Three interrelated factors have combined to produce what is rapidly becoming a crisis in access to higher education. In the first place, the cost of higher education has risen steadily as a percentage of family income only for low-income families, but middle-income affordability and merit have begun to displace access as the focus of policymakers…

This article focuses on the transfer of students from California community colleges to four-year colleges and universities. Following a brief introduction to laws and procedures specified upon the inception of community colleges in California in 1910, and a recognition of the difficulty in student transfer throughout the history of higher…

The infusion of education technology into Mississippi schools is integral to promoting higher order learning processes by students. The State of Mississippi iscommitted to ensuring that all learners have equitable opportunities to employ a variety of technological tools to enhance the learning process. To provide support for the planning process,…

This policy brief begins with a broad overview of what the science of early childhood development tells us about the first three years of life. It then outlines the actions that need to be taken during the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to increase the likelihood that policy decisions are guided by state…

This paper compares and contrasts the higher education articulation and transfer policies and processes between the states of Florida and Maryland. The author examines how the state governance structures impact articulation and transfer. Both states have instituted statewide policies meant to implement high levels of transfer between two-year and…

This paper outlines a matrix approach to shared governance developed at Central Michigan University (CMU), designed to help faculty and administrators focus on specific decision areas and to define existing roles more clearly. The process began at CMU in spring 1998 with the formation of an ad hoc committee on governance which surveyed faculty and…

This handbook focuses on intellectual freedom as it relates to school library media centers and public libraries. The purpose of this handbook is to help public libraries and school districts develop and adopt necessary policies and procedures that will build a solid foundation for intellectual freedom as part of the community and school climate…

This paper, which focuses on community college baccalaureate degrees, is part of a series published by the Center for Community College Policy, designed to support state and local policymakers, as well as educational leaders who are interested in policy issues related to the two-year postsecondary sector. Changing demographics, fiscal concerns,…

This report discusses the outcomes of a survey that questioned states about their development of alternate assessments for students with disabilities who cannot participate, even with accommodations, in state or district-wide assessment programs. In the survey, states were asked about a variety of developmental features of their alternate…

Interest in and support for language study has been strengthened in the United States in recent years by the growing recognition that proficiency in more than one language benefits both individual learners and society. For the individual language learner, research has found a positive link between second language proficiency and cognitive and…

In 1999, Congress for the first time, is debating a federal minimum wage hike that will affect low-skilled people who have dramatically fewer options if they cannot find work. This public policy debate has been occasioned by the new state focus on welfare reform that, to some, suggests that a state flexibility approach be applied to the minimum…

This paper describes the various approaches taken by six states that have accepted the challenge of establishing goals consistent with other goals and standards established by the state for students participating in alternate assessments and that have created links with the state-adopted curriculum frameworks. The purpose of a curriculum framework…

Throughout its 79 year history, the Child Welfare League of America has advocated for public policies that benefit America's children and families. This report presents the League's 1999 legislative agenda, focusing on stopping child abuse and strengthening families. The position statement details four issues identified as top legislative…

This document is a practical guide to demonstrating the value of school-to-careers preparation for all students and to debunking outdated stereotypes and false assumptions surrounding school-to-careers and vocational education programs. Part 1 explains the importance of political and policy advocacy in public education and outlines strategies for…

This resource guide is intended to assist schools in developing protocols for responding to critical incidents. It focuses on proactive plans to deal with the traumatic aftereffects of a critical incident which affects some or all of the members of a school community. The guide outlines a generic protocol which includes steps to be undertaken in…