The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is required to submit this report to the Legislature regarding the status of existing charter schools, the number of petitions for new charter schools, and the action taken by school boards and DPI on petitions for new charter schools (see Wis. Stat. §115.28 (49)). This report offers the results…

State laws and regulations can either help or hinder the ability of school districts to hire effective teachers for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. State officials wanting to tackle this critical problem need to begin with a thorough review of relevant policies, asking themselves: "Are we part of the problem, and…

Private schools exist to serve other goals than religious ones and these may include unstated discriminatory goals. The author outlines obstacles to minority participation in private schools and points out that federal policy against discrimination in schools will carry over into private schools. (MD)

During the past three decades minorities have benefited from educational reforms. Current concerns with educational excellence conflict with equality of educational opportunity. The author believes there need not be incompatibility in the pursuit of excellence as it relates to quality or equality. (MD)

The committee that produced this report was asked to examine two major concerns: (1) that criteria for participating in various extracurricular activities were inconsistent between schools; and (2) that criteria for participating in all extracurricular activities (including athletics) contribute to the overall mission of teaching and learning in…

Believing in students is what's behind the best alternative schools. Profiles of various alternative education programs reveal stringent requirements for students' self-discipline and responsibility for learning. Some districts are turning to alternative programs and schools in an effort to keep their regular schools safe. (MLF)

This monograph analyzes new competency-based college admissions strategies linked to school reform initiatives that focus on linking K-12 and postsecondary education systems. It is based on data collected as part of a national survey of state higher education agencies and site visits to Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, Washington, and Wisconsin,…

This paper contends that the state of California is not currently fulfilling its obligation to facilitate the preparation of sufficient numbers of able school administrators. The first section addresses administrator supply and demand. The number of individuals holding administrative services credentials (ASC) far outnumbers available…

This is the second of three technical reports that focus on the hiring and evaluation of educational personnel in Illinois. Practices used by colleges and universities to recruit, select, and assess prospective educational personnel at the undergraduate level are presented in this report. A questionnaire was sent to persons responsible for all…

This study examined the dynamics and outcomes of the selection procedures of Chapter 1 programs in order to provide information needed for program reauthorization. Of central concern was the reason for variation in the student and school selection characteristics across districts. As information was analyzed and compared for Chapter 1 and…

This is the third of three technical reports that focus on the hiring and evaluation of educational personnel in Illinois. Practices used by colleges and universities to assess prospective educational personnel at the graduate level are presented in this report. A questionnaire was sent to persons responsible for all state-approved educational…

Intended for administrators and policymakers as well as teachers, this digest explores issues related to teaching English to the gifted student. The digest begins by examining the criteria used for identifying gifted/talented students, noting that some successful programs for the gifted in English and language arts do not restrict admission…

A model is proposed for enhancing family choice in public education; unlike many previous voucher plans, it would build on current trends in educational administration. Following an introduction that reviews these trends--highlighting recent developments in California school finance--two central assumptions are stated: that regulated competition…

This guide describes the admission criteria utilized by faculties of education in 50 postsecondary institutions in Canada, arranged by province. For each entry the following information is provided: a listing of the teacher education programs, selection requirements and procedures for various types of degree programs; statistics on 1992-93…

Testimony was presented on various issues of restoring excellence to education. The following papers are included in this document: (1) "The Neglected Obligation of the Teaching Profession" (Richard Swain); (2) "Instructional Supervision for Excellence in Education" (Ben M. Harris); (3) "Competency Testing: Excellence…