Reviews precedents, at the state level, to the movement for education reform. Reports, by year and state, on first reactions to reform. Outlines topics touched by state reform efforts, summarizes unifying themes, and predicts the future of reform. Includes a table of states requiring testing for initial certification of teachers. (IW)

Recommendations are presented for a new form of school governance in British Columbia that takes into account current research on effective schools. In the model described, the provincial government provides the funding, sets the core curriculum, standards, and outcomes, ensures standardized measurement and reporting, and supports field research.…

Presents a historical and pedagogical overview of various types of schools (for example, Montessori, laboratory schools, traditional). Attempts to classify these schools according to types of consciousness (for example, mythological, scientific, workshop) and types of social communities and activities. Considers the interrelation between the…

Discusses the use of a universal choice plan as leverage for a wide range of school improvements in the Springfield Public School System (Massachusetts). The author examines the educational reform movement in terms of change coupled with concurrent development of four transformations: organizational, pedagogical, social/attitudinal, and political.…

Briefly describes Oregon's 1991 gifted education law; formal parent complaints alleging noncompliance by Portland and Salem-Keizer school districts; state department of education findings of noncompliance; and the steps taken to improve gifted education. Sidebars discuss tailoring teacher training to the community, and Northwest regional resources…

A relatively systemic approach to education reform emerged in the 1990s as one way of addressing policy fragmentation. This volume contains the case studies from a study that sought to: (1) expand knowledge of state approaches to systemic education reform; (2) examine district, school, and teacher responses to state reform policies in a small…

The Mentor Teacher-Internship (MT-I) Program is a major development in the theory, policy, and practice of teacher education in New York State. In the first year, 1986-87, 24 projects were designed and implemented. This report is organized into five parts. Part 1 provides an introduction and overview of the evaluation study and contains…

Assembly Bill (AB) 1725 addresses the mission, functions, governance, finance, staffing, programs, services, and accountability of the California Community Colleges (CCC). Many of the bill's recommendations place emphasis on the 107 community colleges, the CCC Chancellor's Office, and the Board of Governors (BOG) becoming a single system of…

Thirteen brief papers address issues in inclusive education, with special emphasis on concerns and applications in Illinois. The following issues are discussed: (1) the relationship of the inclusive schools concept to that of providing a continuum of alternative placement options; (2) needed changes in current funding of special education to…

The 12 chapters in this book argue that: (1) in the most successful colleges, preservice teachers learn how to convey knowledge to students while they themselves are acquiring that knowledge; and (2) the best teacher training is a synthesis of content and pedagogy, and of theory and practice, throughout college and beyond certification. Chapter 1,…

The California Office of Child Development's child care and development program is designed to ensure an environment conducive to the development and growth of young children and provide parents the opportunity to work or prepare for employment to support their families. It is also intended to prevent or lessen child abuse or neglect and provide…

This review of the history of school finance litigation highlights various rulings of the courts and the ways that legal strategies have changed over time. Originally the school finance cases were based on the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the argument being that differences in per pupil spending had…

The roles of state boards of education, state education agencies, and chief state school officers are examined. A review of governance models beginning with colonial days and ending with consideration of recent research on the functioning of state boards of education is provided, and it is concluded that state boards have wide discretionary…

An analysis of school choice programs is presented. The review is organized around the following topics: common characteristics of programs, variations, advantages and disadvantages, the relationship between choice and student achievement, and state role. A conclusion is that policy decisions will have to be based on factors other than effects of…

The economic and political forces behind recent calls for excellence in education are pointing to necessarily dramatic changes in the nature of the teaching profession. Members of the business community, state political leaders, and teachers are working together--with substantial private and state monies--to implement a radical reform agenda that…