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The Institute
co-sponsors the California Education Policy Seminar which provides a
neutral forum for state-level education policy makers and educators to
gain in-depth knowledge about emerging policy issues. The seminars have
contributed to the development, modification, and enactment of education
reform initiatives in California. The California Education Policy Seminar
is funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Walter S.
Johnson Foundations, the Pioneer Fund, the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the
Weingart Foundation and the Stuart Foundations.
These gatherings are intended to evoke thoughtful discussion and new
approaches to education policy. Following each seminar a proceedings
document, which reports on the conversation and contains suggestions for
future action, is published by the IER and widely distributed to
policymakers and education leaders throughout California.
The seminars have made an important contribution to state education
policy development, modification and enactment in the areas of reading
instruction, evaluation of the class size reduction program and, as noted
above, the development of a statewide strategic plan for recruiting
teachers for California's schools. The IER staff frequently assist
legislators and their staff in drafting bills to implement policy changes.
Topics under consideration for the 1997-98 academic year include:
- Advanced Placement Exams: Student Accessibility and Academic
Consequences in California Public Schools;
- New Salary Compensation Models for California Teachers;
- Identification of High Performing Schools in Low Social-Economic
Neighborhoods; and
- Survey Analysis of California Elementary Schools' Instructional
Practices in the Teaching of Beginning Reading.
Recent seminar proceedings include "Teachers and
Teaching" (Macintosh Pagemaker 6.0 document), "State Policies
and School Restructuring" (Macintosh Pagemaker 6.0 document), and "School Choice: Lessons
Learned". Upcoming proceedings will include "The Teaching of Reading"
and "Helping Children With Language Disabilities to Read".
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