In this dissertation, I analyze the development and dissemination of state-level policies to prohibit colleges from considering criminal history for purposes of admissions otherwise known as ban the box in higher education. This research engages with practical and instructive questions of how individuals or coalitions can learn from other policy…

This hearing serves as a first in a set of hearings focusing on early learning. In his opening statement, Senator Tom Harkin, Chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, strongly encouraged members of this committee on both sides of the aisle to hold roundtables and have discussions on early learning in their local…

Today's school librarians are taking the lead with legislative advocacy for education and their efforts are beginning to have an impact on legislation. Advocates for school library programs in the state of Washington made historic legislative in-roads in 2009 with the passage of Substitute House Bill 2261. Arguably, the most important factor in…

Since states fund public higher education, state legislators are essential to reform efforts. An excellent way to familiarize legislators with faculty needs is through a legislative forum, where legislators are invited to discuss higher education issues. Most legislators enjoy the chance to meet with their constituents, say a few words, and learn…

This study examines Washington State's attempt to move toward an integrated, P-20 system of education that enhances student transitions from high school to college. In analyzing Washington as a single case study, a profile of the state is developed on key access related characteristics. Data for this study were gathered utilizing fundamental case…

The new class of governors, state legislators, and chief state school officers elected last week will face formidable challenges in dealing with the squeeze the nation's sagging economy--and ballooning state budget deficits--is putting on K-12 education. In the November 4 elections, Democrats added one more governor's office--in Missouri--to their…

Performance funding in higher education ties state funding directly to institutional performance on specific indicators, such as rates of retention, graduation, and job placement. One of the great puzzles about performance funding is that it has been both popular and unstable. Between 1979 and 2007, 26 states enacted it, but 14 of those states…

In March 2007, more than 400 educators came to Washington, D.C., to show their support and advocate for career and technical education (CTE) as a part of the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) National Policy Seminar (NPS). Attendees heard from speakers such as Troy Justesen and Jeffrey Birnbaum, learned about the…

In this article, the author reports on how three women saved their school libraries and created an advocacy model for all. The dynamic trio: Lisa Layera Brunkan, the great researcher with exceptional people skills, Susan McBurney, the master organizer with a Ph.D. in linguistics, and Denette Hill, the numbers lady with fantastic business acumen,…

In 2006, the input of scientists, economists, and private industry representatives inspired nearly unparalleled bipartisan support in Washington state for the formation of a Department of Early Learning. This new cabinet-level department consolidates three separate agencies, provides universal preschool for all children in Washington, and…

The issue of sex equity in college athletics was brought to a head in 1987 in a decision by Washington state's Supreme Court in a case brought against Washington State University by former female athletes and coaches. To add two women's programs, the university asked the Legislature for additional money. (MLW)

This publication is the result of a study authorized by the Washington State Legislature to identify and isolate factors that contribute to higher costs of building. The committee charged with this study combined existing research and information on the subject with its own suggestions. It developed recommendations to assist the school…

Includes "A Capital Connection: In Washington State Educators and Legislators Find Common Ground" (Lozada); "Changing Voters' Minds in Cincinnati" (Ciancio); and "In California, Businesses and Schools Recognize Their Interdependence." (SK)

State legislative programs for community colleges are especially necessary in states where the colleges have no local tax base. The roles of the Washington State Board for Community College Education and the Joint Legislative Committee are described. (MSE)

The role of research and information in legislative decisionmaking is discussed. It is suggested that planning is of marginal utility to state legislatures. The primary obstacles to planning in the legislative arena are the turnover among state legislators, internal shifts of power, and the legislative tendency to deal with discrete policy issues…