settings in later grades. How can states and districts develop evaluation systems that are tuned to…

The legal source of schools' use of response to intervention (RTI) is a matter of federal and state special education laws, although its implementation is largely a matter of general education practice. The only mention of RTI is in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and it is limited to identification of students with…

Purpose: Consideration of assistive technology (AT) for special education students has been federally mandated since 1997. Since the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), rigorous evidence-based educational practices are also mandated. While national technology standards for teachers in general education exist to guide educational technology (ET),…

The paper examines parental views regarding the implementation of Educational Legislation 113(I)/99 in Cyprus regarding the integration of children with special needs in the mainstream school. It is based on parental interviews which were taken in the course of a large research project regarding the implementation of the new legislation in primary…

This report is a brief analysis of information from 47 states and non-state jurisdictions on use of the eligibility category, "developmental delay," for children up until their tenth birthday, as permitted under the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Relevant policy issues and concerns are also discussed.…

The California School-to-Career Plan, developed by the state Governor's office with funding from the federal School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, outlines a system of workforce development emphasizing partnerships between schools and business and the integration of academic and vocational education. The Plan has several implications, however,…

This manual provides administrative guidelines for programs for gifted students in Missouri. An introduction cites the relevant state special education law, defines "giftedness," and stresses that differentiated educational programs are intended for only 2 or 3 percent of the school-aged population whose development requires…

This manual represents a revised version of the original 1999 Idaho Special Education Manual which is a set of guidelines to assist Idaho school districts in carrying out the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997 and its implementing regulations, which were published on March 12, 1999. Additions to…