This paper examines a period in Scottish educational history when civil servants, not politicians, were in the ascendancy in the initiation of policy. The first three Secretaries of the Scotch/Scottish Education Department (SED) -- Henry Craik (1846-1927), John Struthers (1857-1925) and George Macdonald (1862-1940) -- enjoyed considerable…

Purpose: This paper aims to describe how the human resources development (HRD) policy has shifted from the national level to the sectoral levels; the paper also explains the changes that have been made in skills formation in the economy by presenting the emergence of Industry Skills Councils (ISC). Design/methodology/approach: This paper presents…

The increasingly common practice of engaging consulting firms to assist states with educational policy agendas requires an analysis of the role these consultants play in what is positioned as a democratic decision-making process. In this study, we examine the discourse of a state-level advisory committee formed to develop a new teacher evaluation…

Tips for college policy analysts include these: acknowledge personal biases; be flexible and inclusive; be realistic but creative in framing recommendations; build an outspoken advisory team; anticipate repetition; see the broad picture and detail; understand that implementation is the key to good policy; and do not surprise the president. (MSE)

A policy system design that can benefit from the dynamics of small group behavior without suffering from the adverse effects associated with group thinking, in which the members of small groups acquire a concurrence seeking tendency, is comprised of three subsystem functions: (1) a sub-system normative function which requires that small groups be…

Articles in this special issue discuss the utilization of social research by governmental commissions. How social science knowledge influences their decision making is examined. (RM)

Provides 10 principles to use in the development of board policies that can stand the test in the courtroom. Includes a "sample policy compliance checklist." (MD)

In an era when sophisticated campus marketing calls for sensitive public relations strategies, more institutions are turning to advisory groups. Most of these groups are made up of alumni or parents who know the institutions and have experience in public relations or communications. (MLW)

A variation of the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) for use in a needs assessment with key informants is described. The Missouri Department of Mental Health's planning staff, using the NGT, compiled key decision makers' perceptions of regional needs. The NGT helped in prioritizing the issues for each region. (TJH)

A study was conducted to determine if advisory councils, mandated by Public Law 94-482, are having a measurable impact on vocational education programs in South Carolina. Data received from 49 area vocational centers indicated that 2,170 persons were serving as advisory council and committee members to these centers. All reported advisory members…

A case study of the process of policy revision at a state university is used to explore the relationship between content and context of curriculum. Basic concepts and approaches from the field of organization theory were applied to the analysis of curriculum revision. (DF)

Shared governance is an educational philosophy that offers local school personnel the opportunity to share in decision making and improve educational quality through local control. Gwinnett County (Georgia) is currently implementing school-improvement councils that will operate according to the principles of shared governance. This paper presents…

Analysis of the functions and responsibilities of faculty-dominated athletic committees indicated six dimensions of influence including: policy, autonomy, hiring, business, academic surveillance, and NCAA power. Seven predictors of degree of faculty control of athletic programs were found. (Author/MLW)

Teacher empowerment means that teachers participate in policy decisions and have real decision-making responsibilities in the direction of their own professional activities. A description is given of an intensive 2-week, 5 hour per day instructional and workshop summer inservice program. The primary objective of this program was to develop an…

This paper describes how the Oakland University Early Childhood Project developed a technique for community participation in a university program. Using a federal planning grant, a committee of community and professional members representing a variety of economic backgrounds and ethnic groups was formed. The interaction of the professional and…