In 1995, the Council for Basic Education initiated the Standards for Excellence in Education (SEE) project, a multiyear effort to provide parents, educators, and the general public with better means to use standards to improve public education. This issue of "Perspective" tries to provide a coherent way to think about issues and…

The view that peer review and faculty self-government are detrimental is expressed. Peer review, a procedure in which the conduct of faculty members is subject to review by other faculty members, is used primarily in personnel and research decisions (e.g., tenure, promotion, and/or salary increases, and to assess grant or contract proposals).…

This study focused on the development of policy thought, or abstract thinking about policy issues. Political thought may be described as concrete thinking about political phenomena. It includes one's knowledge of and attitude toward objects, people, and events in the political sphere. Policy thought entails the abstract manner in which one…

The politics of education has been ignored in educational administration programs; it has been not enough taught in American programs for educational administrators and not enough emphasized in discussions of administrative roles. Administration increasingly includes political as well as rational decisions. Thus, administrators need a unified…

Analysis of a school district where merit pay has existed for 30 years and a more general review of other merit pay proposals led to the disclosure of eight critical issues to be considered before the actual implementation of merit pay programs. (MLF)

School restructuring requires the critical assessment of all aspects of the educational system, including the goals of schooling; organization and management at the local, district, and state levels, curriculum; instruction; roles and responsibilities of educational personnel, students, and parents; school finance; and education regulation and…

Policy analysts approach problems of decision-making from two distinct perspectives: rational-comprehensive and incremental. This paper examines the theory behind both perspectives and argues that incrementalism may be a more appropriate strategy for applied decision-making in education. In considering the appropriateness of applying…

Interest in the Planning, Programming, Budgeting System (PPBS) has waned over the last five years for several reasons. Early rhetoric about PPBS obscured its true character and promised more than it could deliver. Initially, few had the competencies needed to implement it. It is often wrongly believed to be solely a budgeting system. Finally,…

This newsletter issue focuses on the theme of fostering collaboration between parents and professionals in meeting the mental health needs of children. Structured group interviews (focus groups) were held with both parents and professionals who have been members of decision making boards and committees. Interview excerpts illustrate findings that…

In light of growing concern for the measurement of educational effectiveness, this paper advocates institutional research at the community college level in California's community colleges to answer crucial questions concerning students, programs, and communities and urges trustees and administrators to use research results to inform decision…

This study examined the variety of service delivery models used to provide services to preschool children with disabilities in nine diverse communities across three states (Colorado, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania). Information was derived primarily from interviews conducted with community preschool program administrators, service providers, and…

This issue includes the following nine papers on the theme of collecting and utilizing information on vocational training in Europe: "Information on Vocational Training in the Federal Republic of Germany" (Hardenacke); "Devolved Decision Making in the U.K. Demands Wide Dissemination of Information" (Cowan, Brown);…

The challenge posed by a decline in minority enrollment and a new push to raise college admission standards is discussed. State governing board members must consider whether to institute more stringent and systemwide admissions policies and must weigh the effect of such policies on prospective minority enrollment. Policymakers need to protect the…

This special issue of the Family Resource Coalition Report presents personal experiences and reflections regarding parent involvement and leadership in family support. Articles in this issue are: (1) "The Vaughn Family Center: It's My Story" (Jorge Lara and Matt Oppenheim); (2) "Asking the Right Questions is Key to Developing Parent…

Designed as an accompaniment to college level macroeconomic lectures (see SO 011 937), this package contains materials for three approaches to the macroeconomics course. The course covers topics of basic macroeconomic concepts, income and expenditure determination, aggregate demand, unemployment and inflation, policy making, investment and…