Policymakers and educators seek options for helping high school students transition successfully into postsecondary education. Though there are a variety of approaches to doing this; some initiatives are based on a body of research demonstrating that postsecondary success is predicated on both rigorous academic preparation and a clear…

This article discusses the underrepresentation of children from minority backgrounds in gifted education and the ultimate goal of gifted education to make children's lives better. Barriers to appropriate gifted identification are discussed and include state/local requirements and inadequate identification procedures, stereotypes and racism, and…

Elected school boards' skeptical eyes can guard against bad management practices and ensure that different voices get heard. Problems with board governance are a product of too little democracy. A democratic reform strategy would make board elections partisan, hold them on the same day as elections for more prominent state or national offices,…

This historical study of 97 schools for students with deafness in the United States and Canada found that the majority of the superintendents and principals were in favor of admitting preschool children with deafness but faced difficulties with state laws, lack of space, suitable accommodations, and insufficient funds. (CR)

The Texas International Trade Initiative is a joint endeavor of business-related organizations across Texas and the University of Texas at Austin to encourage public policy and state legislation that supports international trade. Eight specific initiatives that have been undertaken are noted; also discussed are the process of shepherding related…

This article reviews federal and state initiatives regarding gifted education. It summarizes state court decisions pertaining to gifted education and cases involving federal constitutional rights and statues. State constitutional rights and statutes are discussed, along with implications of court decisions. Recommendations for parent and teacher…

Literacy assessments are transforming the contexts of secondary instruction. This article reports how literacy assessments are shaping the instructional choices of nine English Language Arts teachers who work in three different states in northeastern United States--New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Through interviews, the teachers reported…

"Alabama Education News" is published monthly except for June, July, and December by the Alabama Department of Education. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of the "Code of Alabama", as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of the Alabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens and educators about…

This report provides the latest available data and analysis of California's teaching workforce and the challenges confronting the state's educators and policy-makers. While the report finds progress toward reducing the shortage of teachers, it raises concerns about low student achievement and the implications for the state's ability to meet the…

Despite the mantra that education is primarily a state responsibility, the federal government is an important and influential player when it comes to providing higher education to the nation's students. The federal government invests roughly $25 billion annually in higher education excluding loans that are ultimately repaid, military benefits that…

Thirty-five to 45 percent of low-income American households do not possess a bank account. This statistic coupled with claims of price gouging by check cashers has prompted government intervention. The author finds that state legislation requiring banks to offer low-cost accounts slightly decreases the number of low-income minority unbanked…

This report examines alternatives to state-sponsored child care disregards, which allow working low-income families to offset child care expenses against earned income, thereby receiving higher Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) payments than they might otherwise obtain. It explains the need for continuous, stable child care for…

This report describes what schools and educators across Kentucky are doing to implement school reform in school-based decision-making based on the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 (KERA). The School-Based Decision Making (SBDM) component of KERA is a decentralized governance structure that vests great authority in SBDM councils operating at…

The New Youth Entrepreneur curriculum is a series of 12 youth-oriented educational modules containing instructional materials, learning activities, and checkup exercises designed to teach students key elements of entrepreneurship. This document is the tenth module, and examines laws governing the operation of small businesses. Following…

This review has two parts: the first concerns class size and general education; the second, class size and special education. The general education review is in four sections: (1) foundational class size research; (2) critiques of the foundational works; (3) extended research; and (4) five studies in class size research conducted by states. The…