In the 1950s and 1960s, students practiced ducking under their desks in case of an atomic bomb attack. We know that this was silly and provided no protection and many school practices that are popular today are equally silly. This book explores a wide range of what the authors label "duck and cover" policies--ideas that may have started…

This practitioner brief is the first in a series highlighting concrete strategies that educational leaders can use to increase equity in education, by building supportive learning environments that meet all students' social and emotional needs. This introductory brief starts by laying out the aspects of a student's social and emotional well-being…

In setting policy on the impact of attendance on grades and graduation requirements, both educational and legal considerations must be examined. The author questions whether students should be evaluated on the time they endure in school or by their ability to know, understand, and apply course substance. (Author/IRT)

This guide was written to help school and local education agency staff better understand and apply the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law that protects privacy interests of parents and students in student education records. The Forum has developed full reports on student (and staff ) privacy guidance, but a shorter…

This book is designed to help all staff in schools prevent one of the major impediments to their attempts to raise standards and improve schools, and that is the issue of bullying amongst pupils. The book highlights and unravels some of the complexities of bullying and provides ideas and practical solutions to the problem of writing policy and…

This report chronicles the development of a written compendium of commonly used policies, procedures, and references for use by the visual arts teachers of a fine and performing arts department in a large county-wide school district. The compendium was researched, written, and correlated with shared vision, mission, and purpose statements that…

Following a literature review on policy development and decision-making--their participants, processes, innovative directions, and contexts--this study develops a series of analytical questions exploring the aspects of curriculum innovation. (JW)

This paper reports on a seminar that provided education policymakers a blueprint for improving social policy. Seminar participants included congressional staff, officials from federal agencies, foundation program officers, representatives of associations and advocacy groups, and state and local policymakers. The sessions opened with an outline of…

Evaluation of college student recruitment and retention programs is complex and has limitations that must be acknowledged. It requires an ongoing commitment to evaluation and a willingness to look at such programs within the larger context of academic policies and administrative procedures. (MSE)

Three situations of sexual harassment, typical of the complaints received by various departments and offices on all Indiana University campuses, are presented. According to the National Advisory Council on Women's Educational Programs, "academic sexual harassment is the use of authority to emphasize the sexuality or sexual identity of a…

These guidelines aim to support Ohio school districts in the development and implementation of procedures for referring, assessing, and identifying gifted children, grades 1-12. The guidelines cite relevant state legislation and offer a sample policy statement. Procedures for identification involve the following phases: review existing data…

This article suggests three broad categories of exceptionally able children, discusses the needs of exceptional students for recognition and understanding, and outlines several approaches to identification and provision. A whole-school approach is advocated for provision of education to gifted students, and a "mind-map" of such provision is…

This manual puts forth strategies for integrating students with severe disabilities, which have been successfully implemented by administrators and teachers in public schools. A sequential set of suggestions and practical examples to help administrators plan integration policy is also featured. The first chapter describes a conflict between a…

Two recent studies suggest that the role of the principal is indeed affected by collective bargaining, so that principals lose autonomy and take on new responsibilities. Four references are provided. (DCS)

A survey of 66 chapters of a national autism society found that the availability of extended school year (ESY) services is increasing. Significant variation was found in how states determine eligibility, in the duration of ESY programs, and in the length of ESY days; parental dissatisfaction was also reported. (JDD)