School board-superintendent collaboration is essential to the success of public education. This report presents findings of a study that focused on board-superintendent collaboration for higher student achievement. Data were collected through a review of state laws and interviews conducted with 132 educators, parents, and other citizens in 10…

Identfies the legal constraints and dynamics (in their institutional and political settings) which operate on community education. Examines (1) how community education fits into the structure of more traditional public education law, (2) how the courts have regarded community education, (3) the relevant policies that State education codes and…

Interviews and document analysis provide assessment of policy and practice relating to student information. Provincial legislation was inadequate, local policy was largely absent and sporadically applied, procedures necessary to protect privacy were seldom specified or followed, and data were of insufficiently high quality to justify their…

Discusses whether school boards can indemnify board members or officials for legal fees generated by challenges to recall election proceedings. Focuses on Wisconsin, where recalls need not be based on cause. Concludes that, because recalls such as Wisconsin's are essentially political, boards should not pay the legal fees involved. (Author/RW)

Reviews and analyzes the major educational reforms initiated in Connecticut during the last 10 years, employing economics terminology. Describes selected initiatives from the 1986 Education Enhancement Act. Discusses the effects of four state commissions with input from key interest groups on Connecticut educational policy. State board of…

Although state laws governing school district investing are quite conservative, there have been some notable investment failures leading to the loss of public funds. School districts must beware three kinds of investment risks involving credit, market, and interest rates and consider safety, legality, liquidity, and cash-flow requirements. (MLH)

The forces seeking to subject the theory of evolution to greater criticism tasted both victory and defeat. Kansas officials approved an overhaul of their state science standards to do just that, while voters in a rural Pennsylvania district ousted advocates of "intelligent design" from the school board. Those two high-profile battles…

This article reports on a study of Illinois school board presidents' perspectives on teacher tenure. It begins with an historical overview of the development of teacher tenure from its roots in the 1880s civil service legislation through the establishment of teacher tenure in the United States to an examination of current teacher tenure laws and…

This is a review of a case considered by the New Jersey Commissioner of Education regarding charges brought by the Puerto Rican Congress and Council of Puerto Rican Organizations against the Trenton, Mercer County, Board of Education. The Commissioner of Education evaluated the Trenton Board's performance in adhering to State laws in the following…

As an alternative to assessments conducted by the State Department of Education, Arizona school districts can use this handbook for self evaluation of their compliance with school law, which is basically controlled by Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) Title 15 and State Board of Education policy. This handbook is divided into seven parts which…

In this report, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) takes a close look at the governance of the teaching profession and finds that state legislators and other state-level policymakers crafting state laws and regulation, not those bargaining at the local level, decide some of the most important rules governing the teaching profession.…

A special publication compiled for the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) consists of the School Code, plus numerous other statutes selected by IASB for their relevance to public school governance and administration, as enacted as of January 1, 1994. In addition to the School Code, laws from other sections of the statutes are added to…

The legislative mandate for bilingual education in Illinois was analyzed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the mandate. Questions were addressed concerning the desired outcome of the mandate, the actual outcomes, and potential alternatives for bringing about the desired outcome. The history of the mandate for bilingual education and…

After presenting the legal principles regarding Massachusetts school integration policy, this document outlines the policy guidleines that State has established for meeting these principles. Footnotes include reviews of court decisions on school segregation in various states which have contributed to various aspects of Massachusetts desegregation…