Examines some evidence about public understanding of education policy, compares it to similar understandings of other public policy fields, and discusses some of the steps that may be taken to deal with the prevailing levels of understanding. (Author)

A critical review of the widespread acceptance of accountability, pointing out that accountability is plagued by difficulties with measuring learning, with lack of research evidence to show that it benefits students, and with few plans for formally evaluating these models on a pilot basis before plunging ahead. (Author/JM)

This report describes a British local government's role in the provision of schooling. It identifies the benefits and limitations of that involvement, and draws out the implications for South Africa. The document focuses on the Birmingham City Council, its committees, departments, and services, and their current role in the city's schools. It is…

Reassesses the role of the school in the black community, concluding that the devaluation of the power of the school to politically, economically and culturally develop the community has hidden "the profound and pervasive influence of the school in shaping the lives of black Americans." (Author/JM)

Examines Colombia's efforts to halt escalating violence and social destruction through political and educational decentralization aimed at bolstering participatory democracy. Discusses the efficiency and anticorruption goals of centralization policies of the 1970s. Describes lack of shared vision and other national and local barriers to…

This book offers a comprehensive analysis and description of the political aspects of American education, utilizing both empirical data and case studies on the politics of education. Included are two case studies of recent school policies, which focus on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 and the school desegregation…

Drawing largely on data from Los Angeles, but with reference to other cities where appropriate, this paper attempts to clarify the distinctive positions taken by advocates of community control as opposed to proponents of administrative decentralization. While community control is essentially a political demand, oriented toward citizens influencing…

This discussion is organized into four sections. In an introductory section, it is pointed out that the word "decentralization" appears to have many meanings. There is a need to clarify definitions, and to examine decentralization in a practical, working context. In Part 1, "Background and Issues", some of the major issues…

Demands for urban decentralization and community control are indexes of the inaccessibility, irresponsibility, and unresponsiveness of the institutions of urban government in the 1970's. How and why these institutions have become the focus of such widespread dissatisfaction can be understood only in the total context of urban politics in America,…

The Philadelphia Commission on Decentralization and Community Participation offers plans for reforms on the school and district level. On the school level, three options are suggested: (1) informal community participation in decision-making; (2) advisory participation in the form of an elected or appointed committee from the community; or, (3)…

Sources consulted in preparing this bibliography include the "Bibliographie du Quebec,""British Education Index" (The Library Association), the "Canadian Education Index," the "Cumulative Book Index" (Wilson's), the "Current Index to Journals in Education," the "Directory of Education Studies in Canada," the "Education Index" (Wilson's),…

Contents of this book include: (1) "New Models: The Need for School Reform," James W. Guthrie--a survey of some of the past successes of our educational system, an attempt to assess present public opinion about it, and an analysis of some possible explanations for its apparent inability to perform satisfactory; (2) "National Assessment: A History…

This study is focused on policy: How did the school decentralization law affect the recruitment and selection of board members? How did the legal matrix set the conditions for community boards to function? And how did these community boards pursue their policies in three key areas: personnel, budget, and curriculum? Social change requires a…

Local control is emphasized in this examination of the roles of state, federal, and local governments in education policy and change. Federal and state role priorities should be to provide resources and stimulation for the major decisions and changes at the school site. The role of the state in school district governance, which has steadily been…