The policy landscape around curriculum selection and implementation is thorny: the federal government cannot mandate any state or local curricula, state policy varies widely, and local schools and districts often lack the capacity to support and sustain detailed reviews of materials and ongoing teacher training in quality curricula. Cultural and…

This article presents a critical discourse analysis of "no promo homo" policies and their effects in US schools. "No promo homo"--short for "no promotion of homosexuality" (Eskridge, 2000, p. 1329)--polices have been adopted across nine states and several local school districts in the United States. They direct…

This dissertation looks at the teacher hiring practices in Huntsville City Schools (HCS), Alabama. The research uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to answer the following questions: 1) What are Huntsville City Schools' (HCSs') current hiring practices?; 2) How well does Huntsville City Schools' existing interview process…

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of Alabama School Board Presidents about community engagement in school board decision making. An exploratory research design was used and data were collected by survey. The survey was mailed to 128 school board presidents representing the 128 school districts statewide (as of 2006). Sixty…

Drawing on scholarship from the politics and history of education, narrative and archival data, and the author's emic perspectives, this article examines social and political transformations in the Birmingham City Schools (BCS) and some of the surrounding metropolitan school districts during the pre- and post-classical phases of the American civil…

In elementary and secondary education governance, the need to build an effective system of public education is the driving force behind the selection of a state's key education leaders. This paper provides a snapshot of what state K-12 governance looks like in SREB states. (Contains 7 tables.)

"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…

The chapter prepared for inclusion in a handbook for school board members focused upon the important relationships of boards, as boards, and individual board members with external organizations and agencies. The handbook was produced by the Alabama Schools Boards Association for its membership and for its use in the orientation of new board…

This resource guide was prepared by the University of Alabama College of Education to assist local education agencies (school districts) in Alabama in formulating effective policy. The authors emphasize that if local control of the schools is to remain viable, education decision makers must view policy development as a comprehensive function…

This annual report describes the status of education in Alabama, as required by Alabama law. It presents statistical and financial operations reports and summarizes the activities and operations of the State Department of Education for the scholastic year ending June 30, 2003 and the fiscal year ending September 30, 2003. The report is divided…

This study examined the perceptions of school board chairs and teacher leaders regarding the work-related behaviors of Alabama's elected and appointed local school superintendents. A mailed survey sought information on: demographics; work-related behaviors identified as essential for successful school system leadership; perceptions of…

The purpose of this study was to determine the current status of and need for acceptable use policies (AUPs) for students' use of the Internet in Alabama school systems. Alabama superintendents were questioned using an electronic survey that could be returned via e-mail on an anonymous Internet site. Primary questions were: (1) What is your level…

This document is the text of the brief for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, October 1970. The statement of the motion to file brief is followed by the brief and argument comprising (1) the present state of the law; (2) the "root and branch" of the…