Policy

Critical Issues Policy

• Using Scientifically Based Research to Guide Educational Decisions
  
  
• Dynamic Debate—Determining the Evolving Impact of Charter Schools
  
  
• Implementing Site-Based Management to Support Student Achievement
  
  
• Rethinking the Use of Educational Resources to Support Higher Student Achievement
  
  
• Supporting Reform: The Role of the School District Board
  
  
• Redesigning School Finance: Moving the Money to the School
  
  
• Fostering School Improvement: Can More Freedom or Less Regulation Help?

Supporting Materials

• A Better Return on Investment: Reallocating Resources to Improve Student Achievement.
• Decentralization: Why, How, and Toward What Ends?
• Charter Schools: A New Breed of Public Schools
• Integrating Community Services for Young Children and Their Families
• Building Collaborative Education Systems: New Roles for State Education and Higher Education Agencies
• Charter Schools Update
• Toward a Technology Infrastructure for Education: Policy Perspectives
• Funding Crisis Forces Action in Michigan
• Professional Development: Changing Times
• Rural and Urban School Finance: Districts and Experts Speak Out
• Safe Schools Within Safe Communities: A Regional Summit in the Heartland
• Human Services Coordination: Who Cares?
• Using the Third International Math and Science Study for Making Policy
• Charters in Our Midst: The Impact of Charter Schools on School Districts
• Indiana School Funding Symposium: Alternative Tax Structures for Indiana's Schools: Implications for School Funding

Additional Resources

• Internet Links
  Although NCREL takes care in selecting other Internet sites to which it links or points, such selection does not imply endorsement by NCREL, its partners, or funding agents.
  
• EDSITEment, created by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Council of the Great City Schools, MCI Communications Corp., and the National Trust for the Humanities, provides humanities-related educational content including learning guides, lesson plans and student take-home activities.
• The Consortium on Chicago School Research is an independent federation of Chicago area organizations that have joined together to undertake a range of research activities to assist in the implementation of school reform, assess its progress over time, and more generally support school improvement in Chicago. Their research and information on their publications are available on-line.
• Education Central Central Michigan University's database describing educational change initiatives (including charter schools and middle schools) in Michigan.
• RAND Institute on Education and Training Access to RAND's "Hot Topics" (including a description of Project Tour - microcomputers in education) and to RAND's database of its publications, many of which focus on educational issues.
• National Association Of State Directors Of Special Education is a non-profit professional organization of state education agency personnel who have statewide responsibilities for the education of young children with disabilities.
• VOICE: Voter Online Information and Communication Exchange (Leagues of Women Voters)Acces to the League's document catalog, voters election information, and Project VoteSmart (voting records and ratings of Congresspersons).
• U.S. Department of Education's Department-wide Initiatives Full text of Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, and the School To Work Opportunities Act of 1994. Also provides additional information on the department's School To Work, Family Involvement, and Technology initiatives.
• THOMAS: Legislative Information on the Internet
  Full text of Congressional bills, House e-mail addresses, links to House gopher and to C-SPAN gopher (program schedules, press releases, and election results).
• Improving America's Schools Act of 1994
  Full-text of IASA which authorizes many federal programs providing funds to schools.
• Education Commission of the States
  Home page of ECS, an organization of state leaders devoted to the improvement of education.