This document presents minimum standards for approval of gifted and talented programs that meet the requirements of the Standards of Accreditation adopted by the Arkansas State Board of Education February 22, 1984, which have been effective since June 1, 1987. Included are guidelines enabling school districts to: (1) establish equitable criteria…

This document comprises the 12 issues for 1999 of the "Child Support Report," which explores problems related to child support enforcement, reports on federal and state government child support enforcement initiatives, and summarizes research related to child support. Editorials and information on events and conferences of interest and…

This document outlines the proposals in Chapter 738 of Assembly Bill 420, including: (1) the California Postsecondary Education Commission should conduct a comprehensive study of the part-time faculty, employment, salary, and compensation patterns of the California Community Colleges; (2) the schedule of salaries should be paid based on a uniform…

Included in this report is the State of Texas' vision statement, mission statement, philosophy statement, priority goal for higher education statement, and a list of state-level benchmarks for higher education. The report also contains the state's community colleges' mission and philosophy statements, and a section pertaining to assessment of…

This report summarizes survey data on state policies and procedures related to the provision of services to students with Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD). Information was received from 41 states and 3 non-state jurisdictions in the fall of 1998. Findings indicate: (1) at least 21 states have written…

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…

Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through…

Ohio's higher education policymakers are concerned with issues related to student preparation for college and degree completion. Discussions about student preparation focus on the costs of remedial courses, with the implication being that higher education costs will fall if students require fewer remedial courses. This study was designed to answer…

While early childhood professionals in NSW are accountable to a substantial collection of regulatory requirements, little research has explored the outcomes of this regulatory environment, both intended and otherwise. This paper presents findings from a NSW study and shows how early childhood professionals working in long day care centres perceive…

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…