This research brief examines trends at the federal and state levels in educational reform and implications for reform for students with disabilities. After briefly reviewing the historical background of standards-based school reform, the brief stresses the importance of a three-pronged reform strategy, involving: (1) a unifying vision and goals,…

Discussions about whether to implement associate degrees in British Columbia (Canada) date back to the mid-1970's, with the debate focusing on transfer arrangements and the viability of community college diplomas. One of the first acts of the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer, created in 1988, was the recommendation to create an…

This document first provides an overall explanation of the Education Consolidation Improvement Act Chapter 1 and then describes Arkansas' involvement in Chapter 1 services. The report reveals that there were 76,588 Arkansas students who received Chapter 1 services in fiscal year (FY) 92, which amounted to a 7 percent increase over the previous…

Basic skills teachers have a legal and moral responsibility to instruct students in reading, writing, and mathematics. The obligations of teachers and principals are extensions of the legal responsibility assumed by the state and local boards of education and practitioners' professional and moral responsibilities. Teachers and principals are…

When the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) was mandated in Florida, a schedule of incremental increases in the required passing scores was legislated. The 1986 passing standards were scheduled to be increased in 1989. This change was projected to reduce by half the number of students admitted to upper-level status at Florida's colleges. A…

The current official policy of the California community colleges on grading prohibits the use of plus and minus symbols to modify a standard letter grade. Plus and minus grades may influence a student's grade point average (GPA) either through statistical effects or psychological effects on teachers and students. At its fall 1985 session, and…

This document sets forth the recommendations made by Connecticut's State Education Commissioner for improving the State's schools and outlines the legislative action taken by the General Assembly in response. The issues dealt with fall into seven broad categories: (1) improving teaching; (2) addressing early childhood education; (3) improving…

Takeovers, charter schools, and P-16 systems are three issues in educational reform that have recently received a great deal of attention. For each of these issues, this report examines state activity in 2001 and early 2002, explores recent research findings, and offers key questions for state policymakers to consider. Until recently, state laws…

This report discusses the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that require states to develop alternate assessments for students with disabilities who cannot participate in large-scale assessment programs. The report also profiles five state alternate assessment practices that have been developed or are emerging and…

Discusses the legal issues involved in setting content or performance standards. Recommends establishing clearly documented procedures that adhere to professional recommendations and are administrated fairly. Addresses such issues as parental rights, assessment security, nondisclosure agreements, and specific alternative assessment techniques for…

Between 1986 and 1993 Australia developed a national curriculum framework of statements and profiles in eight learning areas. These areas were (1) English, (2) mathematics, (3) science, (4) studies of society and the environment, (5) arts, (6) health and physical education, (7) technology, and (8) languages other than English. This development…

This booklet examines national and state educational reform in the 1990s, noting the ways in which performance assessment is being presented as a mechanism of reform. Three reform initiatives are examined: national education goals, standards, and reform legislation. In conjunction with these reform movements, new methods of assessment are being…

After providing background on Title 5 regulations that upgraded standards of rigor for degree-applicable credit courses offered by California community colleges, this report presents revisions to course standards regulations for nondegree credit, noncredit, and grade point averaging. An analysis of the revisions is included, indicating that: (1)…

In 1984 the General Assembly of South Carolina passed the Education Improvement Act of 1984--the "New Approach", a comprehensive educational reform measure. The following action initiatives were mandated: (1) increase academic standards; (2) strengthen student discipline and attendance in the schools; (3) provide more effective use of…

This question-and-answer-style document describes the policy and process of implementing and enforcing prerequisite and corequisite courses in California community colleges. Prerequisites are defined as a condition of enrollment that students are required to meet prior to enrollment in particular courses and programs. A prerequisite signifies that…