Minority students and students with disabilities are disciplined disproportionately from their peers. Discipline has led to many negative consequences in the lives of youth in the United States, including the school-to-prison pipeline. In 2014, the U.S. Department of Education issued guidance encouraging school districts to develop policies that…

The accountability focus in higher education historically has been directed at the institutional level. The purpose of this comparative case study, however, was to look at state-level accountability. The research focused on the processes used in Tennessee, Minnesota, and South Dakota. Interviews were conducted with higher education administrators…

In order to acquaint Indian and non-Indian educators, legislators, and other concerned individuals with the status of Indian education in all 50 states, data has been gathered regarding policy statements that are under consideration or have already been implemented by state boards of education and state legislation, appropriations, and resolutions…

A summary outline of examples of Minnesota statutory curriculum requirements is contained in this information brief. Information is presented in the following six categories: (1) curriculum requirements that all school districts must meet; (2) directions to the state board of education and the state board of teaching to develop curriculum or…

In 1991, Minnesota enacted ground-breaking legislation that authorized school districts to sponsor a limited number of charter schools. Implementation of the program was politically contentious, and the issue remains highly charged. This document presents findings of a study that examined the charter schools that were proposed and operating in…

This document describes four states' approaches to increasing the involvement of families in schools. It discusses the strategies used by the states to: (1) enhance teachers' capacity to work with families; (2) encourage local school districts to develop family involvement programs; (3) encourage efforts that use family involvement as a component…

Three propositions related to how Minnesota should address the needs of young children and their families are presented and discussed briefly in this position paper. The propositions are: (1) The Minnesota Legislature should mandate county boards/Human Service Boards to assume the leadership role in coordinating and planning services to young…

As faculty and other public sector unions become more sophisticated in collective bargaining, they tend to lay a greater variety of demands on the table. This, in turn, forces the employer to ask, Do I really have to bargain about these subjects? As more employers refuse to bargain, more unions charge them with failing to bargain in good faith,…

This report provides Minnesota legislators with background information on establishing state educational standards and periodic testing to measure student progress. Scientific management, the accountability movement, and the basic education movement were educational trends of the 1970's providing pressure on states to set standards to improve…

To help make school districts more accountable without resorting to minimum competency testing, the Minnesota legislature in 1976 passed a law requiring the state's 434 districts to prepare annual planning and evaluation reports (PERs). The PER law obliges districts to develop educational policies and review them annually; create an instructional…

One of twelve case studies growing out of the Educational Governance Project, this report contains a description and an analysis of the process through which Minnesota State government establishes policy for its public elementary and secondary schools. This process is affected by many factors, such as the availability of fiscal and human…

This report examines the process through which the Minnesota state government established school policy during the 1970s. The analysis focuses on who shaped state school policy and how they did it. The data come in part from personal interviews to determine the perceptions key participants had of the state school policy system. These interview…

Through what seems to be a very wise adaptation of methods of support and administration to schools of different kinds and to schools working under varying conditions in different parts of the State, but still preserving a high degree of correlation and unity of purpose, and by a commendable degree of liberality in expenditures for education, the…

Recommendations for postsecondary education policies in Minnesota are offered in this biennial report submitted to the governor and legislature. The report includes recommendations on postsecondary education in southwestern Minnesota, fluctuating enrollments, student financial aid, financial planning and budget review, coordination of new…

This paper examines the history of Minnesota's policies in higher education from the end of World War II to the present with emphasis on policies concerning coordination and governance. The paper summarizes decisions and recommendations and analyzes trends to gauge their effects and effectiveness over this time period. The paper begins with a…