As state and federal policymakers continue to adopt more centralized policies, it is increasingly important to understand how policies, particularly those designed to enhance education for underserved students, are implemented locally. We employ a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design to investigate the implementation of one policy, that…

Teacher turnover is a challenge for U.S. public schools. Research suggests that teachers' perceptions of their school working conditions influence their leaving decisions. Related research suggests that principals may be in the best position to influence school working conditions. Using 4 years of panel data constructed from the North Carolina…

State content standards are the backbone of the standards-based reform movement. Content standards provide teachers with a set of guidelines for what students are expected to know and be able to do, defining the intended curriculum. And although the current 50-state system of education gives each state the task of setting content standards, there…

This article evaluates changes in racial and ethnic composition of three Texas universities following the ban on affirmative action imposed by the 1996 "Hopwood" decision. The authors estimate the extent to which universities practiced affirmative action before the ban and evaluate how officers at these universities responded by changing…

The supplemental educational services (SES) provision of No Child Left Behind introduces a federally mandated after-school tutoring intervention in schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress. This article examines market dynamics in relationship to the law's goals of expanding access to and improving the quality of after-school…

In 1984, the Department of Education published the "Wall Chart," the first state-by-state national report card on educational performance. The history of the wall chart, new directions for developing state-by-state assessments, and recommendations for improving the usefulness of state rankings are discussed. (SLD)

A stakeholder approach was used in the development of a statewide educational performance monitoring system in Virginia--the Educational Performance Recognition program. Stakeholder groups included teachers, superintendents, school board members, and education group representatives. Responses of 58 stakeholders surveyed were positive. (SLD)

To investigate the association of 18 educational and other outcomes with 23 school and district characteristics, data were drawn from 293 public secondary schools in New Jersey. Findings suggest that smaller schools and districts may be more efficient in enhancing educational outcomes than larger schools and districts. (SLD)

Two studies employed differing levels of analysis to explain the distribution of preschool availability, examining distribution in 100 counties nationwide and using zip-code-level data for Massachusetts. Together the studies show that the degree of distributional equity varies among states and locales, conditioned by household and policy…

Data for third, sixth, eighth, and twelfth graders from the 1983-84 California Assessment Program are presented to support a new theory on the relationship between the size and performance of school systems. Size appears to be related to the socioeconomic status and performance of schools and school districts. (TJH)

A 50-state survey was conducted to determine state indicators of quality of science and mathematics instruction in elementary schools. Data are summarized for (1) policies affecting amount of instruction; (2) state requirements for science and mathematics teacher certification; and (3) state testing programs in science and mathematics. (SLD)

Uses Indiana public school file data to examine African-American representation in the state's teaching force, including entry and attrition. An aging African-American teaching force, attrition resulting from retirement, and a decreasing proportion of new African-American hires suggests that representation may become a concern unless active…

Work design outcomes (role conflict, role ambiguity, stress symptomatology, turnover, and militancy) were assessed in New York State. Out of 3,200 mailed surveys, 2,247 teacher questionnaires were returned and analyzed. Managerial and educational policy implications of the findings for elementary school and secondary schools are discussed. (SLD)

In 1988, survey responses of 92 teachers with and 208 teachers without outside employment were analyzed in Delaware as a followup to a 1986 survey. Many moonlighters had financial reasons for moonlighting; over half had other reasons for taking second jobs. Moonlighting did not inevitably signify teacher job dissatisfaction. (SLD)

The extent and impact of racial and ethnic segregation in California high schools in the 1988-89 school year are examined, using data on 896 high schools and 198,127 twelfth-grade students. Racial segregation and ethnic segregation are widespread. Segregation can lead to achievement differences across schools and among ethnic groups. (SLD)