The charter-school idea has spread rapidly across the United States. One-half of the states have adopted charter-school laws since 1991, and legislatures in other states have given the idea careful consideration. This paper explores the political factors that shape charter-school laws. The paper utilizes the policy-innovation-diffusion framework…

This booklet presents the Texas State Library Systems Act and some supporting documents to help in the operation of a library under the Texas system. The State Library Systems Act establishes and defines the state library system, allowing for its operation and management and defining the member libraries. Information on state grants is provided,…

This document provides basic information on the requirements for operating child care facilities in Missouri. Included is information defining the types of child care in Missouri and describing state regulations regarding the following: (1) building and grounds; (2) furniture, equipment, and materials; (3) health and medical examinations for…

This report examines the changing nature of higher education policy and the fact that many policy assumptions are no longer valid, and sets out a research agenda for the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education (NCPPHE). It discusses how the growing importance of higher education, and postsecondary education in general, is affecting…

This guidebook is a reference for family child care homes and family child care group homes licensed by the State of Alaska. It outlines licensing standards and procedures and serves as a simplified abstract of Alaska child care regulations. The first part is an overview that introduces home child care and licensing. Topics covered include…

The federal government requires states that receive funds from the Child Care and Development Fund to establish basic health and safety requirements. The federal government also requires states receiving federal funds for child care to have procedures in place to ensure that providers being paid with grant dollars comply with the applicable safety…

Three review formats are enclosed in this publication, along with two basic service checklists and a comprehensive program review guide. These formats were developed to serve as tools to be used locally by school district personnel and Boards of Education in the development of quality policies and procedures to serve homeless children and youth.…

Since the Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) legislation was passed in New York in 1997, the Early Childhood Strategic Group has worked to support full program implementation including providing information to community-based organizations on combining funds from different funding streams to extend UPK services to a full day and to enhance program…

This document explains complaint resolution procedures for individuals who file a complaint with the Florida Department of Education (DOE) on behalf of one or more students with disabilities, or one or more parents of students with disabilities, alleging a public agency has violated the educational rights of a student with disabilities under the…

This report was prepared by the Texas Education Agency in response to Section 39.183 of the Texas Education Code. In a phase-in approach written into law, the limit of 22 students to 1 teacher applied in the 1985-86 school year through the 1987-88 school year to kindergarten through grade 2 only. The law extended this limitation to kindergarten…

Historically states are seen as more comfortable with narrowly focused rules, regulation, and monitoring responsibilities than with broad change. Currently states face revolutionary new arrangements for financing education, overseeing federal commitments, and providing fair and meaningful standards for educational performance. The major…

In 1998, the citizens of Florida approved passage of Amendment VIII to the Florida Constitution, whereby the voters voluntarily gave up their right to elect a commissioner of education and a state board of education. In 1999, the standing commissioner of education appointed a blue-ribbon committee to review and recommend changes to the Florida…

This report examines issues concerning the provision of accommodations for students with disabilities participating in state and district assessments. The report considers what an accommodation is, what kinds of accommodations are available, who should make the decision regarding accommodations, when accommodations should be used, and how…

This guide is designed to provide Rhode Island educators and families with information about appropriate interventions, recommended referral procedures, recommended diagnostic procedures, and legal issues regarding students with attention deficit disorders. It begins by answering frequently asked questions about attentional disorders and…

Many Canadian provinces are looking to Alberta for guidance about charter schools. This case study examines the closure of one charter school to identify the obstacles other schools may face. This study uses critical policy analysis and the "politics of interpretation" to examine the political context of educational policy issues. While…