Because school violence is not confined to cities, even rural administrators and board members have become legally responsible for addressing the issue. To prevent lawsuits and ensure school safety, districts must have an official policy, knowledge about potentially disruptive students, law enforcement liaisons, and inservice education for…

When citizen groups opposed their reform efforts, one Michigan district was intimidated by an ultrafundamentalist media campaign and petition drive, whereas the other welcomed democratic discussion and gradually regained public confidence. Opposition groups capitalized on the districts' lack of preparation, filling the void with their own…

Results of a Council for Basic Education poll of 1,000 voters argue for redefining local control of public education and for raising standards in every part of the country. School boards can ensure easy public access to national standards, demand that local standards be written in plain English, and lobby state officials to clarify statewide…

Supreme Court decisions to date underscore school boards' responsibility to take action against on-campus sexual harassment. The high court will support employers who issue, communicate, and enforce policies prohibiting unlawful gender discrimination. Such policies need a clear "no tolerance" statement, detailed legal definitions, and a…

A proposal to reform New York State's special-education funding system is based on a count of all students and includes a poverty adjustment. However, the decision to maintain separate funding systems for students with certain disabilities may conflict with the state's inclusive educational objectives. (Contains 18 references.) (MLH)

Pressured by religious conservatives, Congress passed the Equal Access Act (1984), allowing secondary school students the right to form on-campus extracurricular religious and other clubs. Recently, a Gay-Straight Alliance Club at a southern California high school was granted court protection under this statute, despite the community's objections.…

Local, regional, and state agencies must examine the superintendent shortage and determine who should address and resolve it. Boards should consider reviewing school-system governance, examine accountability issues, consider redefining and reconstituting the superintendency, address preparation program deficiencies, and identify talented leaders…

A case study demonstrates how urban school board members resolved a community crisis precipitated by the board's critical evaluation of the superintendent. Issues are analyzed through symbolic, political, human resources, and structural frameworks. The importance of establishing evaluation procedures when the superintendent is first hired is…

A mother in rural Illinois who demonstrated against a dress-code policy at a school board meeting by brandishing a toy gun was banned from future school activities and filed suit. Courts upheld the board's policy of imposing reasonable restrictions on time, place, and manner of free speech. (MLH)

Even after more than a decade of experience, surprisingly little is understood about the entities responsible for authorizing and overseeing charter schools. In this article, the authors argue that the success of the charter school movement depends on the effectiveness of those authorizers. In order to find out how charter authorizers are doing…

In August 2004, Mobile County Public School System (MCPSS) in Alabama launched a bold new effort to transform its lowest achieving schools. The changes at George Hall Elementary testify to how the commitment of a district to aggressively address issues of systemic educational inequity can turn schools around. This report tells the story of the…

In July, 1989, the New York State Board of Regents approved this policy paper, with recommended actions to be accomplished during the next 5 years for the following policies: (1) existing resources will be better coordinated and used for at-risk youth; (2) at least 50 percent of any new state resources for elementary and secondary education will…

Despite the blizzard of reform activity since 1983, neither state legislation nor state education department mandates have diminished the failure rates of at-risk youngsters. One-third of all elementary students are at risk of failing academically. This paper reviews past state department of education reform efforts and suggests innovative ways…

In May 1986, the Albuquerque, New Mexico Public Schools adopted a policy to address concerns about student substance abuse. All schools developed objectives and activities to address substance abuse prevention and intervention, and an interdisciplinary team was formed to monitor and facilitate the schools' efforts in implementing the policy. To…

A school board's proposal to require secondary school students to repeat all required courses in which they received grades of D or F would probably result in significant, unintended increases in enrollment, overcrowding of facilities, and a need to hire many additional staff members. Analysis of the district's current procedures, which deny…