Although metal detectors, guards, and law enforcement officers are intended to protect students and maintain a safe educational environment, the actual effectiveness of such measures is unclear, especially when it comes to protecting Black students. Charles Bell interviewed Black students from urban and suburban schools across Michigan and learned…

The specific needs of rural schools and communities have received limited attention from state policy makers, and many state programs have only added to the challenges that school districts in rural areas face. Michigan State University researchers surveyed and interviewed rural superintendents in Michigan to learn more about their situations.…

A vision statement and call to action from Deans for Impact--a group of deans committing themselves to a set of principles intended to elevate the performance of educator preparation programs and the status of teachers. Their objectives include: Develop a consensus around a professional knowledge base for teachers; create a tighter connection…

Describes the program the Michigan department of education mounted to improve the way in which the media report the results of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program, a program that tests the basic skills of all fourth-, seventh-, and tenth-grade students each year. (IRT)

A survey of 102 teachers in grades K-12 concerning what they find valuable in inservice programs revealed that teachers felt they benefitted most from self-chosen, informal, participatory activities. The findings indicate that effective inservice programs should involve teachers in all stages and should foster collegial sharing of ideas.…

The formation of collective bargaining units has not resulted in more involvement in decision making for principals in Michigan. (Author/IRT)

The American people do not favor tax support for private or parochial schools. The issue of vouchers has been placed before the electorate 22 times since 1966, and the voters have rejected it 21 times. It makes little sense for state and national legislators to continue to press for unwanted programs. (MLH)

Describes two recent court cases that demonstrate the difficulty of balancing the emphasis on drug detection with the privacy rights of students. Concludes that school officials should not be quick to assume that reasonable suspicion exists. (IW)

In light of current predictions of an imminent teacher shortage, this article suggests using statewide data collection systems to provide more accurate measures of teacher supply and demand. The Michigan Department of Education has implemented such a system. (Author/WD)

Discusses Michigan's state-supported programs for the gifted. (IRT)

Michigan allows four different entities to authorize charter schools: state public universities, community colleges, intermediate school districts, and local school districts. To ensure establishment of high-quality standards, Central Michigan University developed a rigorous two-phase chartering process. Charters avoid "best" approaches…

For all the fractious debate in America over the state of public schools, those on the political Left and Right agree that the "achievement gaps" are real. But what do most people mean when they say "achievement gaps"? Gaps in standardized test scores, of course. The gaps consist of the differences between the test scores of…

Outlines a framework for shaping reform policies on strategies for enhancing teacher capacity, using interview data from a study conducted in California, Michigan, and Vermont. Michigan has developed subject-matter objectives and assessments, Vermont uses a portfolio assessment system to help teachers learn about problem solving and develop new…