Board members should learn from two court decisions about the limits the First Amendment places on chain-of-command policies. Employees who have complaints about matters that affect the public may not be prohibited from bypassing the superintendent and coming directly to the school board. (MLF)

Outlines innovations needed in school health education programs at four levels--national, state, school district, and school site. Implications for health education program developers at each level are indicated. (SM)

Develops a model of progressive school reform based on recent work in institutionalist theory. The authors present findings from preliminary empirical tests of the model, which provide strong support for an institutionalist account and considerably weaker support for political explanations of reform. (GR)

Describes findings from the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2000 about state- and district-level requirements and policies, standards and guidelines, evaluation, collaboration, and staffing and professional preparation; also addressing school-level requirements and policies, standards and guidelines, student assessment, collaboration,…

It is essential that school board members understand the important role that public sentiment plays both in the management of the public schools and in the determination of legislated powers of local school boards. The 14 articles from the "Illinois School Board Journal" presented here were chosen for the light they shed on public…

An experiment of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission is outlined that allocated up to 5 percent of an institution's annual state funding for awarding on the basis of demonstrated accomplishment in five performance areas. A project funded by the Kellogg Foundation to increase the use of student outcome information in institutional planning is…

In describing how the small school educator can effectively use community resources, points out the teacher must accept "that the community is a learning laboratory full of people, places and things that can contribute to the learning that takes place within the walls of the classroom." (Author/LC)

The right of schools to stress moral education must be decided by the entire school community, including the school board, administrators, teachers, and parents. Implications for administrators are the burden of providing a sound moral environment; transmitting morals, values and attitudes; and dealing with censorship groups. (Author)

The use of crack during pregnancy is producing tens of thousands of blameless children each year who, by biology and environment, are impaired. Describes the effects of crack on children and what can be done for crack-smoking mothers-to-be. Offers suggestions to school boards for providing a structured supportive learning environment for these…

Article offers best practices guidelines for supporting students with HIV infection in the school setting. The guidelines focus on preparation of the school setting, the enrollment process, assurance of appropriate services, and other elements. A Spanish version of the guidelines is included. (SM)

Examines school district practices which affect student performance. Rather than central offices making decisions for individual schools, districts should provide a framework within which teachers and principals can participate in decision making. The article discusses central office role in leadership, curriculum, personnel, budget, faculty…

Profiles current kindergarten policies and practices concerning six issues. Issues include (1) school entry age; (2) length of school day; (3) placement criteria; (4) retention practices; (5) beginning reading instruction; and (6) teaching strategies and instructional resources. Reviews research on policy alternatives and identifies the optimum…

The unique partnership of the University System of Maryland, Maryland State Department of Education, and Maryland Higher Education Commission has created rich opportunities for collaboration to improve K-16 education and articulation. The relationships and the results in mathematics and writing are described, with Towson University offered as a…

This article provides an overview of policymaking in relation to state and local district testing and accountability and concludes by identifying continuing policy issues and strategies for local implementation of standards-based secondary education that aligns with current testing and accountability policies. Governance models for curriculum…

This case is about the clash between traditional community values and multicultural values in the context of same-sex couples at a high school prom. Within this context, a new principal must deal with competing personal and professional values, as well as the competing divergent views of district level administrators, school board members,…