This study focuses on the debate surrounding global policies and practices related to the sector of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), utilizing the Greek policy context as an example. Drawing on the critical education policy studies literature, this paper interrogates the complex concepts of quality and autonomy, which are core in the…

Like other transitional countries, the Western Balkans face educational challenges due to the long transition period, respectively centralised educational activities associated with a dearth of scientific activities, and limited academic freedom. The previous centralised political and economic system in the Western Balkans created the academic…

Districts are relying on school autonomy to help schools differentiate educational programming for students and improve low-performing schools, yet we know little about how schools use autonomy in practice. Drawing on school case study and principal survey data from the Los Angeles Unified School District, we find variation in perceived school…

Prior research suggests that despite the mass development of higher education in Vietnam recently, the quality of higher education is declining. This study aims to understand the impact of the education reform on the quality of university accounting education by investigating the involvement of different stakeholders in accounting education within…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report four case studies in Australia that respond to the question: "How have schools with a relatively high degree of autonomy used their increased authority and responsibility to make decisions that have led in explicit cause-and-effect fashion to higher levels of student achievement"?…

The distinctive role of the university in society is always fragile and always in jeopardy. At its core, that role is primarily extending and deepening human understanding through research, scholarship, and teaching. This report presents an analysis of the following 12 collaborations between Canadian Universities and corporations, donors, and…

Hurricane Katrina set the stage for a transformation of public education in New Orleans, replacing the city's existing school system with a decentralized choice-based system of both charter and district-run schools. Using principal, teacher, and parent surveys administered three years after Katrina, this study examined schools' governance and…

Self-regulation in North American higher education is inherent in university behavior, having existed and expanded throughout most of the past century. However, the rest of the university world is just starting to experience a significant level of control over program development, financial management, and evaluation and the subsequent need for…

Education in European countries has been characterized by a tendency toward decentralization and deregulation. The Dutch Ministry of Education commissioned the University of Twente to perform a comparative study of actual and future shifts in tasks, responsibilities, and authority in education in several European countries. This book presents…

A study was conducted to determine the location of authority in multi-unit two-year colleges. Inquiry forms listed 84 practices categorized as general (e.g., accreditation), business, curriculum, instruction, administrative personnel, teaching personnel, non-teaching personnel, research, services, student development services, and relationships…

A study is presented to determine (1) where people influential in public university governance believe various typical decisions are being made and (2) where they believe those decisions should be made. The kinds of issues that bring about most disagreement as to proper authority in governance and administration are identified. Centralization of…

An examination of curriculum development procedures at multicampus community colleges was conducted through telephone interviews with administrators from the following five institutions: Miami-Dade Community College, in Florida; Northern Virginia Community College; Pima Community College, in Arizona; Tarrant County Junior College District, in…

Criteria for self-study by public college governing boards are presented. For each criterion, questions are presented, along with three response options: "yes,""no," and "do not know or can not judge." A response option for judging the board's overall performance on each criterion is also included. In addition, brief introductory comments for each…

Governance in U.S. higher education is discussed, based on a 1982 survey of decision making in higher education with attention to its roots, the effects of current conditions on decision-making arrangements, and a possible governance framework for the future. While both private and public education are considered, the public sector is emphasized.…

This book contains a report of a study commissioned by the California Legislature to examine charter schools in the state. The study considered the following four questions: (1) What population of students attends charter schools? (2) Is student achievement higher in charter schools than in conventional public schools? (3) What oversight and…