Educational policy borrowing has become rather common in our globalised world. However, the literature lacks contextual criteria that may be employed by researchers and policy makers to assess the correspondence of a particular policy to the local context of a borrowing system. Based on a secondary analysis of documents and research reports, this…

Prepared for a Strategic Education Governance learning seminar, this working paper analyses the ways in which the Dutch government tried to reach overarching goals in education, in a system characterised by a high degree of distributed autonomy of education institutions and the participation of multiple actors, and consequently a government highly…

In contrast with that basic understanding of university autonomy, in most continental European countries, such as France, and also in Japan, the government has tightly controlled universities, in terms of both their organization and activities. In these countries, the concept of "governance" is often lacking, as institutions were not…

Over the past 30 years, states have assumed a greater role in financing education. The presumption of local control has been superseded by systems of state control. This shift in authority raises several critical questions. Chief among them is, "What effect has centralization of education financing had on the capacity of school districts to…

Judicial decisions focusing on equal educational opportunity involve significant issues of educational governance and often involve explicit questions about the extent to which authority to make educational decisions should be centralized or decentralized across various institutions and entities. This review aims at clarifying scholars'…

Uses Israel as an example to examine three variables--size, organizational mode, and political value system--and their effects on educational policy making and planning at a national level. Argues that in Israel's case small size, centralization, and democracy interact to create a new type of planning behavior termed the enlightenment approach.…

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…

Reviews both the proposals and the problems inherent in the concept of decentralization. Examines the motives and methods involved in the current efforts in Trinidad and Tobago and recommends a specific course of action. Notes that these actions are driven more by political motivations than by a desire for educational quality. (MJP)

Several dilemmas have arisen as a consequence of the centralization of state decision-making, including areas of tension between state boards and institutions and between executive and legislative branches of government. It is suggested that these boards are ultimately in the best interest of the higher education community. In a period of…

A survey of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba superintendents' perceptions of control exercised by departments of education, school boards, superintendents' offices, principals and teachers shows a gradual and yet growing influence of teachers and principals on decisions affecting education. Also reflects projected trend in…

Presents findings of a national study regarding state-level educational policy for HIV-positive children and focuses on current implementation and practice of such policy, or lack thereof, as well as the states' perceptions of needed policy improvements. Analyzes responses in terms of states' experiences, need, and centralized decision making. (AF)

This monograph studies the policy-making process of public schools at the elementary and secondary levels. Variables include legislative bodies and courts at the local, State, and national levels and special interest groups (e.g., labor unions and religious bodies, professional educators, and qualified voters). Public expectations have contributed…

Uses data from 39 countries to analyze how various institutional features and policies affected student performance on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study. Students in countries with centralized exams, little teacher/union influence on budgets, and larger shares of private-school enrollments had significantly higher TIMSS scores.…

The paper compares aspects of decision making in health and education in the United States and Great Britain from 1890-1970. The major purpose is to demonstrate variety in the degree of centralization within the two policy areas during this period. Centralization is defined as the degree to which all resources of a given type are controlled by one…