This study sought to determine whether state special education aid in New Jersey influences the number or types of pupils referred to special education services, the designation of their specific disability, and the setting in which special education services are provided. Analysis of data in state education agency reports and interviews with…

The United States Congress has recently enacted federal education legislation such as Goals 2000 that promotes unprecedented levels of comprehensive planning and service integration of state and local levels. In preparation for such federal initiatives, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) contracted with the Morrison Institute for Public…

In the 70s and 80s, Ohio relaxed its balanced-budget laws to give school districts more options for borrowing over the end of the fiscal year. Two provisions that permit districts to borrow against next year's revenues in order to balance the current year's budget include the Emergency School Advancement program and the Spending Reserve. This…

The educational reform movement of the 1980s forced superintendents and school boards to critically reexamine the rationale used for principal evaluation. The 1985 South Carolina Educational Improvement Act forced all administrators to objectively define and evaluate educational goals for both students and personnel. Consequently, the Abbeville…

Designed to keep educational practitioners informed of current trends and practices, this policy brief explores the changing identity of the nation's community colleges and presents four special inserts describing specific trends for the community college systems of California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, respectively. The brief reviews the…

This paper describes three national studies on factors relating to successful special education interdistrict cooperatives. Interdistrict cooperatives are formal organizations between state departments of education and school districts to share costs and resources in implementing programs for participating school districts. The first study…

This paper describes options available to states for distributing funds for preschool education programs in light of the mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that states must provide a free public education to children with disabilities, age 3 through 5 years. It begins with a general discussion of the different types of…

A historical overview of Ohio's county boards of education is provided in this document. State legislation passed in 1914 provided statewide school standards, established the county boards of education, and outlined the county superintendent's qualifications. The new boards' major responsibilities included teacher supervision and the…

This document presents the vision of the West Virginia educational community in providing special education services to gifted and disabled students through the restructuring of schools. The approach was developed during a May 1991 meeting of special education leaders at which participants examined the major education reforms being discussed at…

This handbook describes procedures for school-district reorganization in California. Following the introductory chapter, chapter 2 offers a historical overview of school-district reorganization in California. Chapters 3 and 4 outline the organization and responsibilities of the county committee and the role and responsibilities of the State Board…

In view of increasing financial pressures, this paper argues that a new approach to fiscal policy and to the structure of the financial relationship between state government and institutions of higher education is needed. A proposed three-part budget would include the following: (1) a base or core lump-sum budget managed by higher education…

The Neighborhood Schools Improvement Act (H.R. 3320) was ordered to be reported by the House Committee on Education and Labor on October 17, 1991. This report provides an introduction to the "systemic statewide reform" concept, on which H.R. 3320 is largely based, plus a summary of the bill, and a discussion of selected issues related to…

To learn more about the Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESA), Research for Better Schools initiated a multi-year study of RESAs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This report specifically describes local educators' perceptions about RESA services and the content areas in which RESAs offered help. It also suggests how successful service…

This collection of short articles, devoted to educational reform at the local level, addresses the issues of improving curricula, expanding educational resources, addressing dropout and discipline problems, and handling increased court involvement in school reform. "The Sceptre, the Rod and the Schoolhouse Gate," by Lawrence Friedman, traces the…

The sources and amounts of funds available for Illinois pre-kindergarten through post-secondary educational programs are explained in this monograph. The publication contains a summary of fiscal year 1984 appropriations and fiscally related legislation, as well as a brief explanation of state revenues and sources of local revenues. Chapter 1…