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…

The Pennsylvania Charter School Act (H.B. 1834), now under consideration in the Pennsylvania State legislature, allows charter schools to be approved by local school boards or school district voters. Based on the draft legislation and the experience of states with similar statutes, this paper identifies the extent of charter operators'…

This document presents recommendations for Colorado state teacher education policy additions and changes based on a review of existing policies and in light of current changes in the professional education field. The recommendations are: (1) do not reinstate undergraduate degrees in education; (2) accept interdisciplinary majors for teacher…

Prepared by the California State Board of Education in response to requirements of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education (VATEA) Act, this 10-chapter plan provides the basis for state operation and administration of VATEA funds for 1994-96. The first section describes state economics, demographics, employment rates,…

This report recommends good practices for writing a course outline of record that meets Title 5 regulations as well as the expectations of a college's external constituents. Topics covered include: (1) Catalog Description, a brief account of course content; (2) Class Schedule Description, an abbreviated version of the catalog description; (3)…

This paper presents a five-year plan for the improvement of Pennsylvania's system of services for people with mental retardation and their families. It was developed over an 18-month period by 70 people, including people with disabilities, family members, advocates, providers of service, legislative staff, and county and state government…

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of a federally funded project designed to address the safe and legal implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for young children who required invasive health care procedures. To accomplish the project objectives three annual, interdisciplinary conferences were held to…

This document is comprised of the 12 monthly issues of the 1998 "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…

A project investigated Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI)-developed proposals designed to strengthen User Choice. (The ability of employers and employees to select a training provider of their choice, providing it is registered in their state or territory, is known as "User Choice.") Stage 1 analyzed the ACCI position,…

SABIS International Charter School was among 24 Commonwealth charter schools included in a study undertaken by the Office of the Inspector General in March 1998. The Office identified weaknesses in the contracting practices, procurement procedures, and financial management. Findings include: (1) the Board of Trustees did not employ sound business…

West Virginia Bill 300 (Jobs Through Education Act) requires all students in grades 1-11 to take the Stanford Achievement Test. A minimum of 50 percent of a school's students in grades 3-11 must perform in the third quartile or the school will be considered deficient. A clause in the bill states that all students will be tested except those…

Citizens can play an important role in helping their states develop pollution control programs and spurring effective efforts to deal with nonpoint-source pollution. This guide takes the reader step-by-step through the process that states must follow to comply with water quality legislation relevant to nonpoint-source pollution. Part I provides…

Aggressive intervention by a school-choice coalition and supportive elected officials turned back threats to the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) posed by burdensome state regulation of private schools. MPCP continues to expand, studies report academic gains, parents are satisfied and involved, and public support has grown. Supporters of…