Lawsuits challenging state methods for funding public schools have been launched in 46 of the 50 states, and in recent years they have been extraordinarily successful. Since 1989, plaintiffs have prevailed in over 65 percent of the final liability decisions in cases based on "adequacy claims"--assertions that all students have a…

Extension has many opportunities to promote breastfeeding, one of the most highly effective preventive measures a mother can take to protect the health of her infant and herself. This article describes how and why Cooperative Extension can and should partner with federal and state efforts to promote breastfeeding. Members of Rutgers' Family and…

Darling-Hammond, Wilhoit, and Pittenger (2014) addressed the need for states to align their accountability systems with new college- and career-ready learning standards. The authors recommended a new accountability paradigm that focuses on 1) meaningful learning, enabled by 2) professionally skilled and committed educators, and supported by 3)…

The author reports on the issue of bullying that rose on state legislative agendas this year, with 21 states passing anti-bullying laws--some of which expanded schools' responsibilities to keep a check on any harassment that goes on among students. States set out to write clear definitions of bullying and to regulate school policies and…

American public higher education is in trouble. Besieged by declining state and Federal support for more than 30 years, public colleges and universities are facing a "game-changing" set of challenges that threaten to alter the very nature of the institutions. As two recessions withered state budgets in the first decade of the 21st…

This article employs Bourdieu's concept of capital to understand how state officials and teacher educators in New Jersey used three different forms of capital--economic, social, and cultural--in their struggle to shape the undergraduate teacher preparation and the first state sponsored alternative route program to teacher certification. Based on…

Analyzes the full-service schools movement and policy development process, focusing on examples of the new state policies as scattered, vulnerable, and promising new developments. Analyzes the Kentucky and New Jersey movements in terms of the strength of state role. The movement needs time to mature before being stringently evaluated. (Contains 28…

Uses New Jersey's curriculum requirements as an example to present a model for the planning, development, approval, and evaluation of occupational curricula. Describes the steps of a three-phase development process involving program identification, program documentation and approval, and program execution. Considers evaluation needs. (DMM)

New Jersey is strengthening its high-technology economy by encouraging technology transfer through supporting advanced technology centers, funding academic researchers for technical problems of immediate industry interest and application, and forming other, less-structured alliances. Better interaction between the state's research community and…

This article outlines the significant legal decisions regarding collective bargaining in Catholic schools, identifies the governance structures employed in Catholic schools and the methods of translating these governance structures into documents required by civil law, and concludes with the citation of two recent court decisions that demonstrate…

After visiting 30 inner-city schools in New York City, Chicago, San Antonio, Ohio, and New Jersey, the acclaimed author of "Death at an Early Age" concludes that public schools remain more separate and unequal than they were 27 years ago. Instead of embracing vouchers for school choice, we should support and fund genuine equality for all…

An important civil-rights issue concerns educational enfranchisement. Wealthy parents can consider both public and private schools for their children, but poor parents must send their children to public schools nearest them, regardless of their quality. This paper describes New Jersey's takeover of urban Jersey City's public schools, explaining…

Traces the three-year period (beginning in 1988) leading to the takeover of the Jersey City (New Jersey) public schools by the State Department of Education. Questions the wisdom of New Jersey's approach regarding failing school districts. The confrontation in New Jersey ended poorly for both the state and district. (SLD)