The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a congressionally mandated national assessment program, can provide valuable data to educational policy makers in Massachusetts and other New England states concerning the status of their educational reform initiatives and performance standards. The three purposes of this paper are: (1) to…

This report contains the strategic policy recommendations of the Wisconsin Statewide Basic Skills Task Force. Introductory material describes the need for basic skills education within Wisconsin's adult population, and role of Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) in meeting that need. The next section considers the Task Force's formation to…

This report contains highlights of a seminar which focused on young unwed fathers and welfare reform. Comments by these panelists are summarized: Rikki Baum, legislative assistant to Senator Patrick Moynihan; Linda Mellgren, from the Office of Income Security; and Margaret Boeckmann, Director of the Office of Employment Policy, Maryland Department…

High school academic eligibility rules for interscholastic athletic participation have been imposed by 50 states and the District of Columbia. The purpose of the eligibility rules is to emphasize excellence in academics over athletic performance and to enhance the academic performance of athletes. This policy paper synthesizes current literature,…

The gap between policymaker enthusiasm for the uses of student assessment and expert caution is analyzed by examining new forms of student assessment as an education policy strategy. The study is based on interviews with 34 national and state policymakers and focuses on their differing expectations of what assessment policy can accomplish and how…

This document consists of a 5-day high school level study unit on issues surrounding immigration into the United States. The lessons seek to engage students in the immigration debate while at the same time exploring the topic's historical background. At the core of the unit is a framework of four options for U.S. immigration policy: (1)…

Cycles of educational reform initiatives and their effects on practice are reviewed in this paper, which focuses on the relationship between state and federal policy and local practices. The first part discusses the first generation of reform that began with the passage of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Such reforms were…

This is the eighth report by the Committee on Government Operations in the aftermath of the U.S. Department of Education's (DOE's) December 1990 attempt to ban race-specific scholarships, now called the Fiesta Bowl Fiasco. Based on a study by the Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee, this report finds the following: (1)…

This handbook provides a framework to assist program directors and other administrators as they discuss questions men and women in premedical and medical schools face with respect to: (1) parenting issues; (2) practical and policy-related questions about becoming parents; and (3) whether it is possible to be both a devoted and effective…

This paper offers proposals for streamlining and simplifying the federal student loan programs in light of legislative and budgetary changes in progress during the early part of the Clinton Administration. The recommendations are based on 35 proposals submitted by institutions, associations, guaranty agencies, secondary markets, lenders, and loan…

Findings of a study that examined eight South Carolina school-improvement councils (SICs) that were identified as effective are presented in this report. The sample included SICs from two high schools, two middle schools, and four elementary schools that had indicated in a previous survey that they had basic organizational structures, effective…

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…

This speech examines the role of associations, such as the Council for Exceptional Children and the Council of Administrators of Special Education, in influencing the development of public policy. Critical functions of such groups are identified and include provision of comprehensive information in the area of interest, provision of analysis of…

In many states, rural school districts or interested individuals have formed statewide interest groups to influence policy decisions related to rural education. Potential state rural education interest groups were identified through contacts with national and regional education associations and regional educational laboratories. Of 19 identified…

This book examines the ways in which children's librarians can manage their services so collections and programs reach the intended audience. In the introduction to this second edition, the author considers recent changes in demographics, economics, social patterns, media and technology trends, and consequent changing emphases in managing…