This collection of short articles addresses several issues. The first article briefly discusses the growing lack of confidence in schools, with a glance at the role of the mass media. The second article, an interview on the same topic, looks at the state's loss of credibility regarding education and other areas in the United States and other…

Federal block grants and consolidated programs related to poverty reduction may compel states to streamline administrative structures and approaches that have deterred collaboration in the past. This report considers the block grant environment in making key policy recommendations for reducing poverty in rural areas, formulated during a Pathways…