California's colleges and universities must share responsibility for preparing teachers who are knowledgeable about what they teach and proficient in how and whom they teach. Teacher preparation programs must recruit and train highly qualified teachers and strategically address public school needs. Higher education leaders must promote better…

In 1995, a federal report by the General Accounting Office (GAO) estimated that $112 billion was needed to bring the nation's school facilities into good repair. Subsequent studies estimated it would take more than $320 billion to build new schools to handle swelling enrollments, renovate aging buildings, and equip all buildings with the…

The Reason Foundation commissioned a survey of 800 registered voters in California to determine attitudes about education and education reform. School choice was a major topic of the survey. Support for school choice was strong as was disappointment with public schools. Across different demographic groups, respondents supported the idea of school…

In anticipation of the 1994 reauthorization of the Head Start Act, this oversight hearing sought testimony from California county government grantees managing groups of Head Start facilities, program directors, teachers, parents, and other participants. Following introductory comments by subcommittee members, Andrew Kennedy, senior Head Start…

The belief that fiscal support of a postsecondary institution is directly related to its overall excellence has been generally accepted and used as an argument when seeking funds for achieving excellence. Problems arise, however, in citing specific data to substantiate this claim. To determine the effect of changes in fiscal support on the quality…

Developed by the Task Force on Academic Quality for the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, this report analyzes, discusses, and offers recommendations concerning ways to strengthen the quality of the associate degree in the state's community college system. Part I provides background on the charge of the Task Force and external…

This report is designed to assist members of a Program Quality Review (PQR) team in: (1) conducting a review of the effects of an elementary school's curriculum, instructional methodologies, and effectiveness strategies on the students; (2) guiding the development of an action plan; and (3) providing a model for the school's own self-study. The…

This paper reviews, in two parts, discoveries about control in 12 instructionally effective school districts (IESD) in California. In part one, after describing six ways to view administrative control, this report provides a brief description of the study, presents findings on the use of selected control mechanisms, and reviews what was learned…

This book presents the case for traditional education and discusses the public's role in making education effective. The opening chapter introduces the concept of traditional education, noting its emphasis on the development of a command of language and formation of moral character, and placing the call for traditional education in a historical…

Designed as a forum for the exchange and dissemination of ideas and viewpoints of California community college faculty, this journal offers six brief articles on various aspects of 2-year college education. In "Academic Standards and the Open Door," Leon Baradat asserts that community colleges must reverse the trend toward decreased…

California's efforts in recent years to strengthen education at all levels by statewide articulation and local and classroom reforms are outlined. Emphasis is on the need to strengthen teacher education by coordinating it more closely with other areas of higher education. (MSE)

This report provides policymakers with detailed information on the characteristics of California's teachers. Information comes from state-collected teacher workforce data and a series of case studies conducted in schools and districts statewide in 2000 and 2001. Overall, low achieving, poor, and minority students are much more likely to have…

Interviews were conducted with 80 California school district administrators to determine their attitudes about their elementary physical education (PE) programs. Many had plans to improve their PE programs; they believed that high quality PE could improve educational outcomes, and that lack of teacher training was a main barrier to high quality…

Imagine a school that offers its students a safe environment, a rigorous college-prep curriculum, high expectations for student responsibility, and individualized attention. In this article, the author describes such a school, but it is not an elite private school for the wealthy. It is the Street Academy in Oakland, California, which serves a…

At a time of growing concern around the U.S. about the academic accountability of charter schools, Ohio has mandated a new regime of testing solely for those schools that may force the shutdown of repeated low performers. Under a new state law, Ohio charter schools that meet certain criteria will have to give an extra set of standardized tests at…