Purpose: The purpose of this research was to determine the extent to which American school board members faced electoral competition, as well as the factors influencing the likelihood of competition. Design/methodology/approach: The authors utilized original national survey data of American school board members linked with school district…

This twelfth edition of "Measuring up to the Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws" evaluates each state's public charter school law against the 21 essential components of a strong charter school law. These 21 components are drawn from the National Alliance's "A New Model Law for Supporting the Growth of High-Quality Public…

This annual report, The State of Public Education in New Orleans, has been the Institute's flagship publication, capturing as much information as possible about our schools in a single document. This year's report will continue that tradition, but with more of an eye towards the future and what comes next for our schools. The unification of…

For the past 12 years, the Cowen Institute has published the "State of Public Education in New Orleans" ("SPENO") on a near annual basis. During that time, the purpose, content, and audience of the report have evolved. This edition of the report is a snapshot of public education in the current academic year using aggregated…

The report is the Institute's annual analysis of the city's unique and ever-evolving public education system. This year's report finds that school performance scores continues to increase, while areas for improvement and progress remain. The report also assesses the impact that RSD-OPSB school unification will likely have on students and families.…

This report provides six mini-case studies of higher education policy reforms enacted in other states, exploring the important role that state policy leadership played in developing, promoting, and implementing these policies aimed at improving higher education outcomes, and discussing the relevance of each reform effort for California. This…

This issue of "Legislative Review" takes a look at the news in higher education from February 28 to March 4, 2011. This Legislative Review reports that: (1) HB 1263, which deals with the UND Fighting Sioux nickname and logo, was opposed by the SBHE. Board members cited concerns, including the constitutionality of the bill, impact on the…

In 2005, the Washington State Legislature significantly changed the role of the State Board of Education (SBE). While the Board retains some administrative duties, SBE is now mandated to play a broad leadership role in strategic oversight and policy for K-12 education in the state. This paper presents the strategic plan of Washington State Board…

This account of tertiary education in Australia is part of the International Council for Educational Development's study of design, management, and effectiveness of higher education systems in 12 countries. The study provides data on institutions, enrollments, and various patterns of governance, but also provides an evaluation of the Australian…

This document contains an historical overview of the Oregon community college system, including its overall mission and student enrollment information for the 1989-94 academic years. The paper describes how Oregon community colleges enjoyed strong state and local tax support until the beginning of a recession in the early 1980's. Declines in the…

Annual reports from 45 states, the District of Columbia, and three Canadian provinces are presented. They focus on problems, activities, achievements, and other areas of interest to the postsecondary education community. Each state commission on higher education reviews such topics as pertinent legislative actions, priorities, enrollment,…

This report presents the findings and conclusions of a study conducted to determine whether the ten Alaska community colleges should remain as part of the University of Alaska governance structure or should be constituted as an independent system with their own administrative structure and governing board. To investigate this question the…

This document is intended to reflect the commitment of the Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges to effectively coordinate its community college system. A brief history of the board, along with a description of its powers and duties, are given. Information about the state's community and junior colleges is provided in the…

This 18th biennial report of the Oklahoma state system of higher education documents the accomplishments of Oklahoma higher education and provides summary data for use of individuals interested in the progress and prospects of higher education in Oklahoma. Highlights are viewed from the state-level coordinating agency of the Oklahoma State Regents…

This report examines the historical role of statewide coordinating boards, most of which were established after World War II to help states deal with conflicting institutional political interests and values. While authority over institutional management remains vested in governing boards, statewide coordinating boards serve as alternative models…