"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Senate Help Committee Passes Legislation to Rewrite No Child Left Behind; (2) Remediation Exasperation: New York…

Researchers demonstrated a quarter century ago that schools could effectively employ value-added statistical methods. At the time, only a few states and districts had accumulated the necessary annual assessment data to take advantage of the breakthrough. Today, every state has the capacity to provide educators with value-added data. Yet most…

This guide discusses the importance of having school health and safety committees, describes New York law creating these committees, explores their responsibilities and recommended actions, and examines what committees can do to efficiently meet their goals. The guide details school walk-throughs as the best way to learn about a school, including…

This guide addresses existing New York laws and available resources to ensure that every child and school employee has an environmentally safe and healthy school. Topics discussed involve indoor air quality; toxic and hazardous chemicals; pests and pesticides; mold, mildew, fungus, bacteria; asbestos; lead; radon; exhaust fumes from idling…

This guide informs parents, advocates, and school personnel about existing laws and resources available to ensure that every school in New York is an environmentally safe and healthy school. The guide reveals how to recognize air quality and other environmental problems and who to contact when adverse conditions are discovered. It examines…

"The Achiever" is a monthly newsletter designed expressly for parents and community leaders. Each issue contains news and information about and from public and private organizations about school improvement in the United States. Highlights of this issue include: (1) New Online Tool Simplifies Financial Aid Process; (2) Rigor in K-6:…

The manual presents information on providing services to children with communication disorders in New York state. An initial chapter distinguishes educational handicaps from communication disorders and speech impairments. A section on general education speech and language remediation considers the teacher's role and school-based identification and…

The English as a Second Language (ESL) standards articulate the abilities and competencies that Limited English Proficient (LEP) and English Language Learners (ELLs) must demonstrate to successfully integrate into the English academic mainstream. The standards combine the principles of second language learning with the language development…

This paper discusses specific rights of gifted students and their parents under the laws of New York State. The following areas are covered: Chapter 740 of the Laws of 1982 (which states that if a district accepts State funds for gifted programs, it must provide services to gifted pupils); a provision under Chapter 53 of the Laws of 1980 which…

This fourth and final guide in a series of volumes addresses parents who desire assistance in selecting the appropriate school for their child. The guide provides narratives and "real life" descriptions of actual occurrences in schools that advertise themselves as emphasizing a particular style or philosophy of teaching or curricular…

This pamphlet is intended to inform both English and French speaking parents of handicapped children in New York State about rights and services of the special education program. Separate sections cover federal and state law, student assessment, individualized education program development under the committee for the handicapped, and parental…

Spurred by the economic boom of the late 1990s and a decades-old national standards movement that increased both the transparency of assessment results and the awareness of urban public school failure, communities across the country are turning to community organizing as a strategy for improving public education. As organizations confront the…

A framework for New York communities interested in establishing drug-free school zones is provided in this guidebook. Chapters 1-4 present background information to familiarize the reader with drug-free school zones, relevant alcohol and drug abuse policies and concepts, and school/community partnerships. Chapters 5 and 6 offer guidelines for the…

This brochure describes a cooperative way to help resolve differences of opinion between New York parents and schools regarding special education programs and services. It describes special education mediation as a process in which the parent or guardian of a student with a disability and a representative of the school district meet with a…

Written for persons who serve as members of Committees on Special Education (CSE) in New York State, this guide reviews Committee responsibilities and various Committee management techniques. An introductory chapter outlines the impact of Federal, state, and local requirements and policies. The guide follows the sequence of Part 200 of the…