Purpose: The unanticipated changes in state legislation in Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin in 2011-12 significantly restricted or entirely prohibited the collective bargaining rights of teachers. Considering these institutional changes as a natural experiment, we examine the causal impact of weakening teacher unionization on…

Some private, religious schools that accept vouchers have been accused of discriminating against certain populations of students through their admissions processes. Discriminating against disfavored groups (e.g., racial minorities, LGBT students, students with disabilities, religious minorities) in voucher programs raises both legal and policy…

The authors explore federal learning disabilities (LD) guidelines, Wisconsin LD guidelines, and current educational research relating to approaches for teaching LD students. Two approaches are considered--the process-deficit approach and the task-analytic approach. (SBH)

This brief presents an overview of findings from a U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) study that investigated how the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) affected the ability of schools to maintain a safe environment conducive to learning. A study surveyed 272 public middle and high school principals…

This report examines state earned income tax credits (EICs) as a means to assist working poor families to escape poverty. Specifically, the report notes that six states have their own EICs, expressed as a percentage of the federal EIC, with the advantages being that the credit is a reward for work, is a pro-family policy, is efficiently targeted,…

Provides an overview of the Wisconsin child support system. Explores policy and program implications of the child support revision process and makes recommendations for improving revision. Advocates expressing child support orders as a percentage of the noncustodial parents' income to keep the orders updated automatically and replace the need for…

While the concept of choice is not new to families able to take advantage of the available options, the idea of giving parents nearly total freedom in selecting their children's public school is new. Proponents of choice claim it results in higher test scores, fewer dropouts, and more involved parents. Critics maintain that there is no proof of…

Policy briefs are reports on the status of current issues in education from a national perspective; descriptions of actions and agendas in the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) region; and commentaries by experts from their particular point of view; and resources for further information. The focus of this report is technology…

Provides an overview of school choice strategies. Examines the possible impact of choice on African American and poor children. Reviews recently passed Wisconsin legislation that allows for state-funded private school choice for a selected number of poor and minority children, thus addressing the needs of educationally disenfranchised groups. (AF)

During 1996-97 each of the three branches of Wisconsin State government--the judiciary, the executive, and the legislative--experienced substantial activity regarding educational finance policies. After describing Wisconsin's current school-finance system, this paper examines Wisconsin school finance based on the 1996-97 actions of the judiciary,…

These matrices summarize the content of the certification/chartering requirements established by nine first-round and three second-round implementation states to deliver services in One-Stop Career Centers. Seven areas or dimensions of design/operations are compared. The narrative accompanying the matrices is divided into two sections--a matrix…