The role of state departments of education in rural education involves responsibilities, leadership, funding, regional assistance, and preparing for the future. It is the responsibility of the state department to act as a regulatory, governing, and operating agency and to distribute federal funds to areas of need. The state department can provide…

Part of a series on the legal and governmental foundations governing education of handicapped and gifted children, the document explores the local variables that uniquely affect the cost of educating handicapped children and which thereby should be considered when developing state special education fiscal policies. An initial section outlines…

More than 20 states have adopted some form of regulation-relief legislation for their public schools. Two major issues confront the movement to deregulate the schools. The first is that there have been surprisingly few takers of regulation waivers; and second, whether, even if current deregulation efforts are successful, the end result is really…

This collection of articles addresses major questions of community college governance and highlights some of the changes that have taken place in governance over the past decade. The issue contains: (1) "State Power in a New Era: Threats to Local Authority," by Dale Tillery and James L. Wattenbarger; (2) "Power on the Periphery: Faculty and…

Chief state school officers in all 50 states were surveyed to gather information regarding the various states' funding arrangements for small and/or isolated rural schools and to develop a financial planning tool for use by state legislators and boards of education. Data were gathered from every state except Hawaii. Twenty-eight states had some…

Local school districts have gradually lost policy-making discretion to state legislatures and bureaucracies. State-mandated reforms of school finance and academic standards (especially those involving curricular alignment with standardized tests) tend to diminish teacher autonomy and creativity, disrupt school climate, and ignore individual school…

Based on a mail survey of over 100 rural school administrators in 34 states, this handbook outlines common problems and successful strategies in the financial management of rural, small school districts. Major problems are related to revenue and cash flow, increasing expenditures, providing quality education programs, and staffing to handle the…

This digest discusses how assistive technology (AT) for students with disabilities can expand access to the general education curriculum. It begins by describing the Education TECH Point system which offers educators a strategy for identifying specific points in the planning process where AT should be considered, including: initial referral…

This digest, which is based primarily on the 1989 ERIC/CRESS monograph entitled "Achievement of Equity in Capital Outlay Financing: A Policy Analysis for the States," by D. Thompson G. Stewart, D. Honeyman, and R. Wood, addresses possible solutions to the emerging problem of capital outlay financing, with special attention to facilities…

This collection of articles addresses ways in which community colleges can maintain institutional integrity while at the same time adapting the colleges' mission to a changing environment. The following articles are included: (1) "The Search for Mission and Integrity: A Retrospective View," by Jennings L. Wagoner, Jr.; (2) "Maintaining Open Access…

This review of tax limitation legislation and its impact on the community college, begins by examining the provisions of this type of legislation, its historical precedents, the extent to which tax limitation legislation was passed in the 1970's, and its implications for local control of community college services. Next, it is noted that…

Small schools offer many advantages and their numbers are increasing, but current funding practices often do not meet their needs. This digest suggests strategies that can help small public schools, particularly small rural schools, redress funding inequalities and get the resources they need. Three basic strategies for improving resources at…

Public education today involves various citizen groups, state agencies, service organizations, interest groups, institutions of higher education, and other constituencies who influence policies and assist districts with finances, materials, and personnel. This bulletin discusses strategies for organizing these groups into a coalition that…

State policies greatly affect the decisions rural districts make about building or renovating school facilities. State, federal, and local mechanisms for funding school facilities are briefly described. Some states require a specific percentage of growth or decline in student population or a minimum number of students as a prerequisite for…

This volume of essays responds to What Matters Most: Teaching for America's Future, a 1996 report of the National Commission on Teaching & America's Future (NCTAF). The report says that every child has the right to a caring, competent, and qualified teacher. As a result, politicians and educators strove to implement its recommendations in…