In almost any conversation about accountability for private schools, accountability for public schools is assumed. This is a dangerous myth. By assuming that the edifice that states and the federal government have created over the past several decades actually holds schools accountable, school choice advocates immediately find themselves in an…

There is an interesting contrast to be found between President Barack Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan: Whereas Obama regularly refers to the current economic situation as the "Great Recession," Duncan instead labels it as "The New Normal." Only one of these can be correct--and the implications for educators are profound. The author…

When the author writes, her intention is to inform readers and to invite debate and discussion (or at least individual reflection) that continues after the work has been read and put aside. As a scientist with an interest in education, the author now feels able to submit some writings to a non-science educational journal, such as "Teaching in…

System offices for community college institutional research differ in many ways from campus offices for community college institutional research. The other chapters in this volume describe salient characteristics of system IR offices, but many readers may want to see a direct comparison of system IR offices to campus IR offices in the community…

In this commentary, the author discusses the Open Studio Project, which he cofounded in 1995. The community studio, as perceived by the founders, is a place where anything can be expressed as a moment on life's continuum. Believing that meaning in art is renewed in the process of art itself, the project is not conceived at art therapy: there are…

Uses the concept of "community as story" to evaluate community solidarity. Presents the stories of three communities in terms of origin, characters, events, and theme. By constructing their stories, communities can inspire new adventures and create a future which is as real as the perceived past. (KS)

In this article, the author traces the development of community colleges, from their ignominious beginnings in the middle of the 20th century to their current status as a valuable part of the higher education community. Likening this development to the progress made by the civil rights movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and…

Higher education institutions seem to be becoming increasingly flexible with different functions. Most universities' mission statements involve teaching, research and service, but while the teaching and research missions are clearly defined and located within certain areas of the university activities, service is less clear and more ambiguous,…

Proposes a framework for measuring quantitative and qualitative policy output in educational services. Cites data from a study in Israel which found that citizens in communities in which the government spends increasing sums on educational services are significantly less satisfied than are those in communities where less money is spent. (GC)

Discusses the content and historical experience of Southwestern cultures and the self-concept/evaluation that sets critical boundaries between cultural types. Describes a typical Mexican community and deals with the cultural reactivity of the Mexican. Available from Centro de Publicaciones, Department of Chicano Studies, California State…

Using the perspective of sociology and social welfare, the report focuses on issues and concerns by considering the concepts and underpinnings of personal development, social development, community development, women's issues, rural social welfare, and self-help. Contexts are the social development and social welfare of total societies as well as…

Compares attempts at community development in Nigeria under English and French colonialism with postcolonial grass-roots efforts up to the post-cold war era. Suggests the need to rethink the structure and role of the state in society. (SK)

Despite the proliferation of indigenous higher education programs and institutions in Australia, Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders are concerned about continuing forms of imposition and domination. The central challenge is to understand that continuing forms of colonialism are responsible for the insidious and embedded features of hegemonic…

Questionnaires and interviews were used to study attitudes of school personnel and parents toward the proposed creation of a separate, autonomous school district for the pueblo of Zuni. Questionnaires were given to 10 administrators, 12 teachers, 15 parents, and 8 teacher aides; 6 administrators, 1 teacher, all aides, and all parents were Zuni; 35…

Spanish usage by a large segment of the United States' population has created concern that English language and middle class culture are being displaced. Research in the 1970s found, generally, that Spanish-speaking people were indeed undergoing linguistic and cultural assimilation. However, widespread use of Spanish by the government in education…