This critical case study analyzes Michigan's implementation of Public Act 4 (PA4), also known as the "emergency management" (EM) takeover law. PA4 grants the state control of school districts with dire budgetary problems. As most U.S. school districts are citywide, PA4 gives the state direct control over all the (previously locally…

This report delves into experiences from states that are operating pre-K classrooms in charter schools in order to inform stakeholder discussions and decision points as the state moves to sustain the Preschool Development Grant (PDG) programs currently operating in charter schools. As the number of children enrolled in state-funded pre-K…

This publication highlights how state leaders tackle data interoperability with the emergence of data standards for student information, assessment, digital content, and other educational applications. While states are at various maturity levels for interoperability, each state shares goals for interoperability, the drivers for those goals,…

States began adopting the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in 2010 after they were launched by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association. Five years later, policymakers in numerous states continue to debate the Common Core and related elements, such as how to assess the standards. This brief provides a…

The Task Force to Study the Impact of Expanding Credit and Noncredit Courses for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities was formed in July 2013. Chapter 392, Acts of 2013, (House Bill 813) established the Task Force to Study the Impact of Expanding Credit and Noncredit Courses for Students with Intellectual and Developmental…

This progress report reviews the first year of Texas' public-school accountability system. The report meets the state legislature's requirement to: (1) provide reliable measurement of student performance; (2) relate student academic outcomes to state standards; (3) recommend action in cases where results deviated from expected performance; and (4)…

In the course of developing and passing the South Carolina Education Improvement Act of 1984, those behind the legislative effort observed that several factors affect successful educational reform. First, reform must be comprehensive. The 1984 act has provisions relating to academic standards, basic skills, instructional improvement,…

This guide is designed to help South Carolina's school administrators implement the school improvement process mandated by the state legislature. The first chapter introduces the educational philosophy produced by the research on effective schools. Six indicators of effective schools (positive school climate, instructional leadership of the…

The Massachusetts Education Reform Act was passed in June 1993. In fall 1993, the Massachusetts Board of Education approved the Department of Education's Implementation Plan for Education Reform and appointed a board task force to oversee the implementation process. This document presents the state's first annual implementation report card for…

To determine the extent of state-mandated staff development activity in the states, a study involving the chief education officer from each of the 50 states was conducted, and the results are reported in this paper. The study and report focus on the following: (1) states mandating staff development programs; (2) states planning legislation…

An administrative manual prepared in compliance with the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, and to supplement the State Plan, was distributed to all local educational agencies in Missouri to communicate the need for actively encouraging the enrollment in school of homeless children and youth. The manual includes the following: a summary…

Connecticut has proposed legislation to augment the remote education infrastructure which includes public libraries, public schools, and institutions of higher learning. The purpose of one bill is to explore the possibilities of transmitting interactive distance education to all schools intrastate and to classify public libraries at a cheaper…

This report describes and evaluates the initial effects of the 1984 Texas Education Reform Bill (House Bill 72), in which the Texas legislature enacted a massive attempt to enhance both equity and effectiveness in the State's system of elementary and secondary education. Chapter 1 describes the Bill's various financing components and focuses on…

Service learning (SL) is a teaching method that integrates service to the community with classroom curriculum and provides a hands-on approach to mastering subject material while fostering civic responsibility. Through funds from the Corporation for National Service (CNS), nearly every state has resources and some level of SL programming. Although…