The Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 (KERA) requires the implementation of school-based decision making in all Kentucky schools by July 1996. The school-based decision making process offers the opportunity for parents, teachers, and principals to use their knowledge and judgment in deciding how to best help children learn in their schools. A…

In Colorado, a charter school is a public school operated by a group of parents, teachers, and/or community members as a semi-autonomous school of choice within a school district, operating under a contract between the charter school members and the local board of education. This publication provides information on the operation of charter schools…

This paper describes the process undertaken by the Meneley Elementary School in Douglas County, Nevada, to develop a plan for shared governance. In 1989, the school became a participant in the Nevada School Improvement Project (SIP). The new governance plan established a Decision Making Council (DMC), composed of representatives from each grade…

Describes the structure of finance in the English education system; and examines the significance of the local management of schools legislation in terms of the following concepts: (1) formula; (2) delegated finance; (3) staffing delegation; (4) open enrollment; and (5) performance indicators. (18 references) (MLF)

The Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) was passed in 1990 as a result of a Kentucky Supreme Court order to establish an efficient and equitable system of public education. This report is a guide to the implementation of school-based decision making, which is the most immediate of the reform initiatives being implemented. A review of the role of…

Based on the FairTest perspective, this paper argues that the United States does not need a national test to measure progress toward the nation's educational goals and that such a test would have adverse impacts on low-income and minority students. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) should remain an indicator system but should…

Under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires each elementary and secondary school to perform an inspection for asbestos-containing building material (ACBM) and to prepare an asbestos management plan. The AHERA regulations further require a reinspection of the ACBM at…

Reviews recent changes to selected state collective-bargaining laws. Discusses current implications of trends in school-based management, vouchers, charter schools, and interest-based bargaining on K-12 employment relations and predicts the impact of these trends on employment relations for the next 10 years. (PKP)

This evaluation summarizes an analysis of site observations of training sessions for the core planning teams of Project Creating a New Approach to Learning (CANAL), part of a court-mandated desegregation plan to reduce inequities in predominantly Black and Hispanic American schools in Chicago (Illinois). CANAL's goal is to train the core planning…

This evaluation analyzes participation of Local School Council (LSC) members in the special training activities of Project Creating a New Approach to Learning (CANAL), part of a court-mandated desegregation plan in Chicago (Illinois). CANAL's goal was to organize and train core planning teams (CPTs), including community members, to engage in…

This quarterly report, covering July 1 through September 30, 1990, summarizes problems with Project Creating a New Approach to Learning (CANAL), part of a court-mandated desegregation plan in Chicago (Illinois). CANAL's goal is to train the constituent representatives of the public schools to engage in shared decision-making and to develop…

School site management and teacher empowerment have raised concerns about their effect on collective negotiations. Examines in case law the issues of who is management and what managerial prerogatives the board retains. Points out that state legislatures can allow delegation of any area of responsibility by the local school board. (MLF)

Administrative costs and efficiency have become public policy concerns over the past several years as significant amounts of new state and local tax revenue have been infused into Texas's education system. Current trends and state law favor fewer centralized administrative functions at the school district level and greater autonomy at the campus…

This report reviews the implementation of Project Creating a New Approach to Learning (CANAL), part of a court-mandated desegregation plan in Chicago (Illinois), at the end of its first two years. CANAL's goal was to train the constituent representatives of the public schools to engage in shared decision-making and to develop organizational…

This quarterly report, covering February 1 through June 30, 1989, summarizes problems with Project Creating a New Approach to Learning (CANAL), part of a court-mandated desegregation plan to reduce inequities in predominantly Black and Hispanic American schools in Chicago (Illinois). CANAL's goal is to train the constituent representatives of the…