With more than half of children with disabilities being educated in the general education classroom, and with federal education law requiring improved learning outcomes for these students, preparing general education teachers to work effectively with all students is critical. This report on teacher certification requirements in the nine Northeast…

This paper examines formal goal statements for education systems from 43 states to determine the overall context of such statements, governance of education goals, and goals related directly to students and learning. Context is explored by determining who is responsible for developing goal statements, the reasons for articulating education goals,…

The parental right to select a child's school involves more than the option to choose nonpublic education. This document reviews a number of policy options availaable to public education systems for providing educational choice. Options at the state level include the use of education vouchers, subsidized transfer to selected schools, and…

State education agencies are in increasing agreement regarding the basic principles that should underlie state educational assessment programs, though some areas of divergent opinion remain. The agencies generally accept the ideas that comparisons between states will be made, that assessment programs should serve multiple purposes, that meaningful…

Research on educational standards and school discipline shows that curriculum reform may also improve discipline by engaging students in a challenging environment. The widespread decline in high school standards seems to have come from diluting both the high school and college liberal arts curricula of the past, with students abandoning careers in…

Task modulation is being examined as a means for improved utilization of human resources and greater flexibility within departments of Quebec universities. In this paper (written in French), a definition for this concept is proposed, the literature is reviewed, and prerequisite and other conditions critical to successful implementation are…

This brief paper summarizes information collected from state education agencies concerning: (1) state-level special education data collected by gender; and (2) gender and special education issues identified as concerns. A section on the study's background notes that about two-thirds of students receiving special education services are boys,…

On the basis of an extended conference composed of school superintendents and principals in June, 1918, the Arkansas State Board of Education issued, June 1, 1920, a preliminary outline of a course of study for high schools. This circular also contained certain standard requirements for approved high schools. Contained in the outline were the…

State-endorsed education service agency (ESA) type organizations are found in 26 state school systems, 23 of which have a complete statewide network serving all local districts. These organizations promote collaboration among local school districts in substate regions or serve as a conduit for implementation of state initiatives. This report…

Tightened budgets and more decentralized governance of education demand greater effectiveness of state boards of education, departments of education, and chief state school officers, and offer them new opportunities for leadership. State boards have broad authority to make policy, though their significance is often underestimated. Researchers…

Although providing tuition tax credits to parents of children in private schools could provide several social benefits, several difficulties stand in the way of adopting such a policy. The major difficulty is that tuition tax credits stand a good chance of being declared unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds. Tuition tax credit proposals…

This policy brief summarizes the literature and identifies responsibilities of state and local policymakers in meeting legal obligations to provide educational services for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Presented in a general question-and-answer format,…

This policy analysis examines how states are implementing the substantially changed requirements relating to the distribution of federal IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) Part B funds (Sections 611 and 619) as set forth in regulations issued in 1999. Interviews were conducted with nine state education agencies (SEAs) on the effect…

Diverse low-cost, innovative, and successful state initiatives for school improvement have been developed over the last five years. Generated by public pressures for accountability, many states' increased capacity for policy analysis, and insights gained during 15 years of administering categorical grant programs, the initiatives include: programs…

This paper discusses state control over curriculum relative to two general schools of curriculum theorists. The traditionalists employ a behavioristic social science orientation and attempt to develop curriculum theory with laws and principles tested through research. Reconceptualists reject the behavioral science model and attempt to…