An online service uses a desktop computer, equipped with a modem, to obtain a variety of services in electronic form such as electronic mail, electronic bulletin boards, special interest forums, and databases. Describes the features and costs of six commercial online services and how some school board members are using them. (MLF)

Summarizes federal and state actions regarding national standards and describes two private groups: the College Board and its partner the Educational Testing Service; and the New Standards Project, a joint effort of the National Center on Education and the Economy and the Learning Research and Development Center. (MLF)

Pertinent research studies, legislative documents, labor market agreements, official reports, and governmental decisions on issues concerning vocational education and training (VET) in Sweden were analyzed in an effort to evaluate the state of coordination of VET in Sweden and the effectiveness of its National Training Board. The findings of the…

This sixth chapter of "The Yearbook of School Law, 1986" identifies 354 state and federal court decisions handed down in 1985 affecting local district boards of education or the property of institutions of elementary, secondary, and higher education. Topics involve the relative power of school boards of education and state officials;…

This report reviews recent state initiatives in education reform, including state legislation, state programs, and decisions by state boards of education. The initiatives have been organized according to the eight recommendations for improvement made by the Task Force on Education for Economic Growth. These recommendations were to (1) develop…

The purpose of this paper is to define a rationale for use in the refinements of daily curriculum operations in a school district, and establish a general understanding about policy and non-policy matters in curriculum. It is concluded that the area of curriculum should be guided by written policies which demonstrate that appropriate attention has…

Chapter 9 of a book on school law traces court rulings concerning the liability of school board members. Political and governmental functions performed by school officers have generally been held immune from liability. In Wood v. Strickland, a school case, the U.S. Supreme Court held that while public officials are generally entitled to immunity…

Four research studies that examined the perceptions of school principals regarding the effect of collective bargaining on their work are reviewed and analyzed. Suggestions for additional studies on this topic are made. (EB)

The current bargaining model, by its very structure, nature and operating assumptions, tends to restrict active citizen participation in deciding many educational policy issues. (Author/EB)

This issue paper is the first in a series commissioned by the Education Commission of the States on issues relating to superintendent and school-board leadership. The study from which this paper derives builds on earlier studies that focused on characteristics and demographics of the superintendency, and on the status of relations and functions of…

This article is an extension of Welch and Karnig's (1978) school board study analyzing Black representation. The sample size was increased from the original 43 to 75 central cities. Unlike Welch and Karnig, new results showed that at-large electoral systems significantly reduce proportionally based equitable Black representation. (Author/AM)

Summarizes data from evaluations of 20 community-school initiatives that demonstrate their impact on outcomes that directly affect student learning. Collective results show that community schools improve student learning; promote family engagement with students and schools; function more effectively; and add vitality to communities. (Author/MLF)

According to the Education Commission of the States, 14 states prohibit pagers and/or cell phones in schools, 8 states have repealed bans, and the rest have no statutes on the issue. Ten states, including some that have repealed bans, grant policymaking authority to local boards. Presents arguments pro and con on cell phones and school district…

Findings from "Getting There from Here," a yearlong study of effective school leadership in 10 districts in 5 states, identify some of the problems that get in the way of effective school leadership. Offers nine practices that boards and superintendents can use to work together to achieve district goals. (MLF)

In Massachusetts; Washington D.C.; New York City; Chicago; Baltimore; Cleveland; and a host of other big cities, challenges to both elected and appointed local school boards have become commonplace in the last year. Discusses the situation in Chicago. (MLF)