The need to invest in our nation's crumbling infrastructure goes back decades. But today, with millions of people unemployed, there is unprecedented momentum to act. Women, immigrants, and people of color are disproportionately represented in these numbers as are young adults. President Joe Biden and Congress are counting on infrastructure…

The COVID pandemic has led to a prolonged period of educational disruption with few precedents from the recent past to guide recovery. The Institute of Education's project, "Learning Through Disruption," set out to explore the knowledge schools have acquired from working with children and families during the crisis. The authors found…

This case study uses real events and hypothetical elements associated with the struggle for school finance equity in Texas. It involves a superintendent faced with difficult choices brought about by a convergence of events and issues, namely, by a national and state economic crisis, the demographic realities of his district, a historically…

In American popular culture, the word "rural" invokes images of sunny farms and little red school-houses--while "urban" means drugs, poverty, and crime. But rural schools face many of the same challenges as their urban counterparts. The problems of rural schools are often invisible to the public and policy makers. The solutions…

Governing public schools is one of the most important responsibilities a citizen can undertake. School board members work on behalf of all the families in their community, with fellow board members and with other community partners, to ensure that each student has equal and ample opportunities to reach his or her greatest potential. This guide…

Often superintendents and boards of education employ an expert-based, school-centered, "decide and defend" decision making approach when dealing with critical school district issues. In the case presented here, involving what to do with an historic school building, it is an approach that did not yield the result the superintendent or board of…

After years of struggling with increasing student enrollments, the Elk Grove Unified School District (Sacramento County, California) conducted two $70 million bond elections to supplement State funding for new schools, improve existing schools, and provide transportation and student support facilities. The 1986 election failed with 64.8 percent…

Many school buildings are in dire need of renovation, expansion, or replacement. Brief case studies from around the country illustrate the importance of finding out why people vote for or against a construction referendum. Lists recommendations for a strategic campaign. (MLF)

Describes a study of two community colleges and ten community college administrators to determine whether federal policies had influence on these institutions. Proposes a new policy framework, based on the findings, with five dimensions: (1) federal research support; (2) federal tax laws; (3) federal student financial aid; (4) funded mandates; and…

Sage Institute of Canada, Inc. measured the priorities for improving education that are held by professional staff, the boards, and the public in the Alberta counties of Newell, Vulcan, and Warner. Over 1,800 people participated in identifying issues, conditions, and suggestions for improvement. They then assisted in validating the information and…

One of a series designed to help school arts support groups increase public commitment to their programs, this monograph addresses the concerns of local school boards in instituting or maintaining arts education. Content is divided into 10 sections that cover rationale for arts education, local problems of budgeting and cutbacks, obtaining backing…