Revolving around whether schools should open before or after Labor Day are the issues of jobs, tradition, money, and local control. Presents the pros and cons being put forth in discussions in a number of states. (MLF)

The Key State Education Policies on PK-12 Education is intended to inform policymakers and educators about the current status of key education policies that define and shape elementary and secondary education in public schools across the 50 states. The report is part of a continuing series by the Council's State Education Indicators program.…

The 16 school districts in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, found that the most effective method to reduce truancy is to take truants to court. As a result of truancy prosecution, hundreds of students are back in school. Outlines an eight-step program to put a solid truancy prosecution program in place. (MLF)

As one report in a comprehensive study of Illinois state mandates for elementary and secondary education, this study covers the three major areas in the Illinois compulsory attendance law: students' entrance age, their exit age, and the schools' obligation to enfore truancy regulations. After brief histories of compulsory attendance laws in the…

From 1981 through 1983, 32 schools in 28 districts participated in the pilot study authorized by California's School Attendance Improvement Act. On the basis of that study, the first of this report's two chapters offers six steps for a comprehensive approach to improving attendance: (1) assessing actual attendance, (2) developing policies and…

Two authors discuss contrasting methods of dropout prevention. Debates the effectiveness of coercion as opposed to positive incentives to keep students in school. (FMW)

School board members should undertake thoughtful and informed deliberations on the issues involved in home schooling. (MLF)

Outlines the legal authority permitting North Carolina school officials to excuse all students' attendance under a uniform policy and applies this policy to absences and early checkouts by 18-year-olds. Cites cases supporting school officials' legal duty to consider exemptions for 18-year-olds with extenuating family circumstances. Cites 37…

Legal battles are being waged over standards and regulations governing home schooling. Boards of education are advised to work out any accommodations they can with parents but to be prepared to consult with the school attorney. (MLF)

One of the South Carolina Department of Education's foremost responsibilities is to initiate attendance improvement programs. Among the services offered to carry out this responsibility is assistance to attendance personnel in developing professional approaches to absenteeism. This guide contains information on the role and function of attendance…

Parental rights and state compulsory school attendance requirements are limited by constitutional constraints, as shown in three benchmark cases. The article also cites cases to show the impact of compulsory education laws on home schooling, which is increasing. The state retains the power to impose minimum curriculum requirements. Cites…

Begins with a historical overview of 20th-century German educational policy and concludes with criticism concerning programs initiated during the 1960s. Argues that a policy of building and expansion ignores the core deficiencies of the current system. (MJP)

An evaluation of existing state school attendance policies for children with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) indicated that most states have developed policies emphasizing inclusion of these children in the regular classroom, the use of preventive measures of hygiene and sanitation, and involvement of health officials as appropriate.…

The prevalence of home schooling is increasing. Parents educate their children at home for the sake of security, morality, and educational quality. Not only does home schooling offer the advantages of closeness and security, but advocates also assert that education in the home results in greater reading proficiency. On the other hand, antagonists…

Legal challenges to state compulsory attendance laws have emphasized four interrelated constitutional claims. Under provisions of the free exercise clause of the First Amendment, parents have challenged the state's authority to require public school attendance in lieu of home instruction and private, religious organizations have refused to comply…