Critical issues concerning the state takeover of local school districts are outlined in this paper. Three major topics are addressed: situational factors leading to intervention; the legitimacy of state power; and appropriate beneficial conditions of state takeover. The most frequent reasons for state intervention involve concerns about equity,…

Prepared in response to the legislative mandate contained in California's Education Code, this report on program-based funding in the California community colleges recommends criteria and standards for the purposes of making budget requests to the governor and legislature for the colleges and allocating state general apportionment revenues. Part I…

Project Outreach, the opinion research division of the Michigan State Board of Education, conducted a study on the current status of career guidance in Michigan public schools, using in-depth telephone interviews with career guidance professionals (N=445) in November and December of 1989. The interview questionnaire, developed with the advice of…

Pursuant to a request from the Arizona State Board of Education, an interagency task force was formed in fall 1989 to examine the issue of values instruction in Arizona schools. This document begins with a summary of the resulting report, along with a list of suggested common core values, recommendations for development and implementation of a…

The problem of student abuse of drugs and alcohol demands immediate action at the state level to ensure the taking of suitable action at the local level. It is inappropriate for state agencies to refuse to act, to delegate full authority to local agencies, or to try to take an equivocal position; the most reasonable response appears to be to share…

This document, developed by the Illinois State Board of Education, identifies five goals for learning in the social sciences, and provides sample learning objectives for grades 3, 6, 8, 10, 12, which are consistent with these goals. The state goals for learning are broadly stated expressions of what the Illinois State Board of Education wants and…

Issues in education are identified, and recommendations are made on each. Following each recommendation, a brief opinion statement is offered on the advantages and disadvantages of the recommendation. The following issues are addressed: (1) What is the role of the state in defining curriculum for students? (2) How can we help to improve the…

Many strategy options are open to state education agencies interested in developing statewide programs to support and guide local school improvement efforts. Agencies can focus on instructional improvement, more general school improvement, improvement of the curricular program, or changes in educational structures. Factors influencing which of…

This report summarizes some of the findings, issues, and recommendations that participants of a 1984 Wingspread conference felt would shape the future of international studies. Several issues were addressed in plenary sessions, panels, and small group discussions including ways in which the major organizations and agencies concerned with…

This handbook contains guidelines for the use of Ohio school districts in developing policy on student behavior, rights, and responsibilities. There are three main sections. The first describes current Federal and State law and practices relevant to student rights. The second deals with specific student behaviors that are often the subject of…

This handbook is intended to assist Ohio school district officials in taking all necessary and reasonable means to alleviate racial imbalances which may be present among pupils or staff. First, court rulings on segregation since 1954 are analyzed. Aspects particularly related to school district policy are highlighted. School district actions…

The court-ordered desegregation plan under which the St. Louis (Missouri) Public School District has operated since 1983 has had a mixed reception and has suffered from inadequate funding. The desegregation effort began with the filing in 1972 of a class action suit alleging that operation of the schools was unconstitutionally discriminatory.…

The examination of Montana's teacher tenure laws as mandated by House Joint Resolution 43, required a thorough review of the legislative development of the teacher employment laws, a summary of relevant case law on the rights of school boards and teachers, an awareness of the philosophical postures of the affected parties, and a dispassionate look…

This study investigated the degree of teacher evaluation policy implementation in Alberta, the events that influenced teacher evaluation policy adoption, and the variables that affected the policy implementation process. The first phase of the study was primarily qualitative, using semistructured interviews with selected key decision-makers and…

The discovery of disproportionate minority enrollments in special education classes has been a subject of considerable concern to federal, state, and local education officials alike for the past decade. Because the existence of disproportions is frequently thought to result from discriminatory placement practices on the part of local school…